The Draft Class of 2022: Bust or Best?

In just under 24 hours, college football’s best and brightest will descend on the city of Las Vegas for a three-day picking parade that will undoubtedly draw in well over 15 million viewers from around the world. For many, the NFL Draft signifies a new chapter. In some front offices, it represents a high-stakes chance at finding the base to build a young team around. For others, it can simply be an opportunity to retool, fill just a few roster holes, and take a stab at players that may burst onto the scene and help them in their quest for a championship. The draft brings with it more than its fair share of hype, evident through its massive television viewership and many mock drafts and fan discussions. However, it seems that the hype for the draft class of ‘22 this year has virtually gone out the window compared to that of recent years. It is apparent that no team is all too crazy about acquiring the #1 pick, and fans seem generally pessimistic about the outlook of many of their teams’ projected selections. But why the negativity? After all, the draft is a symbol of optimism and excitement for every team and their respective fan base. 

Lack of Franchise-Saving Quarterbacks

The most apparent and obvious answer as to the cause of the pessimism surrounding this year’s draft class is the lack of high end quarterbacks. Year after year, the NCAA produces at least a few “cream of the crop” signal callers that teams typically jump on in the first 5 or so picks. Look no further than the past two years as a perfect example. In 2020, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert were all snatched in the top 10. Likewise, last year, the top 3 picks consisted of Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance. Thus, the 2022 edition of the draft is a stark difference. The first quarterbacks expected to be taken are Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis, both likely in the mid-to-late first round. The casual onlooker sees an apparent lack of franchise-saving quarterback talents and automatically labels the entire class as a bad one. 

Few True Standouts

Every year, the draft is kicked off with a #1 overall pick that usually comes as a surprise to no one. The last time the first pick was truly in doubt was 2015, when the choice was between Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. These picks quickly become the figureheads of their respective draft classes. Often, they become the casual fan’s only memory of the draft, and improve the draft’s perceived “quality”. This year, trying to predict who the first overall pick will be is like trying to tackle Derrick Henry on a halfback sweep: impossible. The most common prediction is Aidan Hutchinson, but it seems that the majority of the “experts” expect Travon Walker to be first off the board. Additionally, Kayvon Thibodeaux and a pair of offensive tackles, Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu, all have an outside shot at being #1. The lack of a clear-cut “face of the draft class” makes the class appear at surface level to be more devoid of talent. 

Wide Receivers, Edge Rushing Talent & More

In the past three years, wide receivers have flooded the first round. Look no further than 2019 (Marquise Brown, Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf), 2020 (CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Denzel Mims, Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault, Jr.), and 2021 (Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Elijah Moore, Rashod Bateman) to find star-studded wide receiver talent that is essentially ruling our league today. With all this talent, we as fans may have become jaded in that this year’s wide receiver class isn’t heralded as much as it seems it should be. In fact, this may be the deepest class of pass catchers we have seen in quite some time. The likes of Garrett Wilson and Drake London will likely be selected around or just outside of the top ten picks. Only a few picks later, we will see Jameson Williams, Chris Olave, Treylon Burks, George Pickens, and Jahan Dotson likely be taken. Every one of these players has the potential to break out for the teams that select them and become perennial superstars. 

Similarly, the highlights of this class, the edge rushers, could very easily turn out to be the best class of the 21st century. Yes, other classes have had freak guys like Chase Young and Myles Garrett. But if anyone can name me a draft that contains (ha, ha) as much elite depth as this one, I’ll be more than surprised. Even the most casual fan has heard names like Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Travon Walker. Looking past their obvious stardom, teams can find guys with All-Pro upside even later in the draft. Guys that come to mind include Jermaine Johnson and Arnold Ebiketie, who have practically every trait you could want in a pass rusher. Even further on the list are guys like Boye Mafe and David Ojabo, who, among others, are explosive rushers that will no doubt generate plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks at the highest level. I believe the rushers that highlight this class will be what defines this class in the future, and why this year’s crop of players will go down as even one of the best in a while. 

Every draft has its players that stand apart from the rest at every position and excel, and this class is no different. The wide receiver and edge rusher groups aren’t the only ones producing impressive star power. Offensive linemen, which I previously touched on, will certainly be picked early. Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu have the best chance at developing into leaders of their future teams. Defensive backs like Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Kyle Hamilton, and Derek Stingley, Jr. are big names that headline a strong coverage group. Even running backs such as Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, and James Cook might find stardom as their careers unfold. 

Overview

This year, the hype that generally surrounds the NFL Draft has been somewhat muffled by the idea that this draft class is not up to the par set by years past, at least according to the common fan. This idea is supported mainly because of the seemingly weak quarterback class and lack of players in an upper echelon above the rest. However, this idea could not be further from the truth. In fact, this draft class has the potential to be one of the best we have seen in a long while. With the deepest group of wide receivers in recent memory and the best class of edge rushers, along with high-quality offensive linemen, defensive backs, running backs, and even Matt Araiza, who is potentially the greatest college punter of all time, the players figured to be selected in the 2022 draft might be the most well-rounded group in a very long time, and certainly deserve much more hype than they are currently being given.