
It has been an eventful three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft and we have multiple winners and losers thus far.
The first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft is in the books and it has been a wild one. We have had plenty of movement via trades, some surprises, some risers and fallers, some veteran trades, quarterback drama, and more.
So, with that said, let us take a look at which teams and players have come out of these three rounds as winners and as losers.
Winner – New York Jets
The Jets entered the first round with two top ten selections and left the first round with three first-round selections. With these three selections, the Jets were able to get the CB1 and WR1 on most boards while also getting an edge rusher who was expected to go in the top 10 at the back end of round one.
It was quite a haul. In the end, the Jets selected CB Sauce Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson, and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson.
— New York Jets (@NYJetsFrance) April 29, 2022
It didn’t stop there.
In the second round, they were able to select Iowa State running back Breece Hall who was also considered the top player at his position. So, you have the Jets getting CB1, WR1, and RB1 in the draft while also getting one of the best edge players in the draft as well.
After selecting Zach Wilson with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jets continued to add legit talent to their roster while also surrounding him with playmakers at receiver and running back.
Loser – Malik Willis
After being projected to go as high as the second overall selection, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis lasted until the third round when he was selected by the Tennessee Titans with their 86th overall selection.
Welcome to Tennessee, Malik Willis! #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/MwUJkS5CxS
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 30, 2022
In the end, he ended up in a good situation for himself in regard to his development, but things didn’t go as planned for Willis(and the other quarterbacks not named Kenny Pickett) on day one or two of the NFL Draft.
Winner – Philadelphia Eagles/A.J. Brown
The biggest surprise from round one was when the Eagles traded for receiver A.J. Brown and signed him to an expensive long-term deal.
A.J. BROWN IS AN EAGLE @1kalwaysopen_ | @Eagles pic.twitter.com/1iCgYWVr8z
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 29, 2022
Brown is one of the best receivers in the league and is still just 24-years old. He’ll join an up-and-coming offense and try to help them get back to the postseason in 2022.
Now, the Eagles did more than just acquire A.J. Brown, they traded up and selected the massive and highly athletic Jordan Davis to be in the middle of their defense next to Fletcher Cox. This should give the Eagles a dominant defensive front moving forward.
Howie wasn’t done yet. On day two of the draft, he selected a free-falling Nakobe Dean in the third round to join the Eagles’ defense. Medicals dropped him but the Eagles expect him to be okay moving forward.
They also added the highly athletic Cam Jurgens to be the eventual replacement for Jason Kelce at the center position.
Winner – Drew Lock
The Seahawks were a team many expected to draft a quarterback, but they did not. This means unless they make a trade for Baker Mayfield or Jimmy G., former Broncos quarterback Drew Lock will be the Seahawks starting quarterback.
And, it sounds like Seattle told people today they’re really confident in Drew Lock.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 29, 2022
The Seahawks added two offensive tackles in the draft and both could see starting time next season. Charles Cross will be the guy at left tackle and Abraham Lucas could potentially be the guy at right tackle. In the end, the Seahawks spent premium picks to protect Lock and showed some confidence in him by bypassing multiple quarterback prospects multiple times.
So you Lock believers will get your chance to see Lock with a team fully behind and supporting him next season. Unless they trade for Baker Mayfield tomorrow.
Loser – Baker Mayfield
It has been a rough year for Baker Mayfield. He is coming off a bad season where he played through injuries, he was then replaced by Deshaun Watson despite his off-the-field issues and is now facing a likely reality where he doesn’t have a starting job next season even if he is traded or released.
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer says getting Matt Corral takes him out of the market for a veteran, namely Baker Mayfield.
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) April 30, 2022
The most likely destination for Baker Mayfield entering the draft was the Carolina Panthers. There were reports that talks between the Browns and the Panthers were “heating up”. Unfortunately for both sides, talks fell apart and the Panthers moved on to Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral in the third round. With the Panthers selecting Corral, this has removed them from the teams chasing Mayfield
So where does that leave Baker Mayfield? That’s the million-dollar question.
All the quarterback-needy teams have filled their starting needs at quarterback by now and the relationship between Baker and the Browns looks unlikely to be repaired. So, he will either have to accept a trade to a team where he’ll either be a backup or compete for a starting job or just simply be released
It’s a tough situation for the Browns, who paid Mayfield a good chunk of money, and Mayfield who wants to be a starter. I am not sure how this ends, but the options are dwindling for both sides.
Winners – The Denver Broncos
With the ninth pick in the 2022 #NFLDraft, the Denver Broncos select …@DangeRussWilson pic.twitter.com/u7GMBhMo81
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 29, 2022