Every draft board is different. And every NFL team’s draft board generates different results. But at the end of the day, some prospects are better fits for their teams than others. Which 2022 NFL Draft prospect fits stand out in the aftermath of Round 1’s events?
In case you missed some of the action from Round 1, make sure to follow along with the latest 2022 NFL Draft results. Additionally, you can see how our draft analysts grade each and every selection in our full 2022 NFL Draft grades. You can also see an updated running list of the best remaining prospects after each selection.
2022 NFL Draft Best Fits
Obviously, no one can articulate a prospect’s fit better than the team that chooses to take them. But from the outside, we can at least get a read on team tendencies, personnel usage, and stylistic patterns with which teams show comfort. From there, we can ask and determine the answer to a vital question: Which prospects best enable teams to do what they want to do?
Ideally, teams have plans for each player they pick. But in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft, these prospect fits stand out as the best and most appealing.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
Jordan Davis graded out a bit lower than expected for me, largely due to his pass-rushing ability. His pad level is hard for him to regulate in that phase, and he has very little in the way of hand usage. But even with my lower ranking of Davis, I still love the Eagles’ selection of him at 13th overall for one reason: fit.
Davis is a picture-perfect fit for what the Eagles want to do under Jonathan Gannon. Although Davis isn’t much of a pass-rushing threat, he can be elite at what the Eagles need him to do. In odd fronts, or 4-3 under and over fronts, Davis files in nicely as the nose tackle. He can eat up blocks, absorb double-teams, and free up 3-techniques for 1-on-1 opportunities.
By occupying multiple blocks, Davis allows the Eagles to use one fewer defensive lineman in their formation, thus providing Philadelphia with more personnel flexibility in the secondary. That’s absolutely vital for combatting high-octane passing offenses in the modern NFL.
Baltimore Ravens: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
Davis to Philadelphia is arguably the best of the 2022 NFL Draft prospect fits. But Kyle Hamilton to Baltimore is barely a close second. In fact, you could make a case that Hamilton is the better fit, given how he meshes with the Ravens’ pieces in the secondary.
Baltimore wasn’t a common mock draft destination for Hamilton, but it’s now apparent how dangerous this pairing can be. Most notably, the safety duo of Marcus Williams and Hamilton has legitimately elite potential.
The Ravens signed Williams from New Orleans to be their rangy free safety. Hamilton can file in right away alongside Williams in two-high looks. But at 6’4″, 220 pounds, with 33″ arms and elite explosiveness, Hamilton can also rotate into the box as a strong safety or big slot, while Williams plays the center-fielder role.
These two players go together extremely well. But beyond personnel fit, Hamilton also has dangerous potential as a moving piece in Mike Macdonald’s defense. Macdonald can rotate Hamilton pre-snap and disguise coverages, and with his size and explosiveness, Hamilton could also be a devastating threat on the blitz.
Buffalo Bills: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
In the modern NFL, you have to be versatile at cornerback. We talk all the time about some cornerbacks having more affinity for zone or man coverage. And some teams do lean more in one direction than the other. But the foundation of coverage itself is matching what the offense gives you. Some looks and personnel groupings dictate man, while others dictate zone. You have to prepare for both.
Kaiir Elam gives the Bills this inherent preparedness. The Florida CB is fairly long, standing at 6’1 1/2″, 191 pounds, with 31″ arms. He’s also a terrific athlete. With 4.39 speed, he can easily carry wide receivers upfield and stick to hip pockets. He also brings great closing speed and burst in zone. But in man, even with his size, Elam has fast feet, fluid hips, and tenacious physicality. And he makes plays on the ball when it comes his way.
Elam’s physical and mental combination is extremely appealing. And opposite Tre’Davious White, he’s a cornerback who can hold his own in any coverage. That’s imperative for Leslie Frazier’s defense, which employs a lot of zone and its fair share of man.
Minnesota Vikings: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
On one hand, I can understand some frustration with the Vikings’ first-round process. They traded all the way back from 12th overall to 32nd and only netted a few new picks while giving back a second-rounder. But in my opinion, the Vikings managed to get a player worth taking in the teens at 32nd overall. And that player — Georgia safety Lewis Cine — is a near-perfect fit for Ed Donatell’s defense.
In Donatell’s scheme, where coverage looks vary from Cover 1 to Cover 6 and Cover 8, you have to be versatile. With so many zone looks, you have to be able to match patterns, run with receivers, and pass off players. And it helps to have a safety who can diagnose quickly and flow downhill to the run. Cine is that guy in every facet.
Cine is incredibly quick to diagnose and attack downhill. He rarely takes bad angles, and he hits like a missile.
In coverage, he’s just as exciting. Cine has excellent hip fluidity, explosiveness, and twitch at 6’2″, 202 pounds, with 32.5″ arms. He can carry receivers out of transitions and run with them stride-for-stride. He also has the range to play single-high. Alongside Harrison Smith, Cine can develop into a true blue-chip defender.
Los Angeles Chargers: Zion Johnson, G, Boston College
Playing the value of the board in itself is satisfying. But when you can get a high-value schematic fit at a position of need by staying put, that’s the true best-case scenario. That’s what the Los Angeles Chargers got at No. 17 overall when they selected Boston College G Zion Johnson. Kenyon Green was selected by the Texans two picks earlier, but one could argue that Johnson is the better prospect.
For the Chargers specifically, Johnson makes a lot of sense. He not only provides the versatility to make an impact in zone and gap concepts, but he also allows flexibility for other players across the line. Veteran Matt Feiler can now move to right tackle, thus filling another need for the Chargers. As for Johnson himself, his athleticism, natural leverage, tenacity, and reliability in pass protection make him a phenomenal addition on the interior.