2022 NFL Draft Class Rankings: Strength in numbers at the top
The top five positions of strength for the ’22 Draft are impressive — let’s dive in.
5) Safety
The No. 1 player on two of our analysts’ individual big boards hails from this safety class. Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton is No. 1 overall on Oliver Hodgkinson’s Big Board as well as that of yours truly. He closes space in coverage like Earl Thomas and comes downhill in the run game like Sean Taylor. A couple more first-round talents round out this safety class, as Daxton Hill and Lewis Cine could land in Round 1.
Jalen Pitre from Baylor is vastly underrated just because of his smaller frame. Yet, he plays like a bigger man. Similarly, Penn State S Jaquan Brisker and Oregon’s Verone McKinley III are potential starters from Day 1. This group gets markedly better through the rounds, as there is depth and value throughout. In total, 23 safeties cracked the top 300 players on our consensus board.
4) Cornerbacks
It’s likely that up to six cornerbacks could be selected in the first round. We know there is even the possibility of a cornerback going fourth overall, if not even higher. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is a lockdown option that should be considered a favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. The proverbial ceiling for LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. is as high as it has ever been at the position. If he can prove his game is on par with his 2019 tape, he’s a lock for the top 10.
Rounding out the potential first-round cornerbacks are Florida CB Kaiir Elam, Clemson CB Andrew Booth Jr., Washington’s Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, and Auburn’s Roger McCreary. There’s upside in small-school prospects Tariq Woolen and Zyon McCollum. And there is documented track speed and great coverage skills from a few more.
It’s a rock-solid class of starting-caliber cornerbacks and depth pieces in an era that requires NFL defenses to have at least five good cornerbacks.
3) Offensive Tackle
With the recent news of the Carolina Panthers locking in on a duo of tackles at pick No. 6, this tackle class is likely to influence the remainder of the first round and all remaining rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars are still linked to the top two tackle prospects: Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal. After that, Mississippi State LT Charles Cross is rumored to be rising up draft boards. All three could be off the board after the Panthers’ pick at No. 6.
That would push the value of the remaining top-tier left tackles like Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning, Ohio State’s Nicholas Petit-Frere, and Tulsa’s Tyler Smith up a ton. But it doesn’t stop there. Teams needing a right tackle can hang back and secure their future weakside protector in Days 2 and 3.
Kentucky’s Darian Kinnard and Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele each come with terrific size but will have to increase their foot and hand speed in the NFL. Smaller-school athletes and more versatile movers dot the rest of the Day 3 rankings at tackles. And there’s Bamidele Olaseni from Utah. All Bam did was stymy Kayvon Thibodeaux when the Utes met Oregon. And he wowed at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
2) Wide Receivers
The last two draft classes were said to be historic at wide receiver. Still, this class in 2022 is ridiculously talented. In total, there are 42 receivers who cracked our top 300 players overall. That includes 30 of whom landed inside the top 150. The value in this class isn’t just at the top, but that is where it starts.
Drake London from USC is a big-bodied athletic freak who should be considered one of the best after-the-catch receivers in some time. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave from Ohio State are technicians. Jameson Williams and John Metchie III will each enter the NFL after injuries in the postseason. All of these players have first-round evaluations, despite the injuries to London, Williams, and Metchie.
This is all without discussing the second-tier of receivers in Treylon Burks, Jahan Dotson, Christian Watson, Jalen Tolbert, and Erik Ezukanma. They are all incredibly productive players in their own right who would have a stake for the first round had it not been stacked above them. The rest of this class is loaded with talent, speed, sure hands, and size.
It’s a ridiculously stacked class with as many as 17 receivers who could go within the first three rounds.
1) Edge Defenders
As good as the other positions may be, the 2022 NFL Draft will be known for its edge defender class. It’s a class stacked at the top and loaded with talent across all seven rounds. As many as seven edge defenders could land in Round 1. Just as important, 33 edge defenders land inside our top 300 players.
The top overall player on our Top 300 Consensus Big Board is Kayvon Thibodeaux from Oregon. The athletic monster who changes a defense when he’s in the lineup is our resounding No. 1 overall player. FSU’s Jermaine Johnson II and Michigan’s duo of Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo round out the top four. Yet, Ojabo likely won’t play a snap until December at the earliest — that’s how good he is.
Georgia’s Travon Walker, Purdue’s George Karlaftis, and Minnesota’s Boye Mafe all present upside and proven game-changing ability. Walker could even sneak up and surprise people as the first player drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After that, it’s a who’s who of documented college all-stars and potential franchise-changers. It’s a group of versatile defenders who all excel at rushing the passer and present upside with their run-defense skills. This edge group is historic. When it’s all said and done, it could contain multiple Hall of Famers.