The second day of the 2022 NFL Draft is in the books, and there were some definite “losers.” Several folks are still shaking their heads over the bizarre energy around the QB class. While the Pittsburgh Steelers picked QB Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall selection in the first round on Thursday, another QB didn’t come off the board until Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder was selected with the 74th overall pick in the third round on Friday.
2022 NFL Draft: Day 2 Losers
The QB position was the talk of Day 2, but not in a particularly fun way. Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield remained in Ohio for another day, and 54 picks separated the first two QBs selected in the draft. Yikes! Let’s check out the five biggest losers from Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Baker Mayfield
While Mayfield was never expected to be moved for a Day 2 pick, his future is still up in the air. The Carolina Panthers reportedly had interest, but they traded into the third round to select Ole Miss QB Matt Corral on Friday.
With the Panthers likely out of the mix, Mayfield’s options are really limited. Perhaps the Seattle Seahawks send scraps to the Browns?
Cleveland Browns
The Browns really screwed up the Mayfield situation, which is why they are on this list of losers from Day 2 of the NFL Draft. After trading for Deshaun Watson, the Browns decided to play hardball on Mayfield’s trade value and $18.8 million price tag. That has now bitten them in the butt, as the QB-needy teams have shrunk in a major way.
So now, they’ll have to hope to get the Seahawks interested in their disgruntled (backup) QB. The Panthers seem to be moving on.
Malik Willis
Willis waited 86 picks to hear his name get called. While the Tennesse Titans are an intriguing landing spot, Willis comes in with no opportunity to compete for the starting QB job.
Although listed as a Day 2 loser from the NFL Draft, perhaps this is actually a blessing for the Liberty alum. He will get to sit behind and learn from Ryan Tannehill. Willis was taken after Pickett and Ridder after getting some top-three buzz as recently as this week.
The media draft community got this one wrong.
Nakobe Dean
The Georgia linebacker was considered a top-30 player entering the draft. He ranked 21st overall on Pro Football Network’s Consensus Big Board. However, due to concerns over a torn labrum, Nakobe Dean dropped out of the first round and slid all the way into the third.
Dean reportedly could miss a lot of time as a rookie due to his shoulder injury. However, Eagles GM Howie Roseman told reporters that Dean is expected to take part in rookie camp and no surgery is required. That said, when he returns, he will play behind Georgia teammate and Philadelphia Eagles’ first-round pick Jordan Davis.
Ed Marinaro
The NFL likes to push out celebrities and former players on Day 2 of the draft to read the selections. The league clearly didn’t vet Ed Marinaro, the star of Blue Mountain State and a former Minnesota Vikings draft pick.
Instead of immediately announcing the Vikings’ 42nd overall pick, Marinaro went on a diatribe monologue that basically no one cared about. It was to the point a producer asked him to read the card for the Vikings’ second-round pick.
Poor Andrew Booth Jr. He slid to the second round and then had his moment outshined by a lame rant by an actor who was probably a “who’s that” instead of a “who’s who” for the audience in Las Vegas and at home. And that’s exactly why he falls on this list of our losers from Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Looking for NFL Draft Winners?
If you’re looking for the winners from Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft, check out what my colleague, Dalton Miller, wrote here: Day 2 NFL Draft Winners: Ravens, Eagles, Lovie Smith, and others