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The draft positions for the 2022 PAFL Rookie draft are now set in stone, and while it provides teams with an opportunity to improve their roster or fill some holes, other teams (looking at you Washington and New England) stand to substantially rebuild their rosters for years to come. With that said, here is my projection of who will/should be taken, fully aware of that my opinion doesn’t matter all that much (thank you honey…will take the garbage to road here in a minute). With all that said, let’s get started!
1) Atlanta – DE Aiden Hutchinson - Michigan
Let’s face it…Atlanta has plenty of holes, more than can be filled in a single draft, so taking the best player available with the least downside is probably their best move. Worst case for Hutchinson (besides injuries); he becomes a team captain who contends to make the Pro Bowl after a year or two. Best case…future wearer of a Gold Jacket who is making All Pro teams. I think he is somewhere in between, but closer to the latter than the former with Bosa-like qualities.
2) Kansas City – DE/OLB Trayvon Walker - Georgia
I love making fun of Trent Balke, and had my own doubts about the Walker hype during the draft….but after watching this kid play during the preseason, I’m convinced he is the real deal. It is very possible Walker is the best player in this draft, and possesses some skills that you just can’t teach. JJ Watt is 32, with his best days behind him, and nobody on the roster had more than 3 sacks last year. Regardless of who Atlanta takes first, Kansas City should look hard at grabbing either Walker or Hutchinson.
3) Chicago – CB Ahmed “Sauce” Gardner - Cincinnati
Derek Stingley, Jr. or Sauce Gardner? I’ve heard pretty compelling reasons for both guys as this year’s top corner. Calvin has the option of grabbing both and just calling it a day (which would be what I would leaning to do), but if I had to take just 1, give me the guy who didn’t allow a touchdown throughout his college career. First round corners miss more than I like, but when you hit on a shutdown corner, it truly gives you so many options when playing defense.
4) Chicago – DE Kayvon Thibodeaux - Oregon
Man, tough pick here. Again, if it were me, I would strongly consider doubling up and also grabbing Stingley, though Calvin already has some good young corners. So the logical choice is between OT Evan Neal and DE Kayvon Thibodeaux….and I went with Thibodeaux, who was the preferred choice of first overall prior to the talking heads of ESPN taking over. Picking Thibodeaux to bookend with Garrett makes the Bear defense so damn good, it just isn’t fair…assuming Calvin can afford to keep everyone.
5) New England – CB Derek Stingley Jr. – LSU
New England has needs galore, and has 6 picks in the 1st round to try and fill them, but with this first pick, I am trying to use my thinking cap. The top shelf DE’s are already off the board, and the three top OT’s are still on the board. If the board breaks this way, I would grab Stingley, and hope that the guy who dominated as a freshman comes back into form; if he does, Stingley is a bit more versatile than Gardner, and could end up being the better of the two, while crossing my fingers for a franchise T or wide receiver.
6) Tampa Bay – WR Drake London – USC
I wish I knew Brendan’s thought process here, but Tampa is in serious need of playmakers, and this is where they have the best chance of getting one. Chris Olave and Jameson Williams both make sense here as well, but London is probably the safest pick, and has the size to become an outstanding possession WR to couple with Peoples-Jones, who is becoming much more relevant as a deep threat.
7) Kansas City – OT Evan Neal – Alabama
Paul should have already secured a stud on the D-line by this point, so getting a franchise tackle should be a high priority as well. Teron Armstead is on the wrong side of 30, and none of the other guys are going to do Kyler Murray any favors. Yeah, there are other positions of need as well, but those beefcakes up front should give Murray more time to connect with last year’s stud, WR Ja’Marr Chase.
8) Green Bay – WR Chris Olave – Ohio State
Offensive line is also an option here, but given only one WR has gone off the board so far, the best call for Tim IMO would be to grab Olave, who should fit in right away with NFL Saints, and combine with Shenault, Moore and Pitts to give Dak young weapons he will have for many seasons to come. WR Jameson Williams is also a great call here, if he is willing to take the risk.
9) New England – WR Jameson Williams – Alabama
Now, if the board fell this way to Don, I’m sure he would be doing backflips (assuming his old man dad-back could handle it); Williams poses significant risk, and probably won’t post the greatest numbers next season, but he also has the highest upside of any WR in the draft. New England could also go down road of taking either Cross or Ekwonu and securing their tackle position for the next 10 years, but there aren’t many #1 WR’s in this draft, and I doubt Williams slides to 13.
10) Carolina – OT Ikem Ekwanu – North Carolina State
Seriously…the only reason I went Ekwanu here over Cross is that the NFL Panthers also went Ekwanu…both are going to be starters and both appeared to have had solid training camps. Rookie LT’s have a history of growing pains, but both also appear to be franchise-worthy, and Ekwanu should be a starter for the next 10 years.
11) Washington – WR Johan Dotson – Penn State
This comes from years of playing in leagues with Andy, who has the propensity of drafting Washington players. Personally, I would grab T Charles Cross if I were him, as Cross is the last of the Big 3 Tackles, and would give him a young quality lineman, which he desperately needs. I’m posting what I think Andy will do, not what I think he should do, and in no way is grabbing Dotson a crazy move, as he had a very nice opening week.
12) Detroit – OT Charles Cross – Mississippi State
Detroit should be running to the computer to turn in their selection if the board falls this way; while they (allegedly) have 7 guys who can play Tackle, none of them are really all that good at it. Cross should remove 1 position of need on the O-line for seasons to come, and allow either Goff or Fields to sleep better at night.
13) New England – S Kyle Hamilton – Notre Dame
For the 3rd of the 6 picks the Patriots have in the 1st round, I am picking the Patriots to double-dip in the secondary and grab the top-rated safety off the board, and the best safety to come into the league in some time. Do I usually think picking safeties in the first round is a great idea….no. Do I think Hamilton is an exception to that rule…yeah. Stingley, with a returning Jaire Alexander as the starting CB’s and Hamilton with Amani Hooker…not a bad foundation for a secondary.
14) Pittsburgh – QB Kenny Pickett – Pittsburgh
Let’s see….Pete lives near Pittsburgh, is a Steelers fan and likes to take Steeler players in all of his 112 Action PC football leagues. Pete also needs a QB, and the only one selected in the first round of the NFL draft was Kenny Pickett by the Steelers, coincidentally in the same season that Roethlisberger retired (who Pete also has in the PAFL). Would Kenny Pickett be my pick – nope. Will Kenny Pickett be Pete’s pick…yep.
15) San Francisco – DT Jordan Davis – Georgia
San Fran has a good O-line, and there really isn’t a CB worth the pick at this slot, and while there certainly is a need for a 3rd WR, it really isn’t as pressing as improving the D-line, and with the lack of depth at that position in this draft, the 49ers could certainly stand to take what projects to be the best interior D-lineman in the draft. Todd could take a chance, grab the most talented guy at the position, and just cross his fingers that he gets used to playing more downs in the NFL.
16) Detroit – G Kenyon Green – Texas A&M
In this little piece of fiction, I had one of the top 3 Tackles falling into their laps, securing one of their cornerstones all the way at #12. Here, I have them using their 2nd pick of the first round and grabbing the best interior lineman in the draft, making them much younger and much better along the O-line more quickly than they probably were thinking prior to the draft. Yep, Garrett Wilson and Treyvon Burks add more sizzle, but WR’s can be had in the later rounds, and Green/Cross would be a huge haul (pun intended) for the rebuilding Lions.
17) Washington – CB Trent McDuffie – Washington
Some may say that McDuffie should probably be slotted a few spots lower, but given the Commanders’ roster/needs, he looks to fit that team like a glove. Andy could really use a solid #1 CB, and McDuffie can be that type of player, and is just a notch below Stingley and Gardner.
18) New York - WR Garrett Wilson – Ohio State
This is quite a fall for Garrett Wilson, but it has absolutely nothing to do with this Wilson, but rather the other Wilson throwing the ball. The football Jets have some decent WR’s, and some would say Garrett Wilson is likely to be the most talented of the pack, but Zack Wilson really needs to show more this season to improve the numbers for the entire bunch. Look, if Ken went Treylon Burkes here, it would also make sense and be a solid pick as well, but Garrett Wilson was the top WR picked for a reason, and that reason should show up at some point. The Giants really aren’t begging at any position, so it should be BPA here, and the best teams need solid WR’s.
19) New England – C Tyler Linderbaum – Iowa
The Patriots need to build a solid O-line, and while they have some very nice youth, they could use some quality at center, and grabbing the best center prospect to come along in seasons (sorry Creed Humphrey) makes a lot of sense. Both Philly (who picks next) and New England can use a center, so my gut tells me Linderbaum goes somewhere in this ballpark.
20) Philadelphia – WR Treylon Burks – Arkansas
The Eagles have one of the best defenses in the league, but could really use a 3rd WR to compete with Claypool for touches. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best and would certainly benefit from another weapon on a team not that far removed from a Super Bowl title.
21) New England – OT Trevor Penning – Northern Iowa
The rebuild continues for the Pats, as I project for them to finally get their bookend at the tackle position. While Penning isn’t from the same tier as the top 3 tackles, he is going to start, and he has the nasty streak in him to succeed, assuming the Saints can handle some of his, err…more aggressive moments.
22) Detroit – DE George Karlaftis – Purdue
OK….hear me out on this one. For some reason, Karlaftis dropped like a rock in the draft, despite the PFF buzz by Mike Renner. He falls in the laps of the Chiefs, who grab him and are now singing his praises throughout the preseason. Don’t get me wrong…Karlaftis is probably not going to be a Bosa, but he is probably going to be a solid 3 down DE who will most likely end up being a solid 6-8 sack a season guy with the ability to seal the edge and stop the run. Again, not the sexiest pick, but addressing both sides of the line is a great way to rebuild a team.
23) Las Vegas – DT Devonte Wyatt – Georgia
Another of the great Georgia defenders to come into the NFL this season, this would address maybe the only real weakness of the Raiders besides QB (which they managed to do ok last year), and that is the D-line. Las Vegas is young up front, and grabbing a guy to compete and see who ends up being the nucleus of the defensive front isn’t a bad thing at all. There is no QB worthy of 1st round consideration, and Wyatt can pair next to Christian Barmore quite nicely.
24) Carolina – WR George Pickens – Georgia
The lovefest with Georgia players continues, with Carolina needing to fill a major hole in their WR corp. Pickens may have gone in the 2nd round of the NFL draft, but whether it’s Trubisky or Pickett behind center, both have made connections with Pickens during the preseason. Pickens will start and may end up with the best numbers of all the rookies, depending on who is pitching him the ball.
25) Seattle – G Zion Johnson – Boston College
The Seahawks have a lot of holes to fill, and secondary is probably a bigger need than O-line, so if the Seahawks went Kaiir Elam here, I would totally get it. The true value though is in Zion Johnson, who if he was available here, would be a great value pick and does upgrade the offensive line. Look, if Trey Lance is really going to be the Seahawk QB going forward, his greatest value early on will be the threat he brings running the ball, and upgrading the offensive line and the running game will be crucial.
26) Washington – LB Quay Walker – Georgia
Washington has a lot of linebackers, but very few that deserve to start, and one of those really slots in better at DE. Quay Walker is projected to start at ILB for the Packers, and will also be the heir apparent for the 30+ y.o. Alexander Johnson. While off-ball linebacker is normally something that can come later in a draft, Walker has the pedigree to be a quality starter for years to come.
27) New England – RB Dameon Pierce – Florida
New England makes their 6th pick of the first round, and they have the luxury of picking a running back in the first round, something that I usually shy away from. However, Pierce is the only RB in this draft that is projected to get substantial carries from the get go; now, if something changes on that front these first 4 weeks of the season, then this pick can also change. The Pats could use a bell cow back though, and grabbing one at the back of the first round is a luxury they can afford, with a pocket full of picks coming up in the 2nd round.
28) Washington – CB Kaiir Elam – Florida
Elam started off training camp with a solid road to one of the starting outside CB positions, until Christian Benford (a sixth round pick) had an outstanding camp to take away some reps. These sort of things usually work themselves out, and Washington has plenty of picks next round to grab Benford if they so choose. Grabbing 2 corners and a LB may not make the sexy meter tilt in the red, but would go a long ways to building a shutdown defense. Safeties Daxton Hill and Lewis Cine would also make a fine picks here, but one of them should be available to the Commanders by the time they make picks 2 and 3 of the 2nd round.
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