And the first pick of the NFL Draft is…

And the first pick of the NFL Draft is…

Leo Hudak, Staff Writer

The one moment that hardcore NFL fans wait for in the offseason is the NFL draft. This allows teams to pick up college players who can rise to the occasion or ride the pines for their career. The first NFl draft was in 1936 and located in Philadelphia. The first pick of this draft was a halfback Jay Berwanger, who had recently won the first ever Heisman Trophy. 

I interviewed Mike Szabo who is a NFL scout for the Buffalo Bills and he gave me some information about the draft process. He said that the most memorable player that he was involved in drafting was Cam Newton (Szabo was formerly a scout for the Carolina Panthers). He also said that there is a very long process that the team does to prepare for the draft. There are many meetings, evaluations, and scouting. Szabo also said that they investigate the prospect’s family life, work ethic, that they make healthy choices, and that they are a good fit for the Buffalo Bills. I asked Mr Szabo how he prepared for the draft, and he said that he was responsible for scouting Southeast schools. The last question that I asked him was, “How do you determine a bust from a future star?” He said that it was based on performance, how that specific player felt on the team, and their readiness to play in the league. 

Some people such as Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have been making mock drafts over the years to predict who will go first, second, and so on. Sometimes even the greats mess up. A few years back, Mel Kiper said that LSU quarterback  JaMarcuss Russell could be the next John Elway (one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time). After his short lived career with the Oakland Raiders (Now Las Vegas Raiders) Russell ended up with more turnovers than touchdowns. I know that some of the teams won’t be accurate due to trades (I am writing this 2 months before), but without further ado here is my 2022 Mock Draft of the first round.

 

Team Record Pick Draft Pick Position College
Jacksonville Jaguars 3-14 1 Aidan Hutchinson Defensive End Michigan
Detroit Lions 3-13-1 2 Kyle Hamilton Safety Notre Dame
Houston Texans 4-13 3 Kenny Pickett Quarterback Pittsburgh
NY Jets 4-13 4 Kayvon Thibodeaux Defensive End Oregon
NY Giants 4-13 5 Jameson Williams Wide Receiver  Alabama
Carolina Panthers 5-12 6 Evan Neal Offensive Tackle Alabama
NY Giants (via Bears) 4-13 7 George Karlaftis Defensive End Purdue
Atlanta Falcons 7-10 8 Jordan Davis Defensive Tackle Georgia
Denver Broncos 7-10 9 Matt Corral Quarterback Ole Miss
NY Jets (via Seahawks) 4-13 10 Ikem Ekwonu Offensive Tackle NC State
Washington Commanders 7-10 11 Sam Howell Quarterback North Carolina
Minnesota Vikings 8-9 12 Daxton Hill Safety Michigan
Cleveland Browns  8-9 13 Chris Olave Wide Receiver Ohio State
Baltimore Ravens 8-9 14 Derek Stingley Cornerback LSU
Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins) 9-8 15 David Ojabo Defensive End Michigan
Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts) 9-8 16 Ahmad Gardner Cornerback Cincinnati
Los Angeles Chargers 9-8 17 Charles Cross Offensive Tackle Mississippi State
New Orleans Saints 9-8 18 Garrett Wilson Wide Receiver  Ohio State
Philadelphia Eagles 9-8 19 Tyler Linderbaum Offensive Lineman Iowa
Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7-1 20 Malik Willis Quarterback Liberty
New England Patriots 10-7 21 Andrew Booth Jr. Cornerback Clemson
Las Vegas Raiders 10-7 22 DeMarvin Leal Defensive Tackle Texas A&M
Arizona Cardinals 11-6 23 Kaiir Elam Cornerback Florida 
Dallas Cowboys 12-5 24 Jermaine Johnson II Defensive End Florida State
Buffalo Bills 11-6 25 Devonte Wyatt Defensive Tackle Georgia
Tennessee Titans 12-5 26 Nakobe Dean Linebacker Georgia
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-4 27 Drake London Wide Receiver  USC
Green Bay Packers 13-4 28 Drake Jackson  Defensive End USC
Miami Dolphins (via 49ers) 9-8 29 John Metchie III Wide Receiver  Alabama
Kansas City Chiefs 12-5 30 Treylon Burks Wide Receiver Arkansas
Cincinnati Bengals 10-7 31 Trevor Penning Offensive Tackle Northern Iowa
Detroit Lions (via Rams) 3-13-1 32 Arnold Ebiketie Defensive End Penn State

 

Works Cited:

NFL. “Mind-Blowing Historical Stats for the NFL Draft.” NFL.Com, 19 Apr. 2013, www.nfl.com/photos/mind-blowing-historical-stats-for-the-nfl-draft-0ap1000000161658#:%7E:text=The%20first%20NFL%20Draft%20was,were%20picked%20in%20nine%20rounds.

—. “The History of the Draft | NFL Football Operations.” The History of the Draft, operations.nfl.com/journey-to-the-nfl/the-nfl-draft/the-history-of-the-draft/#:%7E:text=League%20owners%20voted%20unanimously%20to,pool%20of%20only%2090%20players. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022.

Tankathon. “2022 NFL Mock Draft.” Tankathon, Jan. 2022, www.tankathon.com/nfl/mock_draft.

The Draft Network. “2021 NFL Draft Team Needs.” The Draft Network, 2022, thedraftnetwork.com/team-needs.