Post-Mortem: 2022 NFL Draft Class
 

Figure we can drop nuggets about random dudes from this draft class as their early careers progress.

For example:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Treylon Burks is lining up wrong and running the wrong routes this summer after not being able to pass the conditioning test in the spring. Seems to be well behind Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ihkine and even fellow rookie Kyle Philips on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Titans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Titans</a>&#39; WR depth chart. <a href="https://t.co/Pr8SrqvWzK">https://t.co/Pr8SrqvWzK</a></p>&mdash; Nick Mensio (@NickMensio) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickMensio/status/1556757242107596800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From Inside Training Camp: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ravens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ravens</a> C Tyler Linderbaum had a reoccurrence of a Lisfranc injury, suffering a sprain not a rupture, per me and <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeGarafolo</a>. More tests are coming. <a href="https://t.co/1yL8m9koF4">pic.twitter.com/1yL8m9koF4</a></p>&mdash; Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1556664760988585984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/s...-as-many-days/

Trevor Penning is Richie Incognito Jr.

Yikes. That’s tough to overcome. Glad KC didn’t go there.

18 overall for a damn reerun. That has to sting

There was a lot of talk of him being a fatty before the draft.

Can't pass the conditioning test?

What?

Add on being a dumbass. Woof.

I never saw it with the guy. But I kept my trap shut because everybody loves him and I'm wrong like, all the time.

George Pickens appears to be as good as some who thought he was worth the late first were hoping he’d be

Seriously. Don't draft chubby receivers. A dude who runs for a living and is still chubby is a bad sign.

Figured as much when the Steerlers drafted him. Really don't wanna be reminded of it but the reports out of camp are glowing.

Loved Pickens, but the Steelers probably have the worst corners in the league. I mean, that room is just awful.

And it's not like Moore isn't killing it as well.

I wanted Pickens pretty bad, but I’m right there with Buehler and I’m wrong all the time. I hope Moore crushes it and it looks like he definitely could

Other great players CAN and often DO get drafted by other teams, y'know.

The Chiefs got a great player in Moore. So who gives a shit what Pickens does?

De'Marvin Leal has been a standout at Steelers training camp too (in addition to Pickens). They seem pretty confident that they snagged a perennial pro bowler on the DL.

I've also seen that Erik Ezukanma has looked good for the Dolphins... But that's a very crowded WR depth chart at the top.

Malik Willis looking good. No idea why he lasted as long as he did.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MALIK WILLIS HAS ARRIVED.<br><br>📱: Stream <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TENvsBAL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TENvsBAL</a> on NFL+ <a href="https://t.co/AXsI2aWMg0">https://t.co/AXsI2aWMg0</a> <a href="https://t.co/Namb3PRZIv">pic.twitter.com/Namb3PRZIv</a></p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1557884634792222720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/malikwillis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@malikwillis</a> showing off that arm 🚀<br><br>📱: Stream <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TENvsBAL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TENvsBAL</a> on NFL+ <a href="https://t.co/AXsI2aWMg0">https://t.co/AXsI2aWMg0</a> <a href="https://t.co/OGHz4ug5RM">pic.twitter.com/OGHz4ug5RM</a></p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1557886998269943809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🗣🗣🗣MALIK WILLIS<br><br>It’s a preseason game… BUT THIS DUDE IS CRUSHING RIGHT NOW <a href="https://t.co/OJRLbkT8bG">pic.twitter.com/OJRLbkT8bG</a></p>&mdash; Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1557888974013726720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

titans might be scary if they got a steal with that QB

A QB so scary that he got pulled because he wouldn't throw the ball.

Sigh. Danny Gray looks awesome. Wanted him in KC.

Now he needs a real receiver to throw to.

Treylon Burks is a fat pig who should be playing OL

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Punt God Matt Araiza just cranked an 82-yarder 🤯 <a href="https://twitter.com/brgridiron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brgridiron</a> <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloBills?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BuffaloBills</a>)<a href="https://t.co/e7MdrjkT6X">pic.twitter.com/e7MdrjkT6X</a></p>&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1558567605006471170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I really wanted him over Tommy. Oh well.

Boye Mafe lookin good

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a clutch sack by the rookie <a href="https://twitter.com/boye_mafe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@boye_mafe</a> ��<br><br>��: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SEAvsPIT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SEAvsPIT</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLNetwork</a> (check local listings)<br>��: Stream on NFL+ <a href="https://t.co/cINB23wRfG">https://t.co/cINB23wRfG</a> <a href="https://t.co/vR40Lmynum">pic.twitter.com/vR40Lmynum</a></p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1558633041693618176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Didn’t take long for <a href="https://twitter.com/boye_mafe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@boye_mafe</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Seahawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Seahawks</a> <a href="https://t.co/dnjCp6QHsp">pic.twitter.com/dnjCp6QHsp</a></p>&mdash; Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimNagy_SB/status/1558599248270213123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Penning will be a damn good tackle

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highest-graded 1st-round offensive rookies in Week 1 of the preseason: <br><br>�� Trevor Penning - 90.9<br>�� Garrett Wilson - 78.7<br>�� Kenny Pickett - 74.0<br>�� Charles Cross - 72.2 <a href="https://t.co/oXiT2MxB7L">pic.twitter.com/oXiT2MxB7L</a></p>&mdash; PFF (@PFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1558861027411783681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That might be the first good defensive player that Seattle has drafted since 2012

Jordyn Brooks in 2020 might argue with you... But otherwise not a great track record.

Edit: Interesting, I just looked at Brooks PFF grades (a system that I hate...) Out of curiosity. Despite his production last year, he didn't grade very well. I remove my objection, your comment stands!

Brooks can get lost in space a bit. But he's a hard hitter and really athletic. He's a good ballplayer but he's more of an old-school downhill 'backer.

The tools are there to be more than that, he just hasn't demonstrated the savvy yet. I like him quite a bit.

Rodgers not happy with Watson & Doubs... ~"Too many dropped balls, poor routes, wrong routes, by our young WRs out there. Sometimes multiple mental errors by the same players. We need to clean that up out there."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...oung-receivers

"Doubs is well ahead of Watson at this point, but there's plenty of time for Watson to make up ground." -ESPN

Lord Rodgers is an asshole.

If you’re not a HoFer, he’s going to publicly shit on you at some point. **** that guy.

That's a pretty piss poor example of leadership. No wonder Adams wanted to get away from that prick.

That's exactly what I was thinking. There is no crime in thinking that internally or even expressing that in practice, but what kind of mother****er spouts that to ESPN?

Right?

I don’t care if he says it TO them. Or in the locker room. But you don’t air rookies out like that publicly. That’s just being a shitty teammate

So George Pickens now leads the odds to win OROTY according to points bet. The hype around him is yuuuge.

As much as i loved him as a prospect, i don't see how the **** he's going to win OROTY with Mitch Trubisky throwing him the ball. I'd take Skyy Moore to have the more productive season due to circumstance.

Looking at these odds....man im tempted to put some money on Pacheco, who's climbed into the top 20...

https://www.rotowire.com/betting/nfl...book=pointsbet

I'd put some money on Dameon Pierce. That RB room is garbage and they're going to feed him the ball.

Love Dameon Pierce this year. He looked really ****ing good in his first preseason game.

Not only does Pickens have a huge question mark at QB, he also has to compete with Johnson, Claypool, and Freiermuth for targets.

4.6 forty time - fuuuuuck that.

Done with slow RBs. Even in fantasty football.

But you're not kidding - that is a comically terrible RB room.

Where he's going, it's all handcuffs/backups.

He's likely a starter within the first month, and the Texans OL isn't terrible.

And I know he's not a HR hitter, but he looked really ****ing good. I don't think the speed will be an issue in terms of production.

Needs more Ayahuasca.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...n-rodgers-rant

The following day Rodgers asked the WR core to an early meeting where he basically scolded them. I'm noticing that all of the WRs had a positive take afterwards except Christian Watson, who has remained mum, and I suspect is the main culprit bc Doubs seems plenty engaged.

Maybe share some with his young WRs.

Everything I've been hearing about Doubs has been really good, and he performed relatively well in his first preseason game. The only big thing so far with him has been a couple of ill-timed drops. He's beating guys and the drops will settle when he stops thinking out there. Watson, on the other hand, I haven't heard much good on him in most every regard.

To make him look even more douchey, this asshole is the guy who decided to skip out on the voluntary camps.

Instead of putting extra time in with these guys, he gives them the bare minimum and then publicly shits on them for not being on the same page.

Read somewhere that Doubs is looking good, could potentially be the top WR this year in GB. Watson has been on the PUP list which is why we haven't heard much. So... I guess Rodgers was trying to pep talk Doubs into an instant all pro?

Will never understand the approach to just universally chew everyone out. Smart coaches and leaders surely know different approaches work for different people.Some need a rocket, some need an arm round them, some need both at different times.

Makes me even more delighted we have Mahomes. He conducts himself perfectly in public and you just know he knows exactly how people tick and how to motivate them.

On the draft, sounds like Tolbert has struggled, Shakur looks good. Quite a few were high on Tolbert and I liked him for later rounds.

Packers: Aaron Rodgers might just have to live with Romeo Doubs and his drops. The rookie receiver makes too many other plays. He did so again Friday night against the Saints with three catches for 24 yards and a touchdown. His other two targets, however, were drops -- including a deep ball on the opening drive in which he appeared to get turned out or misplayed.

Rodgers expressed his frustration with the young receivers, although he lumped them into a group and didn't mention anyone by name. But Doubs, a fourth-round pick, also had two drops and a touchdown in last week's preseason opener at the 49ers.

In all, the Packers had four drops by first- or second-year receivers (the two by Doubs, one by Samori Toure on a well-placed deep ball and one by Amari Rodgers down the seam). Several drops would have been explosive plays, hurting Jordan Love's numbers (12-of-24 for 113 yards and one touchdown), but at least they didn't turn into interceptions like they did last week.

"It's not going to be perfect," coach Matt LaFleur said about Doubs. "There's going to be some lessons along the way. He's a guy that is pretty resilient. He doesn't get fazed by a negative play. He just keeps on playing. That's what excites you about him. You see a guy with really good feet. He's gotten really good in his transition. He's got a burst. He's been able to separate, which is something that's tough to coach. Guys can either do it or they can't. There's stuff to clean up, for certain, but he's a guy that we are excited about it."

Doubs makes plays that not every receiver on the Packers' roster can make. He perfectly timed a 4-yard fade for a touchdown catch, outjumping Saints safety Brian Allen. He caught a 17-yard deep out and had another 17-yarder wiped out by a penalty. At this point, Doubs is probably the Packers' fourth receiver behind Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins -- none of whom have played in preseason games. -- Rob Demovsky

Randall Cobb & Sammy Watkins? :doh!:

Bad times for the Packers I see.

The packers really like Kingsley Enagbare. I’m not sure why he fell. At one point he was projected as a second round pick (I think) but fell to the fifth round

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kingsley Enagbare with the ��<br><br>baits the OT with the inside hand and dips under the punch <a href="https://t.co/d0utdw78lJ">pic.twitter.com/d0utdw78lJ</a></p>&mdash; Anthony Treash (@PFF_Anthony) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_Anthony/status/1560985276629000192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Think I had him as one of my steals in one of these threads. Amazed he fell that far. Not a top athlete perhaps? But he does a lot well enough.

He tested incredibly poorly athletically.

I would have loved for KC to nab him instead of Kinnard.

I believe PFF had him graded as a top 10 pass rusher in the draft

Yep, think the Kinnard pick was way over-hyped given what was still on the board at that point and what we needed. I honestly liked quite a few other OL prospects as well. Zach Tom looks good for the Packers for example. We seem to be going for these massive dudes with less refined footwork - fine for guard, not convinced I want more of those projects at tackle.

Erik Ezukanma had a nice little game: 6 receptions for 114 yards including a pair of 1-handed catches.

I still think Miami will end up being a less than ideal situation for him with Hill/Waddle/Geseki (and Wilson/Williams) entrenched ahead of him plus Tua/Bridgewater throwing the ball.

Yeah, poor would be an understatement. I was incredibly high on the kid prior to that shit show.

Same here. Was a huge fan, but definitely soured me a bit.

Still would've taken him on day 3 though.

I didn’t watch a ton, but Malik Willis looked surprisingly good IMO.

A long way from closing the book on his development, but I was surprised how good he looked.

Will some ****ing NFC team, any NFC team pick up something, anything for talent? The ****s.

Seahawks draft looks quite good. Cross, Mafe and Abraham all look good.

But holy mother of ****ing God are they stupid. They took a RB in the first rd a few years ago and it was a disaster. Oh hey let’s take another one at pick 41 bc our offense is based in 1990.

If they take Willis there they might have the best draft in the league. Like he was so perfect to replace Russell Wilson but they said (yes they said this) that Lock was better than all these QB’s.

Yikes

Other than putting together that initial legion of boom defense they’ve been criminally bad.

Right?

The NFC has 3 absolute joke conference and it's hard to tell if the NFC South or East is the worst of the lot.

All 4 teams out of the west could be favored to win either of those. The Bucs and Cowboys are quality teams but hardly world-beaters. Beyond them you have some of the worst teams/organizations in the NFL. I guess the Eagles being a decent little dark-horse if Hurts is legit puts the East ahead of the South. The South, with the Panthers, Saints and Falcons, may be the worst trio of teams I've ever seen in a single division. And hell, with the Vikings, Lions and Bears in the North, they're not worlds better than the East.

The AFC is just freakin' loaded while the NFC just continues to atrophy.

Chris Simms slobin' on the Chiefs rooks. In case you haven't seen it yet.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rtYnDfvptHc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hmm. Wonder who has been pimping him since his junior season at UNI?

;)

I still can't figure out why Chief Fans seemed to LOVE Kinnard so much.

Because he's big and mean and he DID dominate at the highest level of college football. I mean he was absolutely killing guys in the SEC - that's not nothing.

There's ability there, but he was obviously extremely raw. And ultimately it's possible his feet just keep him from playing outside. But with his length and aggression, and the Chiefs seemingly interested in finding big, strong, mean offensive linemen, it seemed like he had a shot.

But you never know how a guy transitions until the pads come on and it's clear his transition will be longer than most.

He's going to have to get a handle on his anger issues.

He's clearly good enough to start but he's going to start the season as a backup because he can't get through a full practice without issues...

He always looks to me like he has some trouble with balance/his base. Of course, so does OBJ. He looks unbalanced until he doesn't, which is right when he needs to be.

Yeah, OBJ is exactly the kind of guy you hope he develops into. But Brown was ready to play pretty much from day 1 so starting so much lower on the curve makes you wonder if he can ever get at/near the top of it.

Jason Peters is sort of the gold standard for this type of player, IMO. Just a massive dude who never demonstrated premier athleticism but rarely needed to. He got in guys heads early in games or even before they started. They tried to get away from their game because they knew of Peters got hands on them, the rep was essentially over.

And Peters was incredibly smart; knew how to use his size and strength to off-set guys with significant speed/athleticism advantages.

It's not an easy or even obvious road. He may never amount to a thing. But if you ask why Chiefs fans thought they might have something there - well the answer is pretty apparent when you watch his highlights. There's a mean streak and substantial strength there.

The technique just isn't.

It's also partly because he WAS evaluated by a lot of people as a decent guard prospect and worthy of a higher pick as a result. Combine that with the tendency for a few voices to dominate with the "every pick is genius, God-level work, no other teams spot talent" and it snowballs.

The number of people laughing at any suggestion he could be a guard not a tackle in the NFL because he'd played tackle at college. I mean, sure, but look at the footwork, and listen to where evaluators were expecting him to play. It's not everything but it's not nothing. He was never a R2-3 tackle prospect.

Agree with this. He was a great-looking guard prospect to me with an outside chance to be an RT.

Still hopeful he makes it as, at the very least, a decent rotational IL guy. But that is a very different proposition to the "we've got a starting RT from a R5 pick" take.

As an aside I don't know why it annoys me but the feverish optimism in some quarters grinds my gears as much as the downers. Let's just take a breath. I liked a lot of this draft but there will be whiffs and mistakes just like every draft.

Random non-Chiefs who stood out watching the first two preseason games.

Pickens and Pickett for Pittsburgh. Pickett looks like a 5 yr vet. Pickens looks like he's gonna be the star most of us expected, but maybe even sooner.

Mafe and Travis Jones are both more athletic than I expected, and I loved Jones and wanted us to pick him.

Khalil Shakir, Isaiah Likely, and Doubs all look impressive. I liked Doubs in the draft, didn't watch enough film on Shakir or Likely to have an opinion.

Drake Jackson looks big. And good. Kaiir Elam also looked good.

I feel like the Jones non-pick is going to haunt me a bit. Was really hoping we'd grab him. Ah well. Shame Elam is looking good, was sort of hoping he'd flop to make the McDuffie trade up even more gratifying.

I wasn't mad on Mafe so maybe I got that one wrong. I liked Sakur and Doubs and usually doubled up on WR in mocks and took one.

My sleeper looking like he should have went far earlier.

https://youtu.be/2KuEve911nA

I heard Kyle Phillips has been unguard-able at camp on a FF podcast, deep sleeper, maybe he outperforms Burks this season?

I was on the Travis Jones train for our pick we used on Bryan Cook. We’ll have to see but damn he looks good so far

He's looked good from what I've seen, another guy I always tried to grab late in mocks. Still looks like a mainly slot guy but to be honest I've no idea why that's sometimes sneered at. Sure he's not a deep threat but I bet he'll be money at moving the chains.

Good call. Shakir wasn't on my radar at all tbh. I totally whiffed on that one, he's looked really nice in both preseason games.

He reminded me of Godwin coming out the way he attacks the ball in the air.

Overall comp was Robert Woods.

If he hits as well as Woods that's a STEAL in the 5th.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Saints?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Saints</a> first-round OT Trevor Penning suffered a torn ligament in his foot and will need surgery, sources say following the MRI. He’s out indefinitely.</p>&mdash; Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1563610869556473862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hopefully he doesn’t try to fight the surgeon.