JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 2022 NFL draft was barely a week ago, but it’s already obvious that the Jacksonville Jaguars’ focus in the 2023 offseason will be getting quarterback Trevor Lawrence more help.
The Jaguars did that in free agency by signing two receivers and a tight end, but after going defense with five of their seven draft picks and selecting only one skill-position player (a fifth-round running back), offense will be their top priority next year.
“I think the free-agent period allowed us some freedom to look at the draft a little differently than we might have pre-free agency, if that makes sense,” general manager Trent Baalke said. “Again, dealing with [Head] Coach [Doug Pederson] and going through the process with the coaching staff, it’s all about developing the best roster, the best 53. That’s how we approached free agency, that’s how we approached the draft.
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Eric WoodyardESPN
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Once Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and the front office identified their top prospects ahead of last weekend’s NFL draft, they began gauging the possibility of trading up to acquire a second high pick on Day 1.
But not just for anyone, it had to be for a “game-changer,” Holmes said.
With the No. 2 overall selection Thursday, the Lions drafted Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Then Holmes got aggressive and traded up 20 spots, from No. 32, to take Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams with the 12th pick.
Game-changer secured.
“This guy’s gritty. He’s a dog. He loves football. He just fit what we’re about,” said Holmes, who acquired the pick from the Minnesota Vikings. “Once the conviction and the buy-in kept rising, then I started saying, ‘OK, alright, maybe being that he’s one of those guys that we had graded similarly, very evenly up at the top, let’s go get him.’”
• The move was a surprise to many fans and draft experts, but the Lions are trying to put a group of explosive offensive weapons around quarterback
The 2022 NFL draft began Thursday and continues through Saturday (ABC/ESPN/ESPN App). The Jacksonville Jaguars had the first pick of the draft and selected Georgia pass-rusher Travon Walker.
Without a consensus quarterback, there were more divergent opinions about how the top 20 picks will go among the scouts, coaches and general managers. Only four times in the previous 15 drafts had a quarterback not been the No. 1 pick — Myles Garrett to the Cleveland Browns in 2017, Jadeveon Clowney to the Texans in 2014, Eric Fisher to the Chiefs in 2013 and Jake Long to the Miami Dolphins in 2008.
We are tracking all 262 picks for Rounds 1-7, and you also can see all of the best available draft prospects.
The draft continues with Rounds 2-3 on Friday (7 p.m. ET) and concludes with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday (noon ET).
Here is the first round of picks, analyzed by our ESPN NFL Nation reporters.
Travon Walker, LB, Georgia | Highlights
Why they picked him: Walker’s draft stock shot up after the combine, but the Jaguars were already intrigued by the Georgia standout because of his versatility. He lined up at defensive end, defensive tackle and linebacker in 2021, and the Jaguars can move him around to get the best matchup. He’s athletic enough to drop into coverage, too, if the Jaguars want to get creative with him. It was notable Walker played his best football in the two College Football Playoff games; he’s a guy who ratchets things up when it matters most.
Biggest question: Walker had a career-high six sacks in 2021 after 3.5 total in his previous two seasons, so there is concern about a one-year surge. Walker also didn’t stand out as the best player on the Bulldogs’ defense — that was linebacker Nakobe Dean — so this pick is more about the Jaguars projecting what Walker can become. Every pick is made with that in mind to a degree, but the Jaguars passed up a player most draft analysts agree will make an immediate impact and be a perennial double-digit sack guy (Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson) for a player who has 9.5 career sacks. — Mike DiRocco
Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan | Highlights
Why they picked him: The Michigan player will stay at home. But let’s be real, that isn’t the only reason behind this pick. The Lions are in desperate need of game-changers, especially on the defense, and Hutchinson checks all of the boxes. He’ll be ready immediately — and he’s already built a local fan base that should bring folks to Ford Field. This is a smart pick, and it falls in line with what the Lions are trying to accomplish in their rebuilding process.
Biggest question: Hutchinson was a 2021 consensus first-team All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist, but will that success carry over to the next level? As great as Hutchinson was during the regular season, he struggled against Georgia in the national semifinal loss. Will his production be stilted against better competition? Only time will tell. — Eric Woodyard
Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU | Highlights
2 Related
Why they picked him: Coach Lovie Smith made it clear earlier in the month that the Texans can’t play football the way they want to without improving at cornerback. The Texans have since added veteran
Biggest question: Should the Texans have given quarterback Davis Mills more help instead? Let me preface this by saying there was no bad pick at No. 3 because the Texans have so many holes to fill on their roster. Although there was certainly a need in the secondary, Houston also needs to set Mills up to succeed. Taking either offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu or Evan Neal would have given Mills some reliable protection alongside left tackle Laremy Tunsil. — Sarah Barshop Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati | Highlights Why they picked him: Gardner is a terrific talent who plays a position of need. The game is played on the perimeter — see all the star receivers scoring big contracts — and Gardner will give the Jets a chance to compete against the elite playmakers in the AFC East. Gardner should start opposite free-agent addition D.J. Reed, a huge upgrade from the Bryce Hall-Brandin Echols tandem last season. Gardner has the traits that should make him an ideal fit in coach Robert Saleh’s scheme — long body (6-foot-3), long arms (33 ½ inches) and 4.41 speed in the 40. He was dominant in college. Get this: He allowed zero touchdown passes in his career (1,103 coverage snaps). Quarterbacks were afraid of him, as he was targeted only three times per game in 2021. His ball skills (nine interceptions in three years) will be a welcome addition to a secondary devoid of playmakers. Biggest question: What about an edge rusher? The Jets had their choice of Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson II and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. Saleh’s defense is predicated on pass rush, but Gardner was the right move because Thibodeaux and Johnson would’ve been reaches at No. 4. As for Gardner, the big question is, can he cut down on the penalties? He was handsy in college, committing nine penalties over the past two seasons (including seven pass interference and holding calls). He’s such a long athlete that one scouting source said, “I don’t think he can handle quick, speedy guys.” — Rich Cimini Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State | Highlights Why they picked him: Other than perhaps trading down to add second-day picks, this couldn’t have turned out better for the Panthers. They’re trying to build a foundation and the biggest missing piece other than a franchise quarterback is a franchise left tackle. Ekwonu (6-foot-4, 310 pounds) checks all the boxes for a team that hasn’t drafted a tackle in the first round since Jeff Otah with the 19th pick in 2008. Left tackle has been a revolving door since Jordan Gross retired after the 2013 season. And Ekwonu is a Charlotte native who played at at Providence Day. Go ahead and pencil Ekwonu in at left tackle on a line that general manager Scott Fitterer has spent the offseason rebuilding. Biggest question: The biggest question is how did he fall to No. 6? No tackle in this draft sticks with blocks longer and has a nastier attitude at the position. Not only can Ekwonu play tackle, he can play left guard if needed there while working on pass protection and technique. While he’s considered a great run-blocker, which offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is seeking, Ekwonu’s been inconsistent at times in pass protection. But overall, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. And Ekwonu has a great story. A youth coach nicknamed him “Ickey” because he looked like former Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods. Shuffle him into a starting role. — David Newton Evan Neal, OT, Alabama | Highlights Why they picked him: The Giants need offensive line help and wanted to add a tackle early in this draft as long as the board fell accordingly. Neal, who was at the top of my list of most likely players to be selected by the Giants at pick No. 5, has a massive frame (6-7, 360) and moves well, a prerequisite in coach Brian Daboll’s system. He also has experience playing right tackle at Alabama having played there during the 2020 season. It’s the position he is expected to hold down for the Giants, giving them bookend tackles along with Andrew Thomas to protect Daniel Jones or whomever might be their quarterback in the future. Neal allowed only one sack last season, which came in the national title game against Georgia. His run block and pass blocking improved each of his three years at Alabama, according to Sports Info Solutions. Biggest question: There isn’t a ton to nitpick in his game, but several scouts suggested he’s on the ground too often. Much of that was at the second level. It’s something scouts believe can be rectified with more experience and patience. It’s not a physical or athletic limitation. Neal has the power to dominate as a run-blocker and hold firm against bull rushers. His quickness and footwork for his size allow him to reach that second level. — Jordan Raanan Drake London, WR, USC | Highlights Why they picked him: The Atlanta Falcons really — I mean, really — needed a wide receiver. Julio Jones was traded last year. Calvin Ridley is suspended for gambling. Russell Gage is in Tampa Bay. So the Falcons had to find receiver talent in this draft. Add to that, head coach Arthur Smith likes big-bodied receivers and the 6-foot-5 wide receiver makes a whole bunch of sense. Biggest question: There aren’t many. London makes a ton of sense for Atlanta at a position where the premium has gone up in the past few months because of the spectacular contracts given to Tyreek Hill, Christian Kirk and others. But the question remains for the Falcons — who is going to be rushing the passer? It’s something they have to figure out on Day 2. — Michael Rothstein Mike Clay’s 2022 projection: 110 targets, 70 receptions, 904 yards, five TDs Charles Cross, LT, Mississippi State | Highlights
