Starting on Thursday, NFL teams hope to draft the right players to help them take a forward step to a Super Bowl victory. The NFL’s first round isn’t without drama, including what the Jaguars intend to do with the first overall pick. Check out the latest on what promises to be an exciting 2022 Draft so you can place your bets against the NFL Draft Odds.
Trading News, Rumors, Free Agents and More Apr. 26th Edition | NFL Betting
2022 NFL Draft
- When: Thursday, April 28 – Saturday, April 30
Rumor is Jaguars will choose Travon Walker with the first pick
The latest rumor has the Jaguars choosing one of the most highly touted defensive ends in the draft. Walker chased down SEC running backs and quarterbacks while at Georgia.
The buzz is deafening. But the Jaguars, who require a DE opposite Josh Allen to complete their defensive overhaul, may still draft down because there are a lot of quality ends in this draft.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, the preseason top pick, may not go until after pick 10. So the Jags have a lot to decide from now until when they must hand Roger Goodell the piece of paper with a name on it.
If Walker goes first, Lions may stick with the second pick and draft Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson
The Lions have room to maneuver. Detroit loves Walker. They also love Thibodeaux and they also love Hutchinson.
If the Jaguars go with Walker over Hutchinson, Detroit, who requires way more than a defensive end to return to the playoffs, may stick with the second pick and draft Hutchinson.
There’s nothing like a hometown hero, Hutchinson played at Michigan, to rile up the fan base. Hutchinson’s motor never stops. So drafting the Wolverine DE makes sense.
Will the Panthers go QB with pick 8? Or will they draft the best offensive lineman available?
Carolina hasn’t committed to an offensive lineman or to drafting Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. The Panthers could decide to go with Kenny Pickett, the Pittsburgh signal-caller.
The guess here is that if Evan Neal, Alabama’s talented left tackle, falls to pick 8, Matt Ruhle and his staff pull the trigger on one of the two best tackles in this draft. Neal is a monster and will protect whichever quarterback Ruhle goes with this season.
But if a different team has already drafted Neal, then we should expect Ruhle to draft Willis. Unless the Panthers’ head coach fixes the Sam Darnold failure, he’ll be searching for a new job this offseason.
So finding a quarterback is a must. But Carolina cannot pass up on drafting a potential decades long all-pro tackle.
The ATL may go QB, or they could decide to draft one of three wide receivers
If the Panthers pass on Willis, Atlanta may decide to go with the talented signal-caller. If Carolina drafts Willis, Atlanta may not draft Pickett.
The Falcons require a quarterback, but they also require a wide receiver for their current starting QB, Marcus Mariota. At one point, Mariota was the top young quarterback in the league.
He’s got enough skills to make Atlanta’s offense respectable. But Marcus requires weapons and there isn’t a familiar name playing receiver on the Falcons’ roster.
So which WR will Atlanta go with? Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson or Alabama’s freakishly fast Jameson Williams both fit the bill.
Saints are likely to go offensive line and then wide receiver with their two Round 1 picks
New Orleans could decide to pair their two picks and make a play for Evan Neal. Or they may stick with their picks, the Saints own pick 16 and pick 19, and draft a tackle and a wide receiver.
New Orleans’ current right tackle, Ryan Ramczyk, will likely move to the left side, which gives the Saints room on drafting a left tackle or right tackle with one of their picks.
The Saints will most likely draft the best wide receiver on the board with their other pick. Ohio State’s Chris Olave, USC’s Drake London, Garrett Wilson, or Jameson Williamson, it doesn’t matter, the Saints will be happy.