2022 NFL Draft reactions: Draft grades, best and worst picks, biggest steals, undrafted signings, fantasy ranks

A three-year starter at Texas A&M, Clemons lined up at defensive end in former defensive coordinator Mike Elko's four-man front. He spent seven years at the college level (five in College Station, two at junior college) and battled several injuries. But he enjoyed a productive senior season (at 24 years old) with 11.0 tackles for loss in 10 games, including a 3.5-sack performance in the season finale vs. LSU.

With his frame, length, and athleticism, Clemons is straight out of central casting and at his best using his forward lean and strike power to create leverage points and open his rush opportunities. A late bloomer, he didn’t play defensive end until junior college, and he is still developing his hand use and discovering how to unlock all of his talent. Overall, Clemons has several red flags (age, injury history, off-field decision-making), but he owns NFL physical traits with the functional strength vs. the run and speed-to-power rush skills to handle edge responsibilities. He projects as a rotational NFL end who can play in either even or odd fronts (his flashes are reminiscent of Darrell Taylor at Tennessee).

More prospect info here.

The Jets have methodically knocked off need after need with quality football players in this draft and their first pick of day three is no exception. Max Mitchell, a versatile offensive lineman from Louisiana-Lafayette, played three positions in college (three in one season during 2019) and could develop into a swing tackle with guard experience at the next level. Not an overwhelming athlete, but a good, experienced football player who good feet.

Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson will push for starting jobs right away defensively. Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Jeremy Ruckert should do the same – and Mitchell could also be in that mix depending on how things shake out. Another good pick for New York.

A four-year starter at Iowa State, Uwazurike played inside and outside in defensive coordinator Jon Heacock’s multiple front, lining up at a handful of positions on the defensive line. While he was at his best as a three-technique, he also played comfortably as the shaded nose or out wide at 4i-technique, finishing his career third in school history with 34.5 tackles for loss.

Uwazurike, who started every game the last three seasons, took sizeable jumps each year, playing his best as a senior because of his active hands and ability to find the football. However, his base strength can be inconsistent at engagement and he is more likely to bull rush with wild hands than use coordinated counters. Overall, Uwazurike needs to play with more consistent pad level and contact balance to secure run fits, but his blend of length and athleticism allow him to be disruptive from different alignments. He fits even and odd fronts and might be best as a five-technique.

More prospect info here.

A two-year starter at Pittsburgh, Mathis was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Randy Bates’ balanced scheme. Although he fell off the radar for some after missing the 2020 season with an injury, he played with more confidence as a senior and steadily improved his standing throughout the 2021 season and draft process.

Mathis has the athletic profile needed for the NFL and shows play recognition and reactive twitch, both mentally and athletically. While physicality is an endearing part of his game, he isn’t shy going through receivers and must control his urgent play style. Overall, Mathis’ aggressive demeanor can be a double-edged sword and work against him, but he is smart, speedy and competitive, which is an easy sell in draft meetings. He can play man or zone and will push for early NFL playing time if he develops better discipline in coverage.

More prospect info here.

Six tight ends are off the board so far in this draft: Trey McBride, Jelani Woods, Greg Dulcich, Jeremy Ruckert, Cade Otton and Daniel Bellinger.

Not yet selected: The No. 1 tight end in the rankings 35-year NFL evaluator Randy Mueller revealed on one of our recent The Athletic Football Show podcasts. Isaiah Likely from Coastal Carolina was the top guy on Randy's list based on film review. Likely did not run well this offseason, so we wondered how much that would hurt him. Randy did not see any of these tight ends as first-rounders.

Randy: "I think the consensus around the league is that there is no consensus. I see names all over the place. Likely can run well, he separates well. He has body control to get in and out of breaks like a little man, but he is a big man. He is explosive with his feet under him to separate instantly on in-line tight-area routes, almost like a receiver. But here is the catch. He ran 4.8 at his pro day, so now what do you do with him? You have a high grade and good report and good feel from watching film and your scout or tight end coach comes back to you and says, 'This guy ran 4.8, we can't draft this guy, he can't run.' What are you going to do?"

A three-year starter at Iowa, Belton played the “Cash” position in defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s scheme, lining up as a hybrid strong safety and outside linebacker. He was a First Team All-Big Ten performer in 2021 and was one of only seven Power 5 defenders with at least five interceptions last season.

Belton plays with heady reaction skills, and his eyes lead him to the catch point where he can make plays on the ball naturally. However, he lacks sudden twitch in his movements and lacks consistency down the field. Overall, Belton doesn’t play as explosively as his testing numbers might suggest, but he floats naturally with the instincts and ball skills for underneath zones. He projects best as a down nickel safety in the NFL, although he needs to develop his strength and be more consistent vs. the run to see steady playing time.

More prospect info here.

This was another no-brainer pick by the Seahawks. I mocked him to the Seahawks with the 72nd overall pick in February. He fills a position of need and he was the only cornerback on the board Seattle felt could come in and potentially compete for a starting gig

A three-year starter at Louisiana, Butler played free safety in former defensive coordinator Patrick Toney’s man and zone scheme. He was a four-year standout on special teams while showing consistently improved play on defense, combining for 105 tackles and three interceptions over his final two seasons.

Butler flies and flows all over the field with his open-field speed, flashing the initial burst and closing burst to go from A to B in a hurry. However, he doesn’t have the ideal body composition for an NFL safety and needs to improve his breakdown skills as a tackler. Overall, Butler needs to play with more control and create more on-ball opportunities for himself, but his linear speed and ascending instincts are attractive traits for a developmental safety. His special teams value alone should get him drafted.

More prospect info here.

A three-year starter at San Diego State, Bellinger was the Y tight end in offensive coordinator Jeff Hecklinski’s run-heavy scheme, lining up primarily inline. Although his targets steadily increased each season, his lackluster receiving production stands out, never reaching 360 receiving yards in a season and surpassing 65 yards receiving in a game only once (out of 43 career games).

Even though he lacks instincts as a route-runner to easily uncover, Bellinger is an above average athlete for his size with natural body control and hands to cleanly catch the football. As a blocker, he is balanced and strong-minded to execute his assignments, but he lacks people-moving power in the run game. Overall, Bellinger has unimpressive receiving production and doesn’t always play up to his timed speed, but he has natural ball skills and a detailed approach as a blocker. With his toughness and versatility, he projects as a backup Y tight end with upside.

More prospect info here.

The Chargers have traded picks 254 and 255 this year (both compensatory picks) to the Bears for the 2023 sixth-rounder they traded to Chicago in the Khalil Mack deal in March.

A three-year starter at Louisiana, Mitchell lined up primarily at right tackle in former head coach Billy Napier’s zone-heavy offense. With only one season of starting experience on varsity in high school, he could have used a redshirt in college but was thrown into the fire and learned from eventual NFL draft picks Robert Hunt and Kevin Dotson.

Mitchell moves well and has steadily gotten better with his technique the last three seasons, specifically with his landmarks and hand exchange. Somewhat of a late bloomer physically, he can be jostled at contact and his lack of base/core strength shows on tape. Overall, Mitchell was a below-average tester and needs to continue developing his strength, but his play quickness is an asset in pass protection and as a zone run blocker. He does a great job reestablishing his hands mid-block. He isn’t ready-made for the NFL, but the potential is there for him to grow into a swing tackle role.

More prospect info here.

Winfrey was No. 53 on Dane Brugler’s top 300 prospect list, and that wasn’t the only place he was projected as a second-rounder. The Browns' D-line remake continues, and there are snaps to be won immediately.

A three-year starter at Minnesota, Faalele lined up at right tackle in the Gophers offense and had the same offensive line coach (Brian Callahan) since he stepped foot onto campus. An Australian rugby player who didn’t play a football game until his senior year at IMG Academy, he worked his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman and showed incremental improvements during his three on-field seasons in college.

Faalele engulfs edge rushers with his wide frame and uses his anvil hands and natural power to overwhelm his man at the point of attack. He moves with balanced footwork and body control but can be caught leaning/falling off blocks in the run game and his body angles require refinement. Overall, Faalele has range/mirror limitations and is still learning the position, but he has a unique package of size, play strength and fluid movements. He should compete for an NFL starting right tackle job during his rookie season.

More prospect info here.

The Bucs have a little Gronk insurance, using the first pick of the fourth round to take tight end Cade Otton from Washington. Otton is the Bucs’ first tight end drafted in five years, and helps offset the loss of O.J. Howard, who signed with the Bills. Gronkowski is weighing whether to return for another season.

A four-year starter at Cincinnati, Bryant was the field cornerback in defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s man-heavy scheme. With offenses staying away from Ahmad Gardner in 2021, Bryant saw double the number of targets as his cornerback teammate and he responded in a big way, winning the Jim Thorpe Award (just the second player in school history to win a major national award).

With his natural feel for mirroring routes, Bryant plays physical to pin or achieve body position and shows outstanding reaction time to make plays on the ball (finished No. 2 in school history with 45 passes defended). He doesn’t have much experience working inside and might lack the twitch to match up against NFL slot receivers. Overall, Bryant doesn’t have the length or suddenness that some teams prefer at the position, but he plays with quick feet and feisty hands to stay connected in man coverage and his ball production speaks for itself. He projects best in a man-to-man scheme where he has NFL starting potential.

More prospect info here.

A two-year starter at Oklahoma, Winfrey lined up at nose guard in former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s 3-3-5 base scheme. It was tough to get an accurate read on him in the Sooners’ slanting front, however, his skills were unleashed at the Senior Bowl and allowed him to show scouts his flashes of dominance.

Winfrey has an imposing frame and length that no blocker wants to deal with, playing with the shock in his hands to jar blockers or toss bodies from his path. His tendency to play tall and inability to break down and be flexible leads to missed plays in the backfield. Overall, Winfrey needs to improve his pad level and play discipline, but his size, energy and the power in his hands help him to terrorize blockers. He has NFL starting-level traits.

More prospect info here.

It only took one pick into day three before the first running back hears his name: And it’s a good one, Dameon Pierce from Florida off to the Texans. Pierce is one of the more dependable pass protectors in this draft, a tough runner and a sturdy football player who can earn shared reps in a backfield right away and be a player who adds a lot of value on a rookie deal. This could be a theme for Saturday, as there is a ton of value to mine here for teams who want it.

We’ll see if this sparks a run on day three running backs, by the way. A lot of talent left on the board right now, including BYU thumper Tyler Allgeier (5-11, 224), the other Georgia standout back (Zamir White), Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams, Michigan’s Hassan Haskins and more. All different types of backs who can fill multiple roles – all very good players, who will be available today.

A one-year starter at Florida, Pierce was part of a backfield rotation in former head coach Dan Mullen’s spread offense (only 374 offensive touches in his career). One of the most productive high school players in Georgia history, he underwhelmed in his first three years in the Gators’ pass-happy offense, but he made the most of his senior season and impressed when he got on the field.

Pierce has a thick lower half and strength through his core and displayed improved reliability in 2021 (no fumbles, no drops, steady blocker). He has ordinary speed and can be inconsistent stringing moves together, but he runs through contact with short-area explosion and treats every run like it's his last. Overall, Pierce doesn’t have the résumé of a bell-cow back or big-play creator, but he has an NFL build and run style with the instincts and finishing skills to be a better pro than college player. He has plenty of tread left on his tires with NFL starting potential in both gap and zone schemes.

More prospect info here.

A four-year starter at Washington, Otton spent the majority of his time inline with his hand on the ground in former offensive coordinator John Donovan’s pro-style scheme. After a productive sophomore year under Chris Petersen, he was criminally underutilized the last two years, averaging only 8.9 yards per catch as a senior (only 46.4% of his receptions resulted in a first down or touchdown).

The grandson of the all-time winningest high school head coach in the state of Washington, Otton is stout and athletic in the passing game as both a route-runner and blocker and he is physical to the football with the hand strength to sustain catches through contact. He is comfortable doing the dirty work, but too often he clutches with his hands while his stagnant feet attempt to catch up. Overall, Otton lacks dynamic traits before or after the catch, but he is a catch-point finisher, nuanced route-runner, and he takes his blocking responsibilities seriously. He projects as a prototypical Y tight end in the NFL.

More prospect info here.

Travon Walker, chosen first by the Jacksonville Jaguars after being the No. 4 player on Dane Brugler’s Big Board, was the first of 262 players who will hear their names called during the three days of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Here are the best available players heading into Day 3.

The Ravens have six (SIX!) picks in the fourth round of the NFL Draft today. Which players should Baltimore target?

The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec runs through the available players who might make the most sense.

They called him Punt God for a reason.

Throughout the fall, a dedicated corner of the college football internet kept a watchful eye on every San Diego State offensive possession just to see if it would result in a punt. It wasn’t that fans wanted to see the Aztecs’ offense flounder; to them, the alternative to a successful drive provided an even bigger thrill.

Matt Araiza, the San Diego State punter, was one of the most exciting players in all of college football last season, booming kick after kick in a way the sport had never seen before. He set the NCAA record for punting average in a season with 51.19 yards per punt. He now holds the NCAA single-season record for punts of 50 yards or more, with 39, and the record for punts of 60 yards or more, with 18. Thirty-eight of his punts were downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Two of his punts went for more than 80 yards. Each San Diego State punt was a chance to watch history being made.

Now, the question is which NFL organization will find itself similarly enamored with Punt God — and how much it will value that leg.

(Photo: Darren Yamashita / USA Today)

Here on The Athletic’s college football team, all of us have covered plenty of great college players who might get a jersey with their name on it and a training camp per diem before getting on to their life’s work. But there also are players we’ve watched that NFL teams are sleeping on and can make a roster.

With the first 100-plus picks of the 2022 NFL Draft in the books, national college football writer David Ubben, Florida reporter G. Allan Taylor and Iowa reporter Scott Dochterman break down 15 players not selected in the first three rounds who have been overlooked.

Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft provided more surprises, as a top-ranked prospect and every other quarterback had to wait until the third round to hear their names called.

Here are some numbers that defined Day 2 of the draft.

New York Giants first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux wore the No. 5 in college at Oregon. To wear it for the Giants, he'll need to persuade kicker Graham Gano to give up the number and it won't come easy.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman spoke to coaches and scouts about many of the prospects still on the board as we begin day 3 of the NFL Draft.

Welcome to our pick-by-pick second- and third-round grades of the 2022 NFL Draft.

For those of you who think we should wait a few years before grading the picks, we disagree. NFL teams have to make decisions under uncertainty. So we should evaluate them based on what we know at the time of the pick. The grades below will reflect not only the quality of the prospects but also the process — in other words, whether it’s a wise use of resources given the state of the franchise.

Having said that, feel free to report me to Old Takes Exposed in a couple years when these look foolish.

Playing under Lane Kiffin in college, Corral found a kindred spirit. Daring deliveries, pulsating cockiness and a bit of reputational rehab — these dudes were made for one another, and together they made Corral into an Ole Miss legend, albeit with a personality that made him the anti-Eli.

Corral’s style is maximum risk and max reward, which is why he threw 14 interceptions as a sophomore. He trimmed that number to five last season, foregoing tight passing windows and instead opting to squeeze his body through tacklers by running for 11 touchdowns — third-most among Power 5 quarterbacks. His was selected by the Carolina Panthers, who traded up to get him Friday night, in the third round (No. 94 overall).

Coral’s twitchy scrambles, and the willingness to churn for yards after contact, provided a gritty edge to the Rebels’ third 10-win season since 1971. But he produced his second straight 3,300-plus yard passing campaign, making difficult downfield throws to complement a steady dose of RPOs. Ole Miss finished top-six nationally in total offense both years that Corral started, though some scouts question whether Kiffin’s system translates to the NFL.

Read more here.

Nakobe Dean was compared to Roquan Smith before he got to Georgia, and spent his college career living up to it.

Both were smart, fast and slightly undersized inside linebackers who captained the Georgia defense. Both won the Butkus Award as juniors. Both waited a year to become a starter, and both played their final Georgia game in the national championship.

The difference: Dean won it.

The knock on Dean will be his height: He’s listed at 5-foot-11, a couple inches shorter than Smith, now an All-Pro defender with the Chicago Bears, who took him with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft. Those critical two inches are probably why Dean went later, 83rd overall to the Eagles.

Read more here.

If Thursday was bad for quarterback prospects, Friday was somehow even worse.

Fifty-four picks passed between Kenny Pickett’s selection by the Steelers on Thursday and Desmond Ridder to the Falcons at No. 74, in the third round on Friday. Ridder was followed in the third round by Malik Willis (Tennessee) and Matt Corral (Carolina).

It was a massive fall for all three quarterbacks, and a clear message that the NFL viewed this class as historically thin.

Read more here.

The success of an NFL career, particularly at the start, can be as much about fit as much as it is individual talent.

With Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft in the books, here is a look at the fit of each pick in the second and third rounds.

The Jets didn’t know. And they had only themselves to blame.

For three years, Sam Darnold quarterbacked this franchise. Yet the team had an incomplete evaluation of its 2018 first-round pick. There was no way to pinpoint the root of his struggles. The Jets failed Darnold as much as Darnold failed them.

Which is why, after GM Joe Douglas traded him to the Panthers last April, electing to start anew with Zach Wilson in the NFL Draft, he promised himself he wouldn’t make that same mistake again. He’d help Wilson the way he should have helped Darnold. There would be no variables for why Wilson did or did not make it.

You can mark that mission accomplished after the second and third rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft concluded Friday night.

Read more here.

(Photo: Rich Barnes / USA Today)

If there’s an intriguing common thread among the Bucs’ three draft picks Friday — Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall, Central Michigan guard Luke Goedeke and Arizona State running back Rachaad White — it’s an overall lack of experience, which gives a great sense of upside and continued development.

Hall and Goedeke, both drafted in the second round after the Bucs traded down Thursday night to acquire extra picks, have seen enormous growth quite literally since they got to college. Hall was only 220 pounds when he got to Houston, bulking up to his current 285 to establish himself as a dominant interior pass rusher. A year ago, he had 1.5 career sacks before breaking out with 6.5 this past season.

Georgia had seven defenders selected in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft:

Edge Travon Walker (1st pick overall)

DT Jordan Davis (13th)

LB Quay Walker (22nd)

DT Devonte Wyatt (28th)

S Lewis Cine (32nd)

Nakobe Dean (83rd)

Channing Tindall (102nd)

It's the most defenders from one school ever selected within the first three rounds of a single NFL Draft.

Malik Willis has a way of wowing opposing coaches. His cannon of an arm, as one opposing defensive coordinator described it, leaves jaws on the turf in warmups. The film just doesn’t do it justice. The game itself, when the Liberty quarterback built like an SEC linebacker makes plays with his arm and his legs, is just as awe-inspiring. The Tennessee Titans bought into all that when they stopped Willis’ slide on Friday night and selected him with the No. 86 pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

“We were undefeated (in 2020), we had beat BYU, I thought we were pretty good on defense, and I felt like (Willis) singlehandedly beat us,” Coastal Carolina defensive coordinator Chad Staggs said of Willis’ Cure Bowl performance in which he threw for 220 yards and ran for four touchdowns in a 37-34 Liberty win. The Chanticleers’ defense had held BYU star and 2021 No. 2 pick Zach Wilson to 17 points just a few weeks before. “We couldn’t tackle him. He’s got a cannon. From a true physical ability thing, he was special.”

Read more here.

After all the smokescreens, mixed messaging and mystery, the Colts conducted themselves on night two of the NFL Draft exactly how you would have predicted.

• Indianapolis traded out when it came time for its first pick.

• The Colts drafted a series of athletic freaks.

• And they addressed their most obvious and pressing needs right out of the gate.

Surprise! No, more like foreseeable.

Three rounds are in the books and the fourth round will begin in a matter of hours. Who are the top prospects still on the board?

Dane Brugler's top available prospects are here.

The Rams made only one pick — Wisconsin guard Logan Bruss — in the first three rounds, but the Super Bowl champions have seven picks on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. And it appears they're preparing a big breakfast before Round 4 begins:

The Panthers were connected with Baker Mayfield in varying degrees throughout Friday night … right until they traded up for Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral.

Carolina traded this year’s fourth-round pick (No. 137) and next year’s third-round selection to New England to take Corral with the 94th pick, giving them a rookie quarterback to compete with the embattled Sam Darnold and presumably ending their pursuit of Mayfield.

The Panthers began Friday without a pick in the second or third round, and watched as no quarterbacks were taken in the second. After Desmond Ridder (74th, Atlanta) and Malik Willis (86th, Tennessee) went off the board in the third, the Panthers eventually made their move.

In FBS history, only Kellen Moore and Colt McCoy have won more games as a starting quarterback than Desmond Ridder, who went 44-6 during a program-altering era for Cincinnati. In taking Ridder with the No. 74 pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons are getting a dual-threat quarterback with boatloads of experience and significant upside and betting on the leadership of a player who helped the Bearcats become the first Group of 5 team to crash the College Football Playoff last season.

Ridder is a perfect member of a quarterback class analysts have struggled to pin down. His coaches at Cincinnati have seen him develop as a passer in each of his four years as a starter, tightening his throwing motion, improving his footwork and getting more accurate with his deep ball. They have seen his athleticism and toughness on a daily basis. But they also believe he still has untapped potential and that he’ll reach that next rung on the ladder with his new team.

Read more here.

The Titans traded up to get a quarterback. This seemed to be a faint possibility entering the draft, but it figured to happen before the late stages of the third round. Especially if the quarterback in question was Liberty’s Malik Willis, a player popularly mocked in the first round, expected by many to be the first quarterback taken, claimed by some to be the quarterback in this draft with the highest potential.

(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)

Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft is a wrap, and it was heavy on wide receivers. Seven WRs were taken in Round 2, with two more going in the third round. The first running back off the board was Breece Hall, who went to the Jets at No. 36. The quarterbacks kept falling — zero were taken in Round 2, until finally, Desmond Ridder out of Cincinnati went to the Falcons at No. 74, followed by Liberty’s Malik Willis to the Titans at No. 86 and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral to the Panthers at No. 94.

So, which teams had an impressive first two days of selections? And what should we make of the QBs who fell late into the third round? Our national NFL writers discuss.

The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft was definitely fun. For fantasy players, it started out with a bit of a whimper, as we saw a string of non-skill players go off the board and we were left… adjusting DST ranks? But then the fun began, as the Falcons took Drake London at 8 and — just like in fantasy drafts — they set off a run. Garret Wilson… Chris Olave… Jameson Williams. Trades! More trades!!! Fantasy players’ heads were spinning and as the dust settles, we turn to Day 2.

Day 2 of the 2022 the NFL Draft provided more surprises, as a top-ranked prospect and every other quarterback had to wait until the third round to hear their names called.

Click here for a look at Day 2 by the numbers.

It took until the third round and 74th overall pick, but a second quarterback finally came off the board when the Falcons selected Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder.

Later in the third, Liberty's Malik Willis went to the Titans (86th overall) and Ole Miss' Matt Corral went to the Panthers.

Through three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft…

- The SEC leads all conferences with 34 players selected, followed by the Big Ten (21), American (10), Pac-12 (10), ACC (7) and Big 12 (7).

- Georgia leads all schools with nine players selected, followed by Alabama (6), Cincinnati (5), Baylor (4), LSU (4) and Ohio State (4).

- Notable schools with zero players selected so far: Miami (FL), Texas, Virginia Tech