What a wild season this was.
The 2023 NFL season has been a good one, now that its over lets have a look at the 2022 NFL first-round picks and grade them.
Members of the 2022 draft class are officially in their sophomore year in the NFL. With a year under their belts, we’ve finally been able to observe what the future of the NFL looks like. Here are the grades of every 2022 first found pick… so far.
1. Travon Walker: C+
Drafted as a defensive end, Travon Walker now plays Strongside Linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his rookie year, Walker started 14 of the 15 games he appeared in, and recorded 3.5 sacks, to go along with a total of 49 combined tackles. He has shown improvement in 2023, and through eight weeks already has the same number of sacks, and almost as many tackles for loss and QB hits he did his rookie season. Still, for the first overall pick he hasn’t lived up to the hopes that the Jaguars had for him, especially since his stats ended up being very similar to those from his rookie year.
2. Aidan Hutchinson: A+
As the second overall pick in the Draft, Aidan Hutchinson had one of the best seasons for a rookie defensive lineman in recent memory. Hutch was right behind Sauce Gardner in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and came in second for that award. His rookie year he recorded 9.5 sacks, and a whopping three interceptions, which is a lot for a defensive lineman. In 2023 Hutchinson forced three fumbles and has proven himself to be a gamebreaker once again.
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3. Derek Stingley Jr.: B-
We haven’t seen much from the Texans’ first round draft pick yet. After recording an interception and 43 tackles in his rookie campaign, the cornerback injured his hamstring in a week 10 game against the Giants. Since then, he only played in two games the first half of the 2023 season but picked it up in the second half of 2023, recording five interceptions and 13 pass deflections. It will take some convincing for a higher grade, but Stingley has shown his ability to come back from injuries and play at a high level.
4. Sauce Gardner: A
What else could you ask for from a rookie cornerback? In his 2022 season, Sauce Gardner represented the Jets in the Pro Bowl, and took home the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. That year, Gardner shut down opposing receivers and was responsible for leading the NFL in passes defended with 20. He also recorded two interceptions and allowed only 33 of the 73 passes thrown at him. In 2023 Sauce has taken a step back, and allowed 57% of passes thrown his way to be caught. But he is still the reigning defensive rookie of the year, and easily the best corner on the Jets roster.
5. Kayvon Thibodeaux: B+
Drafted by the Giants out of Oregon, the 6-5 defensive end was at one point the projected number one overall pick in the draft. Thibodeaux had a slow start to his NFL career, but still had 49 combined tackles and 4 sacks in his rookie year to pair with two forced fumbles and five passed defended. However, Thibodeaux broke out in the 2023 season and already recorded more than double the number of sacks he had all of 2022. By the halfway point in the year. Thibodeaux is showing that he can play at a high level, and the Giants may have a solid defensive lineman for years to come.
6. Ikem Ekwonu: D+
Finally, an offensive player taken off the board. An offensive player who has 22 career penalties in his first 24 career starts, but an offensive player none the less. Ekwonu was selected by the Panthers and has struggled to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NFL. He tied for first in leading all lineman in penalties during his rookie year, and allowed six sacks, which is acceptable for a rookie. However, through the first eight weeks of the 2023 season Ekwonu has allowed five sacks and has already accumulated eight penalties. Skepticism has started to circle about whether or not Ekwonu is a liability to the Panthers’ offensive line. Certainly not something you want from your sixth overall pick.
7. Evan Neal: B-
The second offensive lineman off the board was Evan Neal. Honestly, this wasn’t a bad pick by the New York Giants. Neal started 13 games his rookie year and allowed seven sacks, which wasn’t bad for a rookie; but he was one of the least penalized rookie linemen in the NFL with only seven penalties his rookie year. However, in the 2023 season, Neal showed that he can improve his game, and only allowed one sack through the first 400 snaps of the 2023 season. A huge improvement over where he was before.
8. Drake London: A-
In his rookie year, Drake London lead the Falcons in receiving yards, and tied with Mycole Pruitt in receiving touchdowns. To put this into perspective, London accumulated almost twice as many yards Falcons 2021 first round pick Kyle Pitts. He managed this while dealing with inconsistent quarterback play from Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder. In 2023, with Ridder as the starter, London has secured himself as the number one receiver for the Falcons.
9. Charles Cross: B-
At times, Charles Cross has shown glimpses of being a solid Offensive Tackle for the Seattle Seahawks. He started all 17 games his rookie season, He allowed 7 sacks in the 2022 season, which tied him for the seventh best out of all tackles, this accompanied seven penalties on the year. Through the first eight weeks of the 2023 season, Cross only allowed one sack and accumulated two penalties through his first four starts. He has dealt with injuries in 2023 that caused him to miss a handful of games. Regardless, Cross has started to prove himself as a solid Tackle for what has been a historically poor offensive line.
10. Garrett Wilson: A+
The New York Jets struck gold with their two first round selections. Garrett Wilson took home the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year award and is one of less than 30 wide receivers in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards in their first year in the league. Wilson was primed and ready to have a big season with Aaron Rodgers throwing him the football, however the football Gods had other plans for Rodgers. Regardless, Wilson has performed well with inconsistent quarterback play, and is the Jets number one receiver.
11. Chris Olave: A-
With Michael Thomas now the number two receiver for the Saints, Chris Olave has stepped up to fill that number one spot. His rookie year, Olave cracked 1,000 receiving yards on 72 receptions, and had a catch percentage better than fellow rookie receiver Garrett Wilson. In 2023 Olave eclipsed 1,000 yards again, and hauled in four touchdowns, the same as his rookie campaign. Still, he was the number one target for Derek Carr and the Saints.
12. Jameson Williams: C+
It’s too early to call Williams a bust, but for the 12th overall pick in the draft the ions franchise was hoping for more production from their receiver. In 2022, Williams suffered a torn ACL in the national championship game. Seven months later after being drafted by the Lions to play wide receiver, Williams suffered a thigh and hamstring injury in training camp. Williams was the third receiver on the Lions Depth chart, and in 2022 only hauled in one reception off of nine targets. Granted, that reception did go for 41 yards and a touchdown. Williams improved in 2023 and snagged 24 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns. An improvement from his rookie year.
13. Jordan Davis: C
In 2022, Davis appeared in 13 games for the Eagles, starting in five of them as a defensive tackle. Davis didn’t record any sacks his rookie year, but he did have a tackle for loss and eight solo tackles. In 2023, Davis started all 16 regular season games, and recorded his first two career sacks. He has also surpassed his tackling totals from last season. Still, compared to other defensive tackles in the NFL Davis has a long way to go if he wants to prove he is irreplaceable on the Eagles front seven.
14. Kyle Hamilton: C+
Hamilton as the first Safety off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft, as the Baltimore Ravens saw the need to boost their secondary. He only started in four games his rookie year and recorded five pass deflections and a forced fumble to accompany a combined 62 tackles. In 2023, Hamilton has started every game, and recorder his first career interception in week four against Cleveland. His C+ grade is because he just hasn’t seen the field as much as other young guys, but it is subject to change as he furthers his career.
15. Kenyon Green: C
Kenyon Green was the third offensive lineman off the Board in 2022, and the first selection for the Houston Texans. He played in 15 games his rookie year but dealt with an ankle injury causing him to miss time in 2022. In the 2023 preseason, Green injured his shoulder, and was placed on Injured reserve. Since we haven’t really seen much of what Green can do, he earns a C grade.
16. Jahan Dotson: C+
Dotson was the sixth receiver off the board in 2022 and was paired up with Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel on the Washington Commanders receiving core. Dotson has been a solid number three receiver for all three quarterbacks he has played with in his first two seasons, and actually lead the Commanders in touchdown receptions in 2022. In 2023, Dotson was on pace to surpass his rookie receiving totals but simply failed to do so. A lack of production in the second half of the season gives Dotson a C+ grade.
17. Zion Johnson: A-
The 2022 draft was the second year in a row that the Chargers drafted an offensive lineman in the first round. Johnson started in every game in 2022 and played 99% of the available snaps. He only allowed five sacks off of 1,184 snaps in his rookie year, and has continued the success into 2023, only allowing two sacks through the first seven starts of the season. Typically, it’s a good thing when people don’t know who you are when you’re an offensive lineman, and Johnson has been able to remain under the radar so far, earning him an A-.
18. Treylon Burks: D+
Burks was the first receiver that the Titans had selected in the first round since Corey Davis in 2017. Burks played in eleven games in 2022, starting six of them. He complied 444 yards and no touchdowns, and three passes intended for Burks were picked off by the defense. In 2023, he started eight games, due to battling multiple injuries throughout his playing career. Burks only hauled in 30 catches in 2023, but just hasn’t been able to stay healthy or produce big numbers.
19. Trevor Penning: C+
Trevor Penning Was New Orleans’ second first round pick in 2022 and only appeared in six games his rookie year. Penning suffered a fracture in his right foot that caused him to miss almost all of the Saints 2023 minicamp. He has also started five of the first eight games of 2023 but appeared in eight all season. The team claims that Penning has made a huge jump from his rookie year, and this has been reflected via an increase in playing time. However, he has only found himself in on 72% of offensive snaps during the 2023 season, so it looks like the team isn’t ready to rely on him just yet.
20. Kenny Pickett: B-
The first quarterback drafted in 2022 was Kenny Pickett. Pickett sat behind Mitch Trubisky to start the 2022 season, but quickly found himself in charge of the Steelers offense. In his rookie year he started 12 games, and split playing time with Trubisky. Pickett did prove to be the better option, and led the Steelers to a winning record, throwing for almost twice as many yards and touchdowns as Trubisky. Keep in mind, this is with Matt Canada as the offensive coordinator, a man who has come under fire during the 2023 season. Pickett did lead all rookies in passing yards, and interceptions in 2022, and has shown inconsistencies with his decision making. Maybe if he wasn’t the only starting quarterback played without a glove on his hand, he would actually throw the ball better.
21. Trent McDuffie: B-
Trent McDuffie was the first defensive back taken by the Chiefs in the first round since Marcus Peters in 2015. In 19 career starts, McDuffie is yet to record an interception in his career but has five forced fumbles (three in the first eight games of 2023). He also had seven pass deflections in 2023. In his rookie year in 2022, McDuffie was targeted 45 times and let up 26 receptions. Not exactly a lockdown corner. In the regular season McDuffie allowed 65% of his targets to be caught but is still a physical corner.
22. Quay Walker: A-
Quay Walker added strength to a Green Bay defense that needed some love. As a rookie, the linebacker appeared in all 17 games, and put up respectable stats, with seven pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and 121 combined tackles. Walker was second in leading all rookies in tackles in 2022, and in 2023 recorded his first career interception which he returned 37 yards for a touchdown. Other than that Walker’s 2023 stats looked very similar to those he put up in his rookie year.
23. Kaiir Elam: C-
Kaiir Elam joined Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, and the rest of the stacked Bills secondary in 2022 to add depth to the cornerback position. He was one of ten Bills defenders to record an interception on the year, recording two in 13 games. He hasn’t built upon the 2022 season and only played three games in 2023 due to injury.
24. Tyler Smith: B-
Smith has proven himself to be a respectable selection for the Dallas Cowboys who drafted the Guard out of Tulsa. Smith started all 17 games for the Cowboys in 2022, but only allowed six sacks on 1,144 offensive snaps. He did however record 13 penalties in that same year, which was the third most of all offensive linemen. In 2023, Smith has taken a big leap, allowing no sacks in his first 330 offensive snaps. He is starting to become a solid piece of a historically dominant offensive line.
25. Tyler Linderbaum: A
Speaking of teams with a history of dominant lineman, Tyler Linderbaum had a good rookie year for the Ravens, playing 1,092 offensive snaps and only allowing three sacks and committing six penalties as the team’s starting Center. He started all seventeen games in 2022 and continued to play at a high level in 2023 earning himself a pro bowl selection.
26. Jermaine Johnson II: B
Johnson did not start a single game in his rookie year but did appear in 14 games for the Jets. He did not have a significant role in the Jets’ defense, and the rookie linebacker only recorded 29 combined tackles, three of them for a loss of yards. The 2023 season came with a number change for Johnson, as he switched from number 52 to number eleven. Maybe that was the spark he needed, as Johnson started all 16 games in 2023, and recorded a pick six to accompany seven pass deflections and six and a half sacks.
27. Devin Lloyd: B
Lloyd was the second of the Jaguars’ 2022 draft picks to be added to the team’s front seven. He appeared in seventeen games, starting in fifteen. He has been used mostly as a coverage linebacker, with three interceptions, eight pass deflections, and 115 combined tackles in his rookie year. He has continued to be a solid player in 2023 and accumulated seven pass deflections and 121 total tackles in 2023. He is yet to record a career sack but has still been one of the best young linebackers over the past two years.
28. Devonte Wyatt: C-
Defensive Tackle Devonte Wyatt appeared in 16 games in 2022, but didn’t start in any of them, instead he was used more as a sub for the Packers’ starters. In that time Wyatt recorded only one and a half sacks, and only 15 combined tackles. The 2023 season has brought a slight improvement, but it wasn’t much to write home about. He did record four and a half sacks with 35 combined tackles, but seeing how other first round defensive linemen have played before him, Wyatt is still the low man on the totem pole in terms of defensive production.
29. Cole Strange: B-
Cole Strange is… strange (literally). As the Patriots’ first round selection, the offensive guard played 982 snaps in 2022 and allowed five sacks, to combine with six committed penalties. In 2023, Strange has only allowed one sack in 227 snaps in 2023, to accompany two penalties. Strange hasn’t done anything to stand out, which again, for a lineman is a good thing. With time he may develop into a better lineman, but for not he is still a young player still trying to get used to the physicality of the NFL.
30. George Karlaftis III: B
The Chiefs drafted another defensive player with their second, first-round pick; this time they chose Defensive end George Karlaftis III. Karlaftis started all 17 games at defensive end for the Chiefs in 2022 and recorded six sacks. In 2023, he has stepped his game up, and became a force on what was a dominant defensive line in 2023. He recorded ten and a half sacks in his second year as a pro; thus, earning him a B grade.
31. Daxton Hill: C+
It was unfamiliar seeing the Cincinnati Bengals without a top ten pick in the draft, but with their first-round selection the team selected defensive back Daxton Hill out of Michigan. Hill now plays safety for the Bengals, and in 2022 started in just two games, though he appeared in fifteen. He didn’t perform so hot his rookie year, allowing seven completions in eight targets, and two touchdowns. In 2023 he took a leap and was the Bengals’ full-time starter at safety. He recorded his first career interception against Cleveland in week one, and has gotten better in pass coverage finishing the season with eleven pass breakups and a completion percentage 20% lower than the year before.
32. Lewis Cine: F
The final player taken in the first found was another defensive back, this time selected by the Minnesota Vikings. The Viking selected Cine 32nd overall, and Cine has recorded zero career stats in any category, despite appearing in a total of seven career games. He has been nursing a hamstring injury and has recorded one career tackle. That is the only statistic of his career. For a first round pick this is very disappointing, but admittedly he has more career tackles than I do, so good for him.
