The 2022 NFL Draft was an absolute mess. There were a lot of really amazing players, but the first round was full of busts, with teams totally mis-evaluating players in the process. This was a class that led to Kenny Pickett being take in the first round, it allowed the Ravens to get two Pro Bowlers in Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum, and there were a total of 15 players selected in the first round who are either no longer with the team that picked them or out of the league.
This means there is plenty of wiggle room for course correction. Today we’re re-drafting the first round taking into consideration both the positions teams already picked, what they needed at the time, and who we now know became top NFL talents. Obviously this isn’t a perfect process, because a variety of trades occurred in the first round that are too difficult to fully undo — so we’re moving forward with the final draft order as it occurred in 2022.
| Pick | Team | Original Pick | New Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Travon Walker, DE | Aiden Hutchinson, DE |
| 2 | Detroit Lions | Aiden Hutchinson, DE | Derek Stingley Jr, CB |
| 3 | Houston Texans | Derek Stingley Jr, CB | Sauce Gardner, CB |
| 4 | New York Jets | Sauce Gardner, CB | Drake London, WR |
| 5 | New York Giants | Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE | Travon Walker, DE |
| 6 | Carolina Panthers | Ikem Ekwonu, OT | Kyle Hamilton, S |
| 7 | New York Giants | Evan Neal, OT | Tyler Smith, OG |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Drake London, WR | Brock Purdy, QB |
| 9 | Seattle Seahawks | Charles Cross, OT | Charles Cross, OT |
| 10 | New York Jets | Garrett Wilson, WR | Trent McDuffie, CB |
| 11 | New Orleans Saints | Chris Olave, WR | Chris Olave, WR |
| 12 | Detroit Lions | Jameson Williams, WR | George Pickens, WR |
| 13 | Philadelphia Eagles | Jordan Davis, DT | Devin Lloyd, LB |
| 14 | Baltimore Ravens | Kyle Hamilton, S | Jalen Pitre, S |
| 15 | Houston Texans | Kenyon Green, OG | Ikem Ekwonu, OT |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | Jahan Dotson, WR | Garrett Wilson, WR |
| 17 | Los Angeles Chargers | Zion Johnson, OG | Tyler Linderbaum, C |
| 18 | Tennessee Titans | Treylon Burks, WR | Jameson Williams, WR |
| 19 | New Orleans Saints | Trevor Penning, OT | Trey McBride, TE |
| 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Kenny Pickett, QB | Nik Bonnito, LB |
| 21 | Kansas City Chiefs | Trent McDuffie, CB | James Cook, RB |
| 22 | Green Bay Packers | Quay Walker, LB | George Karlaftis, DE |
| 23 | Buffalo Bills | Kaiir Elam, CB | Jermaine Johnson II, DE |
| 24 | Dallas Cowboys | Tyler Smith, OG | Cam Jurgens, C |
| 25 | Baltimore Ravens | Tyler Linderbaum, C | Jordan Davis, DT |
| 26 | New York Jets | Jermaine Johnson, DE | Kyren Williams, RB |
| 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Devin Lloyd, LB | Alec Pierce, WR |
| 28 | Green Bay Packers | Devonte Wyatt, DT | Jordan Davis, DT |
| 29 | New England Patriots | Cole Strange, OG | Rasheed Walker, OL |
| 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | George Karlaftis, DE | Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE |
| 31 | Cincinnati Bengals | Daxton Hill, S | Marcus Jones, CB |
| 32 | Minnesota Vikings | Lewis Cine, S | Kerby Joseph, DB |