2022 NFL Draft: First-round prospects who’d be perfect fits for every 0-2 NFL team

I hate being the bearer of dangerous information, and I am an advocate for the phrase “by no means say by no means.” But when your group has began 0-2 this season, historical past tells us they’re most likely not going to make the playoffs. 

Since 1990, when the NFL playoff area expanded to 12 — and naturally it is 14 groups now — solely 11.6% of the groups to start out 0-2 in the end made the postseason. Even when you shorten the pattern dimension with recency in thoughts, the speed is actually the identical. Since 2007, solely 10.1% of the greater than 100 groups to start a season 0-2 have made it to the postseason. 

And final 12 months — you’ll be able to most likely guess the place I am going with this — all 11 golf equipment to go 0-2 out of the gate missed the playoffs. 

Due to this fact, you’ll be able to be part of me in evaluating draft prospects earlier than October! It is enjoyable, I promise. Under you will note three prospects you need to observe intently over the subsequent few months to get forward of your folks for April’s draft. 

New York Jets

High 5 prospect

Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

Jets head coach Robert Saleh has seen some stuff. And by stuff I imply some alpha move rushers wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

His NFL teaching profession began with the Texans with Mario Williams on the sting. He was then in Seattle in the course of the Chris Clemons and Michael Bennett period. He coached rookie-year Yannick Ngakoue and, after all, had a entrance row seat to Nick Bosa’s phenomenal debut season within the NFL in 2019. 

He will need one other alpha rusher. And this isn’t to say Carl Lawson cannot be one. And the contract he signed with the Jets proves they’re excessive on him. However Thibodeaux has Bosa-esque upside with Myles Garrettian bodily capabilities. He might utterly change New York defensively in Saleh’s system. 

High 10 prospect

Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

Elam is tall and ultra-disruptive on the skin. He is exactly what the Jets want on the cornerback place, a spot that frankly has been barren since Darrelle Revis left and Antonio Cromartie aged out of his prime. The Jets confronted 605 move makes an attempt in 2020 however had solely 10 interceptions. They don’t have a decide via two video games. Elam can present the Jets cornerback room with some swagger. 

Exterior of an early penalty, Elam held his personal towards Alabama final Saturday and had had 4 picks and 15 move breakups mixed within the first two seasons of his Gators profession heading into this season. 

High 20 prospect 

Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

New York spent on Corey Davis and Keelan Cole in free company. They drafted Elijah Moore on the prime of the second spherical within the 2021 draft. Denzel Mims was a second-round decide the 12 months earlier than. Name me loopy — I’ve heard it earlier than — they want extra receiver assist at first levels of the Zach Wilson period inside MetLife Stadium. It is simply the secret in right now’s NFL, particularly when you’ve got a first-round quarterback on an inexpensive rookie deal. 

Wilson brings the perfect mix of suddenness, leaping capacity, velocity, and YAC expertise of any receiver on this draft class. The Jets wouldn’t remorse drafting Wilson for Wilson. Consider me. 

Indianapolis Colts 

High 5 prospect

Derek Stingley, CB, LSU

Colts GM Chris Ballard has a factor — a rightful factor, I’ll add — for freaky athletes. He prioritizes them within the draft. Stingley’s going to leap via the opening within the Lucas Oil Stadium roof on the NFL Mix and run the 40-yard sprint in about three blinks of a watch. All at like 6-foot-1 and 200 kilos with arms that cling to his knees. 

Indianapolis quietly performs sound protection. They’ve superstars on the defensive position — DeForest Buckner — and within the linebacker group — Darius Leonard. What the unit has been lacking is a star within the secondary. Stingley may be that man, similar to he is been at LSU since he was locking down SEC receivers as an 18 12 months outdated in 2019. 

High 10 prospect

Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan

If Hutchinson exams in addition to touchdown at No. 2 on Bruce Feldmans “Freaks” checklist would point out, he might land inside the highest 5. He is that polished as a rusher with NFL defensive finish dimension and energy. The athleticism can be the ultimate checked field making him a supreme prospect, one doubtless adored by Ballard and Co. in Indianapolis. 

Sure, they only picked Kwity Paye within the first spherical in April. However you can’t have too many environment friendly outdoors move rushers in right now’s NFL. Simply cannot. And after Paye, Indianapolis is skinny on the sting. 

High 20 prospect

Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

The shortage of high-caliber receivers has restricted the Colts in the course of the Frank Reich period. And Olave is near being NFL-ready due to how effectively he runs a wide range of routes — like many Ohio State receivers coached by Brian Hartline. He most likely will not ever be an All-Professional, however the flooring is excessive, and Indianapolis has wanted to lift the ground of its wideout room for years now. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

High 5 prospect

Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

As a serious advocate of prioritizing positional worth within the draft you’ll be able to most likely guess that security within the prime 5 will not be a dream state of affairs for me. Nonetheless, I consider the worth of the security place is growing each single season, principally as a result of they’re requested to hold so many obligations on the sector. They’re type of changing into the iPhone of the protection, the machine that handles the principle duties beforehand monopolized by the calculator, flashlight, and digicam.

And Hamilton is the iPhone 13, pre-loaded with iOS15. He is way more athletic than his body would point out, and he ranges from the deep center in addition to he strikes downhill on an out of doors run. The Jaguars protection continues to be, effectively, yeah it is dangerous, a unit devoid of true game-changer. Hamilton may be one. 

High 10 prospect

Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

Possibly in your head you’d flip-flop Hamilton and Neal. Be my visitor on that. Both approach, they each should be prime targets for Jacksonville within the draft. The franchise tag does not simply magically morph a mean participant into a top quality one. Cam Robinson is Cam Robinson, an at occasions first rate however principally unreliable left deal with. 

Neal has mammoth dimension and athletic presents for that dimension. He is the premier deal with prospect within the class — at time of publication — subsequently to maximise the manufacturing of the Trevor Lawrence period, the Alabama blocker needs to be close to the highest of Jacksonville’s board. 

High 20 prospect

DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M

Davon Hamilton. Malcom Brown. Jay Tufele. The highest of the Jaguars defensive deal with depth chart. Not nice, Bob. Leal has been tremendous disruptive within the SEC due to his distinctive physique kind that permits him to align anyplace and do work. He boasts an NFL-veteran-esque assortment of pass-rush strikes too, and he is a lot highly effective. 

New York Giants

High 5 prospect

One of many prime quarterbacks

I do not need to pigeonhole the Giants into pondering they will solely decide one particular quarterback. And I am not going to fake that proper now I do know who can be the precise excellent slot in New York subsequent season. Additionally, too, Daniel Jones regarded fairly spectacular towards the Washington Soccer Staff in Week 2. However his success towards that franchise is well-documented. 

Even when there is a glimmer of hope for the way forward for Danny Dimes — that nickname has type of misplaced its luster, hasn’t it? — New York’s scouting division must going full throttle on all the highest quarterback prospects within the 2022 class. Get to know them the whole lot about them. 

High 10 prospect

Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

This decide is probably going contingent upon Dave Gettleman hanging round as GM with the Giants for the 2022 season. Why? As a result of he has lengthy been enamored with prolonged, bodily outdoors cornerbacks, and that is exactly what Gardner is. He must reduce the aggression down the sector as soon as he is within the NFL — or he’ll be a penalty magnet — however the hip fluidity, size, and press-man expertise will make him a coveted prospect within the draft. 

High 20 prospect

Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

The middle place has plagued the Giants for years. Billy Value is simply not going to chop it on the within. And everyone knows how damaging inside stress may be on any quarterback, notably a younger one with a propensity to show over the soccer like Daniel Jones.

Enter Linderbaum, an Iowa-schooled road-grader with insane leverage, phenomenal toes, and an upward-pointing arrow within the power division. 

Minnesota Vikings

High 5 prospect

Derek Stingley, CB, LSU

Stingley is so good I needed to point out him twice. The Vikings haven’t got the perfect historical past on the cornerback place within the first spherical, but when by some means Mike Zimmer makes it to the 2022 offseason as Minnesota’s head coach he must look in that course early within the draft.

The LSU famous person can step in, take a deep breath, and be early-career Xavier Rhodes for a Viking secondary that has been very porous over the previous few seasons.

High 10 prospect

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

I did not get particular on the quarterback spot with the Giants, however I’ll right here with the Vikings. As a result of Willis would give Minnesota a very totally different dynamic on the quarterback place. Do not get me improper, I perceive that Kirk Cousins is a comparatively excessive flooring quarterback. Willis may be excessive ceiling. He would not essentially need to get on the sector in his rookie season, and perhaps he should not. 

High 20 prospect

Adam Anderson, EDGE, Georgia

The Vikings fancy themselves a group that may develop uncooked however supremely gifted move rushers. In actuality, they’ve actually solely carried out it with Danielle Hunter, however the willingness continues. 

Anderson must pack on a good quantity of weight as soon as he will get to the NFL. Minnesota will likely be high quality with that. What we noticed from him across the nook in 2020 in a really restricted pattern dimension was spectacular.

Detroit Lions 

High 5 prospect

One of many quarterbacks

I will be quick and candy with this one. The Lions will respect Jared Goff after this season, giving them regular play on a clearly rebuilding group mild years away from being a contender. By 2023, Detroit can save almost $21 million if golf is launched and that may be the right time to insert a younger ready-to-go quarterback. So do your homework on Spencer Rattler, Sam Howell, Malik Willis, and Carson Sturdy.

High 10 prospect

Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC

Jackson is likely one of the extra fascinating prospects alongside the defensive position on this class due to his inherent expertise. He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 kilos with tentacles for arms and clean athleticism when wrapping the sting on his strategy to the quarterback. The Lions move rush is anemic, and it is hardly ever a silly concept so as to add a prime 10 expertise at defensive finish if you’re on the ground-floor of a roster reconstruction.

High 20 prospect

Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

Keep in mind how all offseason everybody was obsessive about the truth that the Lions misplaced their prime three receivers from the 2020 season? In fact somebody has to catch passes this 12 months, and perhaps Quintez Cephus proves he is worthy of being retained effectively into the long run. However the wideout spot needs to be addressed, and addressed early in subsequent 12 months’s draft by Detroit. 

Burks has confirmed he can produce within the SEC. And he has an NFL physique at 6-3 and round 225 kilos. 

Atlanta Falcons

High 5 prospect

Carson Sturdy, QB, Nevada

Sure, a selected quarterback for the Falcons too. I am going to clarify. Due to the unusual Matt Ryan contract restructure final 12 months, he is basically locked into being Atlanta’s quarterback via subsequent season. After that? His illustrious tenure with the franchise will most likely come to an finish. And Sturdy is a Ryan-esque, poised pocket passer with delicate scrambling talent. He can be the right quarterback to be molded by and be taught from Ryan for his rookie season.

High 10 prospect

DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M

Let’s get Grady Jarrett some assistance on the inside, Atlanta. It is time. Leal might be taught All-Professional nuances from Jarrett early in his profession earlier than in the end taking up because the alpha inside rusher for the Falcons protection that is struggled to constantly generate stress for a few years now. 

High 20 prospect

Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State

There’s not a serious projection with Ohio State edge rushers. They’re insanely effectively coached, studying the intricacies of successful with their fingers together with their athletic presents. Harrison is not as naturally gifted because the Bosas or Chase Younger, however he is been a productive defender for just a few seasons now and can be a wise decide for Atlanta subsequent season. The Falcons outdoors rushers proper now merely don’t threaten opposing offensive tackles. 

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