Which rookie class will make the biggest impact in 2022?

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Stephania Bell, fantasy football analyst: Buffalo Bills. The Bills entered the draft without many needs. But the "impact" of a rookie class should elevate the team to the next tier, which for Buffalo is the Super Bowl. The names added at the draft weren't splashy, but the Bills added depth that could be critical to surviving a long season. They added a complement to cornerback Tre'Davious White and an interior linebacker to potentially plug a leak in their otherwise strong defense. This team, aided by their newbies, has a good shot to bring Buffalo its long-awaited title.

Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: New York Jets. Robert Saleh's team needed a real boost in talent, and I believe their top four picks will all contribute this season. Corner Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner has the traits to match up to boundary receivers in Saleh's defense. Garrett Wilson is a dynamic receiver with playmaking ability after the catch. And defensive end Jermaine Johnson II has top-10 pass-rushing traits. Plus, running back Breece Hall brings three-down ability to the Jets' offense. This is a strong class in New York.

Mike Clay, fantasy football writer: Houston Texans. Houston had four of the first 44 picks and turned them into what should be starters at cornerback (Derek Stingley Jr.), guard (Kenyon Green), safety (Jalen Pitre) and -- once fully healthy -- wide receiver (John Metchie III). The Texans' five Day 3 picks could also be factors, especially fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce, who is stepping into one of the league's shakiest running back rooms.

Tristan H. Cockcroft, fantasy football writer: Kansas City Chiefs. I'm tempted to say the Jets' first four picks give them the edge. But I'll go with the Chiefs, who also picked up four prospective starters: CB Trent McDuffie, DE George Karlaftis, WR Skyy Moore and OT Darian Kinnard. Moore and Kinnard were pretty solid values for where they went, and the team added valuable depth with its other six selections.

Jeremy Fowler, national NFL writer: Green Bay Packers. Instead of looking for quick fixes in free agency or via trades, Green Bay is all-in on this draft to produce immediate results. Wide receiver Christian Watson will get every chance to create chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. First-round defenders Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt will be immediate producers. And late-round picks (pass-rusher Kingsley Enagbare and safety Tariq Carpenter) are sleepers to crack the rotation.

Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: New York Giants. When picking at both No. 5 and No. 7, you really should nail it. It's hard not to be excited about the two guys the Giants got in the first round. Evan Neal should be able to handle starting at right tackle right away. And while Kayvon Thibodeaux might need time to refine his overall pass-rush game, he should be able to contribute right away -- on third downs, if nothing else. Is Wan'Dale Robinson redundant for a team that already has Kadarius Toney? I say Brian Daboll must have some ideas about how to use them both along with Kenny Golladay and the rest of Daniel Jones' receiving crew. Don't be surprised if third-round corner Cordale Flott plays some in his rookie year, too. The Giants need plenty of help.

Doug Kezirian, sports betting analyst: New York Jets. The offense added two likely starters in Hall and Wilson, and the defense landed Gardner and Johnson. Johnson might be incredibly impactful, after earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors at Florida State. It's hard to make a case for any other team unless it's measured in wins because the Jets could still be a ways away in the AFC East. Following the draft, Caesars Sportsbook moved the over on their 5.5 wins from -115 to -150, which implies a likelihood of 53% to 60%. One thing to remember is that they had all that draft capital when Caesars posted -115, so how the Jets used those picks drove the price even higher.

Eric Moody, fantasy football writer: New York Jets. Considering the draft capital the Jets entered the draft with, the players they were able to acquire exceeded many expectations. They should see some results right away with this class. With the addition of players such as Gardner, Wilson, Johnson and Hall, New York has improved on both sides of the ball.

Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst: Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens had a fantastic top-to-bottom 2022 draft and will see an immediate payoff from it. First-rounders Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum will both be rookie starters, but DT Travis Jones, RT Daniel Faalele, CB Jalyn Armour-Davis and TE Charlie Kolar will also play early roles and have starter potential. And don't forget punter Jordan Stout, who will also have an impact on Day 1.

Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst: New York Jets. They have potentially four immediate starters with their first four picks in Gardner, Wilson, Johnson and Hall. GM Joe Douglas understood that his team needs more wins, and this class has the potential to lead Saleh and his staff to more wins.

Mike Tannenbaum, NFL front office insider: Detroit Lions. I think the Lions drafted two of the three best players in the 2022 draft class -- Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams -- and they both have All-Pro potential. I loved the move up the draft board in the first round from No. 32 to No. 12 to get Williams. If healthy, he is the best receiver in the class.

Seth Walder, sports analytics writer: New York Jets. I don't think the Jets had the perfect draft (trading up for Hall? Yikes). But they did have a tremendous amount of draft capital and used it to select players at premium positions in the first round. Wilson, Gardner and Johnson represent a serious infusion of talent that ought to help immediately.

Field Yates, NFL analyst: New York Jets. I admire the Jets' draft haul and believe in the prospects they wound up with, while also believing fundamentally that a draft class with four players in the first 34 picks should be bound to outperform almost any other. It would not surprise me if Gardner figures prominently into the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, while the same can be said for running back Hall on the offensive side.


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skop

The Green Knight
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i think a lot of teams took advantage of a draft class that had tons of "meat and potatoes" players who fill out rosters.

my rankings:

1.) Ravens.
2.) Jets.
3.) Packers.
4.) Houston
5.) Lions

but there is a paper thin difference between all of them.
 

Tinstar

Mr. Know it All
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While I’m hoping it will be the Jets, I believe it will be the Ravens.
 

Innocenti

Ospedale degli Innocenti
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Yeah the Jets crushed it. ... But I have some disagreements with that list. Giants belong up there...Eagles too. Overall, the NFL reached on WRs. But the Eagles managed to get the top DT in the draft. Dean fell too far and the Eagles snagged him in the 3rd round.
 

BlindsideD'Brick

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Jets got some love, but you’d have to be a fool to not acknowledge how well they did. I liked what the Eagles did, too. Getting A.J. Brown was masterful. Roseman crushed that deal. Conversely, the Titans took a big hit. Drafting an unknown to replace a young pro-bowler is never a good move. But I read that A.J bitched his way outta town. What else is new?
 

Tinstar

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Jets got some love, but you’d have to be a fool to not acknowledge how well they did. I liked what the Eagles did, too. Getting A.J. Brown was masterful. Roseman crushed that deal. Conversely, the Titans took a big hit. Drafting an unknown to replace a young pro-bowler is never a good move. But I read that A.J bitched his way outta town. What else is new?
Some teams are just not interested in perpetuating this crap of paying WRs almost 30mil per to drop passes .
 

BlindsideD'Brick

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Some teams are just not interested in perpetuating this crap of paying WRs almost 30mil per to drop passes .

I have no problem paying a player of that talent. Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and Davonte Adams are game changers, and all make their QB’s much better.

But I also don’t blame teams for trading them when they say they want out. Nobody wants a malcontent poisoning the locker room. It’s a sign of the times. Players are gaining leverage.
 

SackExchange

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The Ravens had an outstanding draft. Should it get factored in that part of their draft haul came from trading a pretty valuable asset off their roster?

The Jets didn't do this, at least not this year. The draft capital they had for this year was from trades in previous years, notably Adams and Darnold.

I am asking for philosophical purposes. Should the Ravens trading a key offensive player be considered in assessing their draft?
 

Old#15

Old Wise Tale
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The Ravens had an outstanding draft. Should it get factored in that part of their draft haul came from trading a pretty valuable asset off their roster?

The Jets didn't do this, at least not this year. The draft capital they had for this year was from trades in previous years, notably Adams and Darnold.

I am asking for philosophical purposes. Should the Ravens trading a key offensive player be considered in assessing their draft?
Yes absolutely. Back to the nomadic WR position, it will be interesting to see what Adams and Hill do with lesser QBs. Perhaps if these guys regress to the mean the teams cashing in with draft capital will look like the smart guys.
 

skop

The Green Knight
Jet Fanatics
The Ravens had an outstanding draft. Should it get factored in that part of their draft haul came from trading a pretty valuable asset off their roster?

The Jets didn't do this, at least not this year. The draft capital they had for this year was from trades in previous years, notably Adams and Darnold.

I am asking for philosophical purposes. Should the Ravens trading a key offensive player be considered in assessing their draft?
you have to, right? yes, it should be acknowledged that BALT doesn't have Marquise Brown any longer. However, one could make the argument that any WR paired with Lamar isn't as valuable of an asset to the offense as he would be in a traditional passing offense, because Lamar doesn't utilize WR's as targets as much as traditional QB's.

But to add the players they did after acquiring draft capital for an under-utilized WR, was pretty significant and a coup:

Hamilton -S, Ojabo -Edge, Jones - DT, Armour Davis- CB, and Williams- CB on Defense... all of whom will contribute early in their careers.
Linderbaum -C, Faalele- OT, Kolar- TE, Likely- TE, and Badie- RB on offense... imo, are more important pieces for Lamar than Brown at WR.

BALT added a lot of talent in roster filling spots. This was the type of draft that allows stars to shine; much of which was done in the 4th round.
 

Tinstar

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I dislike the fact that the ravens drafted 2 additional TEs and a pretty darn good RB . Just glad we have to face them before they gel
 

BlindsideD'Brick

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I don’t know, I think the Ravens draft is a little overrated. Ojabo was a one year wonder opposite Hutchinson, and coming off a major injury. Faalele needs a ton of work before he realizes his potential. Isaiah Likely was widely considered around the 5th best TE in the draft. Even Kyle Hamilton was a questionable pick considering they were already solid at the position.

It wasn’t a bad draft. But a little overrated IMO.
 

SackExchange

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you have to, right? yes, it should be acknowledged that BALT doesn't have Marquise Brown any longer. However, one could make the argument that any WR paired with Lamar isn't as valuable of an asset to the offense as he would be in a traditional passing offense, because Lamar doesn't utilize WR's as targets as much as traditional QB's.

But to add the players they did after acquiring draft capital for an under-utilized WR, was pretty significant and a coup:

Hamilton -S, Ojabo -Edge, Jones - DT, Armour Davis- CB, and Williams- CB on Defense... all of whom will contribute early in their careers.
Linderbaum -C, Faalele- OT, Kolar- TE, Likely- TE, and Badie- RB on offense... imo, are more important pieces for Lamar than Brown at WR.

BALT added a lot of talent in roster filling spots. This was the type of draft that allows stars to shine; much of which was done in the 4th round.

I would think you do have to, yes. I mean, if a team comes into the draft and lands a bunch of picks, but did it by trading away all their young talent, that would be factored.

It's especially the case with Baltimore, and a very athletic QB with concerns about the passing game. I don't see how trading a top young WR helps that.
 

skop

The Green Knight
Jet Fanatics
I would think you do have to, yes. I mean, if a team comes into the draft and lands a bunch of picks, but did it by trading away all their young talent, that would be factored.

It's especially the case with Baltimore, and a very athletic QB with concerns about the passing game. I don't see how trading a top young WR helps that.

Let me flip the script on you! Keep your picks, and keep MB... add another super talented WR like MB.
double down on talent for the passing game.

IMO, this makes Lamar's passing game more suspect, because Lamar used MB for 91 completions but only 1008 yards.
so to add another WR just adds another guy for Lamar to "check down to."

i think subtracting MB, but adding pass catching TE's who can block, actually make Lamar more dangerous.
 
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