2022 NFL Draft: Falcons, Seahawks, Lions, Chiefs, Titans top Day Two winners

By Rob Rang
FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst

The first round of the NFL Draft generates all the buzz and for good reason — the elite athletes are typically selected there — but clubs often "swing for the fences" early and actually fill the biggest holes on their rosters on Day Two.

As such, the second and third rounds are every bit as important and often even more pro-ready players than the world-class athletes selected in the opening frame.

Here is what stood out to me during an eventful second day that, interestingly enough, began just like the first round with lots of trades and even more wide receivers.

Receivers keep catching on

The NFL might need to consider widening its field and allowing a 12th player on each side of the ball to account for all the receivers selected over the first two days of the draft. A record six were selected among the first 18 picks of the first round, and the trend continued Friday with seven more coming off the board in the first 22 picks of the second round. That’s another record. 

To put that into perspective, 13 of the first 54 players selected in the 2022 draft were wide receivers — nearly 25% of the total player pool to that point.

The run on receivers did slow to a trickle in the third round with only four being selected over the final 41 selections (including compensatory picks) to wrap up Day Two, but the point had been made — receivers are raking in big dollars and premium picks.

The 2022 class was strong at receiver, but this is also a reflection of the salaries top receivers are commanding now. Clubs do not want to spend $20-30 million per season on any player who likely only touches the ball five to 10 times a game. Of course, that is now the going rate for superstars at the position, so it doesn’t matter what teams want to do, it is what they’ll have to do. 

Any analysis of the 2022 draft and really this offseason in general, however, must acknowledge that of all the "winners" of the past few months, receivers as a whole might be the champions — which is appropriate given that Cooper Kupp was named Super Bowl MVP … as a former second-day selection.

Quarterbacks, on the other hand …

While the pass-catchers certainly were the biggest winners on Day Two, quarterbacks were easily the biggest losers with the entire second round "passing" without a single signal-caller selected. 

Desmond Ridder (Atlanta Falcons), Malik Willis (Tennessee Titans) and Matt Corral (Carolina Panthers) were each nabbed in the third round, much later than was expected. Never in NFL history had a draft gone 73 selections with only one quarterback being selected. 

Many draft fans will remember that five quarterbacks were selected in the first round a year ago, but three more — Kyle Trask (Tampa Bay), Kellen Mond (Minnesota) and Davis Mills (Houston) also came off the board within the first 67 picks in 2021.

Certainly, this was a reflection that NFL teams felt the cupboard really had been left pretty bare at the position after last year’s stellar group. And perhaps some clubs held off on selecting a quarterback because they are planning on making a play for Baker Mayfield. It also speaks to the unique talent at other positions this year, such as receiver, edge rusher, tackle and cornerback.

Perhaps the most sobering thought on this year’s quarterback class is that the only quarterback to get selected among the top 73 picks, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, would have been a part of last year’s class had the "super senior" not opted to return for an extra season with the Panthers following the NCAA’s COVID ruling on eligibility. 

As bad as this year’s quarterback class was received (at least in terms of where they are selected), it could have been even worse.

Falcons soar on Day Two

The Falcons were one of the few teams that did ultimately elect to pick a quarterback, but the addition of Ridder at No. 74 overall is only part of the reason why I love what they did Friday.

No one needs to remind general manager Terry Fontenot or head coach Arthur Smith that their club finished dead-last a season ago in sacks. Atlanta took big steps in boosting that production on Day Two, nabbing two of the twitchiest edge rushers in the class with Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie (38th overall) and Western Kentucky’s DeAngelo Malone (82nd overall).

In between those two, the Falcons picked playmaking linebacker Troy Andersen, who collected 10.5 sacks of his own over a stellar career at Montana State.

The Falcons defense is run by Dean Pees, an "old-school" proponent of the 3-4 alignment. Pees has the know-how to help all three linebackers contribute immediately.

Lions keep getting more ferocious

For a long time there, the Lions have simply lacked the physicality and ferocity of their nickname.

Since general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell took over, however, this club has developed a new persona and there is nothing tame about it. 

The Lions only made two picks Friday night, but former Kentucky edge rusher Josh Paschal and Illinois safety Kerby Joseph have the look of difference-makers. Paschal, in particular, is the kind of culture-building tough guy Detroit has lacked in the past. Joseph is a ballhawk who appears to be just scratching the surface of his potential.

Seahawks stick, pick and succeed in rebuilding?

While many Seahawks fans — including ESPN personality Mina Kimes — were pulling for Seattle to select a quarterback with one of their back-to-back selections early in the second round (Nos. 40, 41), John Schneider and Pete Carroll instead stuck to their defensive and run-first mentality, nabbing twitchy edge rusher Boye Mafe and following that up with a second star from the Big Ten in Kenneth Walker III. 

Both selections might be viewed by some as luxury picks for a franchise that, frankly, can’t afford it at this point.

Mafe is a twitchy edge rusher whose best football is still ahead of him. That might sound like a cliché, but after recording 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks over 12 games for the Golden Gophers in 2021, his performance at the Senior Bowl was spectacular. The long-armed 6-foot-4, 257-pounder was terrific throughout the week of practice at the Senior Bowl and even better during the game, itself, earning the National Player of the Game honors with three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

As a junior, Walker led all Power Five rushers with an eye-popping 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns, winning the Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s top running back. His selection comes on the heels of Seattle re-signing 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny (but that was only a one-year deal) and amid concerns that previous starter Chris Carson might be unable to return to the field due to a neck injury. 

Given the durability concerns of both backs, it is entirely possible Walker will be asked to play a starring role immediately in Seattle. Given his production at Michigan State (and previously at Wake Forest), Walker appears well suited for exactly that.

The Seahawks wrapped up Friday night with Washington State right tackle Abraham Lucas, their second offensive tackle in as many nights (after taking Mississippi State’s Charles Cross, ninth overall Thursday). Lucas, a four-year starter who has the look of a plug-and-play performer, adds an element of grit and physicality to Seattle’s front.

Only Bill Belichick and the Patriots have traded more often than Schneider and the Seahawks over the past 12 years. So, just by staying put and making their picks, Seattle surprised. By adding three potential starters on Day Two, the Seahawks were quietly one of the league’s biggest winners, as well.

Chiefs complement speed with grit

For many fans in Kansas City, the 2022 draft was all about finding the replacement for Tyreek Hill.

I hate to break it to you, Chiefs fans, but Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore is not a Hill clone. His game is more about catching underneath passes and winning with yards after the catch than the vertical shots that were Hill's calling card. 

Moore’s reliable hands and route-running should make him a quick favorite of Patrick Mahomes, however, and he plays with the same kind of instincts and grit that will also make safety Bryan Cook (62nd overall) and linebacker Leo Chenal (103) potentially early contributors.

Cook was overshadowed by the two cornerbacks he played behind at Cincinnati, but scouts viewed him as the sheriff of their secondary. Similarly, Chenal is a classic downhill thumper with underrated speed to the perimeter and the physicality that has not always been apparent with the Chiefs linebacker corps.

Clearly, this remains Mahomes’ team. But the Chiefs needed to add a little more nastiness on the defensive side of the ball to help him get back to the Super Bowl. With a trio of underrated tough guys, general manager Brett Veach took a step towards doing Friday night.

Willis finds perfect landing spot in Tennessee

They say that good things come to those who wait and few had to wait longer than Willis, the last of the players invited to the NFL’s green room to get selected this year, lasting all the way to No. 86 overall.

And while the wait had to be torturous for a player projected by some as a possible Top 10 pick, I love the fit with Tennessee.

The Titans already boast a quality quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, of course, and that gives Willis plenty of time to sit back and adjust to the different levels of speed and complexity the NFL brings. It also serves as a bit of a reminder to Tannehill that Tennessee is looking ahead. 

I don’t think it was coincidence Aaron Rodgers won MVP the year after the Packers selected Jordan Love in the first round, or that Jimmy Garoppolo played some of his best football in San Francisco last season after the 49ers aggressively traded up to select Trey Lance. Competition brings out the best in players, and Titans coach Mike Vrabel knows that as well as anyone.

And while I believe Willis does need time to develop as a true potential starter, his unique ability as a runner creates all sorts of possibilities as a part-time player, similar (ironically) to how the Las Vegas Raiders used former Titans QB Marcus Mariota the past two seasons as a change-up to Derek Carr. 

Titans’ superstar Derrick Henry is all the more dangerous if the quarterback handing (or pitching) him the ball is just as dynamic as he is, after all.

But let’s not get sidetracked (or run over) by just the quarterback selection, as I’m also excited by Tennessee’s addition of stud cornerback Roger McCreary and the potential that fellow Friday night selection Nicholas Petit-Frere flashed at Ohio State.

Through savvy selections and the discipline to wait on the quarterback until late in the third round, general manager Jon Robinson made his club better Friday night. Better yet, he did so in both the short- and long-term — not an easy thing to do for a club that was the top seed in the AFC a year ago and clearly is built to win now.  

One of the most recognized names in the industry, Rob Rang has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others.