Round 1 Rewind: Trades Run Wild

04/29/2022 Round 1 Rewind: Trades Run Wild

By: Jeff Yoder

Jaguars Select Georgia DE Travon Walker No. 1 Overall as Receiver Run & Receiver Trades Dominate Night 1 of NFL Draft

Well that was fun! Round 1 of the NFL Draft in Las Vegas had its fair share of big bets and potential busts. Eight teams held multiple first-round picks, and the wheeling and dealing of draft night was one of the most exciting in recent memory. Not only were there nine pick swaps in the 32 opening-night selections, but a historic lull of quarterbacks (1) and running backs (0). The Jaguars took Georgia DE Travon Walker with the top pick to kickstart the draft with consecutive defensive players in picks 1-5. Receivers were the headliners by night’s end, and a pair of receiver trades lit up the middle of the first round. Here’s what happened on Night 1 of 3.

 

The Receiver Run: The Falcons took Drake London (USC) with the 8th pick that ignited a run of receivers at 10-11-12, including both Ohio State targets back-to-back. Six receivers were taken in the top-20 for the first time in the common draft era.

 

Quiet in the Backfield: The most important position in sports was a black hole in the 2022 draft class, and that was apparent with just one QB — Kenny Pickett (No. 20, Pittsburgh) — selected in the Round 1. It’s the first time since 1997 that no quarterbacks were taken in the first 19 picks. There were also no running backs selected in the first round.

 

The Georgia Defense: The national champions boasted five first-rounders from their title-winning defense, kicking things off with DE Travon Walker before DT Jordan Davis, LB Quay Walker, DT Devonte Wyatt and S Lewis Cine.

 

1st-Round Trades: Countless pick-swaps dominated the first round — too many to mention — but the two biggest trades that involved players featured star receivers. The Eagles traded pick No. 18 to the Titans for WR A.J. Brown. The Cardinals then acquired WR Marquise Brown from the Ravens in exchange for the 23rd pick.

2022 NFL Draft (Round 1)

Top-10

1. Jaguars: DE Travon Walker (Georgia)

2. Lions: DE Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan)

3. Texans: CB Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU)

4. Jets: CB Sauce Gardner (Cincinnati)

5. Giants: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon)

6. Panthers: OT Ickey Ekwonu (NC State)

7. Giants: OT Evan Neal (Alabama)

8. Falcons: WR Drake London (USC)

9. Seahawks: OT Charles Cross (Mississippi State)

10. Jets: WR Garrett Wilson (Ohio State)

 

Picks 11-20

11. Saints: WR Chris Olave (Ohio State)

12. Lions: WR Jameson Williams (Alabama)

13. Eagles: DT Jordan Davis (Georgia)

14. Ravens: S Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame)

15. Texans: OL Kenyon Green (Texas A&M)

16. Commanders: WR Jahan Dotson (Penn State)

17. Chargers: OL Zion Johnson (Boston College)

18. Titans: WR Treylon Burks (Arkansas)

19. Saints: OT Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa)

20. Steelers: QB Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh)

 

Picks 21-32

21. Chiefs: CB Trent McDuffie (Washington)

22. Packers: LB Quay Walker (Georgia)

23. Bills: CB Kaiir Elam (Florida)

24. Cowboys: OT Tyler Smith (Tulsa)

25. Ravens: C Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa)

26. Jets: DE Jermaine Johnson II (Florida State)

27. Jaguars: LB Devin Lloyd (Utah)

28. Packers: DT Devonte Wyatt (Georgia)

29. Patriots: G Cole Strange (Chattanooga)

30. Chiefs: EDGE George Karlaftis (Purdue)

31. Bengals: S Daxton Hill (Michigan)

32. Vikings: S Lewis Cine (Georgia)

 

Rounds 2-3 continue tonight before Rounds 4-7 on Saturday.

 

Additional Storylines

ESPN: NFL Draft 2022: Pros & Cons for Every 1st-Round Pick

B/R: NFL Draft 2022: Grades for Every 1st-Round Pick

The Ringer: There’s Never Been a 1st Overall Pick Like Travon Walker

CBS Sports: Lions Trade Up 20 Spots to Select Alabama WR Jameson Williams

NBC Sports: Eagles Trade Pick 18 to Titans for WR A.J. Brown, Agree to 4-Year, $100 Million Contract

 

Photo: David Becker / Getty Images

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images