NFL Draft 2022: Updated order and team needs

The 2021 NFL season is now in the books, and we are already on to 2022. Now the fun really starts during the offseason, with free agency and the Draft about to literally turn rosters upside down.

We’ll continue to mark your card around events on the other side of the pond during the coming months, as 32 franchises get ready to battle for glory once again. Our aim is to put you in position to succeed with your NFL predictions once pigskin kicks in again.

The NFL Draft in April in Nevada represents the biggest opportunity for an infusion of cheap young talent to replace the losses from free agency.

This year there are no generational talents at the quarterback position, which makes the league’s annual talent show even more fascinating.

Here is all you need to know as we begin the countdown to Roger Goodell striding to the podium on Thursday April 28.

Updated first-round draft order and team needs

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags were a dysfunctional shambles in 2021, not the ideal place for a generational talent Trevor Lawrence to transition to the pro ranks. Now, with new HC Doug Pederson in place, Jacksonville needs to build around Lawrence. That means protection up front on the OL, and talent at WR.
2. Detroit Lions: Dan Campell’s crew, short on talent but big on work ethic and fighting spirit, overachieved in 2021. With two first-round picks as a result of the Matthew Stafford trade, better will be expected in 2022. The offense needs major upgrades, and it could start at QB with the jury still out on Jared Goff. WR is also a desperate need while edge rusher is another position which requires investment.
3. Houston Texans: Houston needs help pretty much everywhere after some horrendous personnel moves in recent years (thanks Bill O’Brien). If we assume Deshaun Watson is gone and Davis Mills gets another shot at QB in 2022, then the key areas of focus should be on the defensive side of the ball. The blue-chip positions of cornerback and edge rusher should get some attention.
4. New York Jets: The Jets struggled to stop anybody in 2021, ranking 30th against the pass and 29th against the run. Acquiring new talent in the secondary and a pass rush would be a good first step to the land of the living on defense.
5. New York Giants: The new regime in East Rutherford claims to be all in on QB Daniel Jones for 2022. If that is truly the case, then protecting him should be an absolute priority this offseason. The Giants offensive line was dire in 2021, and that has to change.
6. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers key needs are QB, QB and QB. It’s that clear. Sam Darnold was not the answer in Charlotte in 2021 - instead he was the same Sam Darnold we saw in New York. Matt Rhule needs his team to improve in 2022 or he could be on the hotseat three years into that seven-year contract. It has to start at QB. Oh, and protecting the new QB could be a thing too, as the OL right now is abysmal.
7. New York Giants (from Chicago): Already covered.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan has never been the most mobile of quarterbacks, and Atlanta appears tied to him for at least another year with a $40million cap hit for any release right now. With that in mind, OL is a priority need for the Falcons while WR needs attention after the trade of Julio Jones and the uncertain future of Calvin Ridley, who stepped away from the game last October to look after his mental wellbeing.
9. Denver Broncos: Denver is stacked everywhere but at the game’s most important position. So in 2021 a team which should have been going deep into the playoffs finished 7-10 after a 3-0 start. Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock are not the answer, and the Broncos will upgrade at QB in the coming months. Denver reportedly showed interest in Aaron Rodgers last year and Mile High is near the top of our list of potential landing spots for the four-time league MVP. If they don’t trade for a big-name veteran, Denver could well be the first team to take a QB in the Draft.
10. New York Jets (from Seattle): Already covered.
11. Washington Commanders: Washington has a new team name and now it (desperately) needs a new QB. The Ryan Fitzpatrick experiment failed miserably in 2021 and Taylor Heinicke is not the long-term answer. So the question is does Ron Rivera trade for a veteran or go the draft route? Questions questions.
12. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikes have hired an offensively-minded HC in Kevin O’Connell to get the best out of Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and co. Now they are likely need fresh talent to shore up the defensive side of the ball. The key positions of corner and edge rusher are likely to be near the top of the list.
13. Cleveland Browns: Any concerns the Browns have over the long-term future of QB Baker Mayfield are unlikely to be resolved in the next few months. Instead it’s the defensive side of the ball - particularly the front - which gets most of the attention.
14. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens’ decision to trade LT Orlando Brown to Kansas City last year brought them a ton of draft capital, but resulted in some headaches down the line. Baltimore gave up 57 sacks in 2021 and pass protection was a major issue. The secondary was also a big issue late in the year, but that was mainly down to injuries rather than a lack of talent in the room.
15. Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami): The Eagles were a pleasant surprise in 2021, making the playoffs with a 9-8 record. They have three first-round picks in 2022 and we would argue QB should be a potential area of focus with the jury still out on Jalen Hurts. It appears Jalen will be the guy for now though, which means defense is the big area of need. Free agency is likely to hit the DE and S positions.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (from Indianapolis): Already covered.
17. Los Angeles Chargers: If the Chargers want to capitalise on the potential of their superstar young QB Justin Herbert, they really should commit to stopping the run in 2022. The Chargers defense gave up almost 140 yards per game on the ground in 2021, 30th in the league. Just awful and a stat which really hampers a very promising roster.
18. New Orleans Saints: One year after the retirement of Drew Brees the Saints are now coping with the ‘retirement’ of HC Sean Payton. Add in the fact the QB position is still not set and it’s easy to see why that position has to be the focus. Taysom Hill is not the answer and Jameis Winston is coming off a horrific knee injury. We are fascinated to see which direction New Orleans goes.
19. Philadelphia Eagles: Already covered.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers somehow made the playoffs in spite of Ben Roethlisberger in 2021. Thank elite coaching from Mike Tomlin and some incredible production from NFL Defensive Player Of The Year T.J. Watt for that. Now, for the first time in 15 years, Pittsburgh needs to find a new franchise QB. If it goes for a flashy veteran acquisition then the current 70-1 Super Bowl odds could look pretty stupid in a few short months.
21. New England Patriots: The Pats took a step back towards the land of the living in the Year 2 AB (After Brady). But the size of the task facing them in the AFC East arms race was starkly evident in that playoff rout at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. A Pats defense which had been really good for most of the season was destroyed by Josh Allen and co, while the offense with Mac Jones at the helm could do with another weapon or two. The back end of the defense and the WR position are ones to watch.
22. Las Vegas Raiders: It appears that new Raiders HC Josh McDaniels is sticking with QB Derek Carr. With that in mind, improving up front on both sides of the ball is key for a Vegas team which surprised in making the playoffs in 2021. WR is another area of need after the Henry Ruggs experiment ended in such grim circumstances.
23. Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray caused shockwaves in Arizona when he wiped anything Cardinal-related from his social media accounts recently. What that means is yet to be determined. Assuming he is still in the building for 2022, then the biggest needs will be on defense, both in the secondary and on the defensive line.
24. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys fell off a cliff offensively when it really mattered, and the issues were all up front. A once dominant OL struggled in pass protection, while the run game suffered mightily down the stretch. It’s time for Dallas to draft an OT in Round 1 and finally put in place the successor to their now injury-prone LT Tyron Smith.
25. Buffalo Bills: Buffalo is the early favourite to win Super Bowl LVII, and the house is just about built. A stellar defense could suffer depletion through free agency though, which means reinforcements will be needed - particularly up front.
26. Tennessee Titans: Yet another team where you’d argue QB might be on the list if they really want to challenge for a championship. Recently the Titans have been linked with Aaron Rodgers, but it appears they are more likely to stick with Ryan Tannehill. If we assume that is the case, and Julio Jones can be healthy in 2022, then OL should be the priority area of need for Mike Vrabel’s crew.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: All of a sudden QB is a need in Tampa after the retirement of Tom Brady. The Bucs had everybody back to make another Super Bowl run in 2021, but now it’s likely there is significant roster churn. As well as QB, the offensive line is likely to get some attention, as is WR after the departure of Antonio Brown. These are just the tip of the iceberg though.
28. Green Bay Packers: There is every chance that Aaron Rodgers could be traded before the 2022 Draft - if that happens then the Packers are likely to have significantly more capital to go to war with in April. Even if the team does re-sign pending FA Davante Adams, another stellar WR to pair him with would be a nice addition.
29. Miami Dolphins (from San Francisco): New Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel says he is planning to “get all that greatness” out of Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa. Drafting some offensive linemen would be a pretty good step to help the former Alabama standout. The line was horrible in 2021 - the Fish must be better up front in 2022.
30. Kansas City Chiefs: We are presuming the Chiefs sign the aforementioned Orlando Brown to a long-term contract extension this offseason. Which means the secondary is likely to be at the forefront of their thoughts. Safety Tyrann Mathieu leads a number of pending free agents in the defensive backfield, and replacements will be needed.
31. Cincinnati Bengals: The reason the Bengals didn’t end the 2021 season as world champions was pretty simple - they couldn’t protect Joe Burrow when it mattered. The former number 1 overall pick was sacked nine times in the playoff win over Tennessee and then a record-equalling seven times in the Super Bowl loss to the Rams. In the 2021 Draft Cincy took superstar WR Ja’Marr Chase instead of highly-rated OT Penei Sewell. They cannot ignore OL again - that has to be the focus in April.
32. Detroit Lions (from Los Angeles Rams): Already covered

Teams without a first-round pick in 2022

You have to go back to 2016 to find the last time the Los Angeles Rams actually used a first-round draft pick. But right now it’s hard to argue with their ‘win now’ strategy of using premium draft capital to trade for proven veteran difference makers.

The NFL is a copycat league, and it will be fascinating to see if other teams now try to follow their approach - it will make for a wild offseason if they do.

Right now the teams without a first-round pick in 2022 - along with their needs - are:

Chicago Bears: There is (yet) another new regime in place in Chicago, and the Bears faithful will be praying that sophomore QB Justin Fields proves to be the real deal in 2022. Right now Chicago needs help in a number of areas - including on the offensive line and at the wide receiver position.

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts really blew it late in the 2021 season, dropping their last two games to miss out on the playoffs. Those losses just increased question marks over QB Carson Wentz - not great when Indy gave up a first-round pick to acquire the former Philly signal caller. If we assume Wentz is back in 2022, then one glaring need is at WR. The Colts need a deep aerial threat to balance that terrific run game led by Jonathan Taylor.

Los Angeles Rams: The Rams do not have a first-round pick until 2024 - and who knows if they’ll trade that away…For now the biggest area of need for the newly-crowned Super Bowl champs could be at left tackle. Andrew Whitworth is the league’s oldest active player at 40, and nobody would be surprised to see him retire with a ring now on his finger.

San Francisco 49ers: The Niners are pretty well set with an excellent roster, and the QB of the future Trey Lance is already in the house. But it could still use some fresh young talent, particular at CB and up front on the OL. Some smart picks will make San Fran a major contender again in 2022.

Seattle Seahawks: The reason the Seahawks don’t have a first-round pick is the trade for S Jamal Adams, but it still needs to beef up its woeful secondary. OL is also a big need, whether superstar QB Russell Wilson is under center in 2022 or not. If it’s the latter, then QB could also be a huge need come Draft Day.

When is the 2022 NFL Draft?

The 2022 Draft takes place over three days in late April in Paradise, Nevada.

There are seven rounds in which each team gets a pick (assuming they haven’t traded that pick away). Teams also receive compensatory picks based on players lost through free agency.

• Round 1 takes place on Thursday April 28
• Rounds 2 and 3 following on Friday April 29
• The Draft concludes on Saturday April 30 with Rounds 4-7.

Who is Mr Irrelevant in the NFL?

‘Mr Irrelevant’ is the name given to the player who is the very last pick in each NFL Draft.

That dubious honour in 2021 went to Houston linebacker Grant Stuard, who was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 259th overall pick. He did make the team and was active for the recent playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams.

What happens to players who are not drafted?

The agony of not being drafted is often pretty swiftly replaced by the joy of being picked up by an NFL team.

Once ‘Mr Irrelevant’ is chosen, there follows a massive scramble where teams hit the phones to try to sign the best undrafted players - known as Undrafted Free Agents (UFA).

Going undrafted doesn’t mean a player has no chance of hitting the big time. Some of the best UFAs have turned into absolute stars:

• Two-time league MVP and Super Bowl champion QB Kurt Warner
• Former Dallas QB and now superstar TV analyst Tony Romo
• Perennial Pro Bowl WR Wes Welker
• Former Pro Bowl OT Jason Peters
• Adam Vinatieri, possibly the best kicker in NFL history
• Pittsburgh’s two-time Super Bowl champion LB James Harrison
• San Diego’s superstar TE Antonio Gates
• Stellar Minnesota Vikings DT John Randle
• Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon
• Legendary DB Dick ‘Night Train’ Lane