2022 NFL draft: The best picks in the second round

The two biggest stories of the second round in the 2022 NFL draft were the depth at every position but quarterback, and the fact that not a single quarterback was taken. There will be a lot more written about that second fact, but let’s turn our attention to all the talented prospects who didn’t hear their names in the first round, but have shown first-round talent on tape.

The 2022 class has been regarded as one of the deepest in the later rounds in years, in part due to players returning to the NCAA in 2021 after COVID opt-outs, and that has shown itself to be true already — when you look at the best picks in the second round of this draft, you wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of these guys in the first round of this draft, or drafts in the past.

This is where teams start to get better up and down the roster, and here are my best picks in the 2022 NFL draft.

Green Bay Packers: Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State

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Aaron Rodgers has been waiting impatiently for his Packers to take a receiver who can break things open downfield, and perhaps after this pick, we’ll all be spared the latest passive-aggressive Pat McAfee appearance. Because Green Bay traded up with the Vikings for the 34th overall pick, selecting North Dakota State receiver Christian Watson. Watson isn’t as route-expert as the now-departed Davante Adams, but he can waste defenders downfield. Last season, Watson caught 43 passes for 801 yards and seen touchdowns, and he had four receptions of at least 65 yards.

It’s rare to pair a 6-foot-4, 208-pound frame with 4.38 speed, but Watson does that, and you can see it all on plays like this 67-yard touchdown.

Tennessee Titans: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn

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There is exactly one reason McCreary dropped to the second round, and it wasn’t his tape, or his metrics — it was a wingspan of 70 5/8″, one of the shortest among any defensive back since 1999. If you’re an NFL cornerback with short arms, you’d better develop adaptive strategies for that, and McCreary has. When you’re this sticky across the field, and you can hang with any receiver, arm length becomes less of an issue. The Titans were smart to bet on everything else, and they’ll be able to put McCreary in the slot and outside.

Houston Texans: Jalen Pitre, DB, Baylor

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Pitre was one of My Guys in this draft class, and the more I watched him, the more I liked him as the perfect embodiment of the modern safety/slot/box/blitz defensive back. The Texans will be able to deploy him everywhere from the line of scrimmage to the slot to the deep third, where he can take away vertical concepts all day long. Watch No. 8 click and close to the ball, and know that Lovie Smith’s defense just got better.

Atlanta Falcons: Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State

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The Falcons came into the 2022 draft with desperate needs at just about every position, and edge-rusher had to be a priority. To get Ebiketie in the second round is quite the steal — last season, Ebiketie had 52 pressures and 30 stops, and he can get to the quarterback in all kinds of ways — from speed to power. Once he gets a counter move in his arsenal, he’ll be truly dangerous.

Seattle Seahawks: Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota

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For a few seasons, Michael Bennett wasn’t just the most underrated member of Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense — he was also one of the most dominant and effective outside/inside pass-rushers in the NFL. It’s hard to find players like that, and Seattle has tried with guys like L.J. Collier and Rasheem Green. Selecting Minnesota edge-rusher Boye Mafe with the 40th overall pick — part of the haul Seattle got in the Russell Wilson trade.

Mafe needs some work with his technique, but as a power/speed guy, he’s going to be great in Seattle’s defense. On this pressure against Nebraska, watch how Mafe (No. 34) rides around the guard and tackle, flattens the arc, and gets to the quarterback in a big hurry. Mafe had 42 pressures and 18 stops last season, and through he didn’t play inside a lot last season, I’m betting the Seahawks will see that differently.

New York Giants: Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky

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As NCAA and NFL teams are looking to stop passing games with lighter boxes and more two-deep coverage, offensive coaches are obviously looking to counter that with personnel and scheme. One way to do it is to get smaller, quicker receivers who can create after the catch in short areas, and can also hit big plays downfield when other receivers are taking safeties over the top. Robinson, at 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds, caught 104 passes for 1,334 yards and seven touchdowns last season, adding seven carries for 111 yards. Robinson may be small, but he’s rocked up, he’ll force defenders to challenge him after the catch, and if you want deep speed? He’s got that, too. Robinson could be a ton of fun in Brian Daboll’s offense.

Baltimore Ravens: David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan

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Had Ojabo not suffered a torn Achilles tendon during his pro day, I would have had him ranked higher on my list of edge defenders than his Michigan teammate Aidan Hutchinson, and while Ojabo may have to take a medical redshirt to start his NFL career, he’s a perfect fit in a new Ravens defense now led by Mike Macdonald — who was Ojabo’s defensive coordinator in 2021. The Ravens were wise to take Ojabo with the 45th overall pick, and when he’s healthy, he’ll allow Macdonald to deploy more static fronts as Baltimore’s coverage concepts expand.

Until Ojabo does get back on the field, enjoy the sickest spin move of any edge defender in this draft class.

Detroit Lions: Joshua Paschal, EDGE, Kentucky

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I had Paschal high on my list of edge defenders — not only because of his ability to get to the quarterback and stop the run, but also his knack for doing those things from all over the defensive line. At 6=foot-3 and 268 pounds, he’ll be able to do things in Aaron Glenn’s defense that will make that defense a lot better. He reminds me of Emmanuel Ogbah after Ogbah was unleashed in Brian Flores’ Dolphins defense. Last season, he had 38 pressures and 41 stops, and if you want to stop this guy, you’re going to have to deal with his effort and burst, shown here against Vanderbilt.

Chicago Bears: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State

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Bears fans were not at all happy when their team took Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon and Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker with their first two picks, because it leaves Justin Fields out to dry. But there was a lot of work to do in the secondary in the Windy City, and in Gordon and Brisker, they have two smart, aggressive defenders. I like the Brisker pick the most.

Some seem to think of Brisker as only a box safety, and perhaps that’s why he dropped, but I don’t see him that way at all — he’s just fine in the deep third, especially in two-high stuff, either hanging or spinning, and this interception against Maryland shows his impressive range. Last season, he allowed 12 catches on 21 targets for 105 yards, 38 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 46.8.

Pittsburgh Steelers: George Pickens, WR, Georgia

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Due to a torn ACL, Pickens had just five catches on four games in the 2021 season, but those four catches were for 107 yards, including this 52-yarder against Alabama.

Kansas City Chiefs: Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan

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Moore isn’t quite the explosive weapon Tyreek Hill was in Andy Reid’s offense, but there are a lot of reasons the Chiefs selected him with the 54th overall pick. Moore reminds me of Julian Edelman in that he’s stronger than you’d think at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, and he’s absolutely fearless in traffic.

Moore had eight catches of 20 or more air yards last season for 314 yards and five touchdowns, so he can get it going with the deep passing game, but as the Chiefs may be looking to dial that back a bit, it’s also important to note that on passes of 10-19 air yards, Moore caught 31 passes for 564 yards and four touchdowns.

San Francisco 49ers: Drake Jackson, DL, USC

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After a freshman season in which he looked dominant at times at around 275 pounds, Jackson dropped down to 240 pounds during COVID quarantine, and tried to ply his trade as a speed-rusher. Jackson was back up to 273 pounds at his pro day, and that’s where I think he’s at his best as an aggressive inside/outside defender, who will add a ton of strength to DeMeco Ryans’ fronts. This bull-rush against UCLA in 2019 tells the real story.

Kansas City Chiefs: Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati

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Cook didn’t get the recognition he deserved last season because all the talk when discussing Cincinnati’s defense was about Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, but last season, only LSU played more single-high reps than did the Bearcats, and as much press coverage as Cincinnati’s cornerbacks were in, Cook was frequently on an island in the deep third. That was no problem at all, as he allowed 22 catches on 37 targets in 2021 for 202 yards, 121 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 51.9. He’ll be great in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense as that deep defender, taking things away from the post to the boundary.

Denver Broncos: Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma

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t 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, Bonitto looks more like a twitched-up outside linebacker than a true end, but when you put on the tape, the pass-rush skills are all the way there. He reminds me of Haason Reddick as a lighter, quicker edge guy who can get around tackles and flatten the edge to the quarterback. There’s also some off-ball potential here, but the main thing you want from Bonitto is that speed rush. It was good for 52 pressures and 28 stops last season.

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