The big question hanging over the NFC South this offseason was the quarterback situation of the respective teams. That does seem a little more settled now, though it will be very interested to see how each team approaches things when the season is upon us. Here are my 2022 NFL Draft grades for all four teams.
Atlanta Falcons
1.8 – WR Drake London, USC
2.38 – EDGE Arnold Ebeketie, Penn State
2.58 – LB Troy Andersen, Montana State
3.74 – QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
3.82 – EDGE DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky
5.151 – RB Tyler Allgeier, BYU
6.190 – IOL Justin Shaffer, Georgia
6.213 – TE John FitzPatrick, Georgia
The big question coming into this draft was whether or not the Falcons would take a quarterback. They did end up coming away with one, but the overall haul ended up far better than they might first have hoped. They had their pick of the wide receivers at No. 8 overall and whilst London wouldn’t have been my first choice, he’s a quality prospect who can immediately fill in as a high volume target. To then go in to the second round and grab Arnold Ebiketie, a player that could plausibly have been taken in the first, was outstanding business.
With their two major areas of need addressed, they were then free to take a chance on one of the many sliding quarterbacks. Ridder is interesting prospect to project to the NFL, but a player with his skillset and track record should have been gone by the time they got him. It remains to be seen whether he can supplant Mariota as the starter, but the fact that they even managed to get a potential starter this late on in the draft is impressive. The likes of Andersen, Allgeier, and Malone have also all got potential to be impact players in the NFL.
Grade: A
Carolina Panthers
1.6 – OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
3.94 – QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss
4.120 – LB Brandon Smith, Penn State
6.189 – EDGE, Amaré Barno, Virginia Tech
6.199 – IOL, Cade Mays Tennessee
7.242 – CB Kalon Barnes, Baylor
General manager Scott Fitterer was widely praised for finding value picks in last year’s draft and he did the same here. There had been plenty of talk about whether or not they would over-draft one of this year’s quarterbacks at No. 6 overall, but they instead made the smart move and addressed a glaring need at offensive tackle. Picking Ekwonu over Evan Neal may end up proving an interesting move, but both are very talented prospects who should immediately elevate their respective teams’ lines.
They didn’t have another pick until the back end of the third round, but that focus on value persisted throughout. I was much lower on Matt Corral than the consensus, but getting him all the way down at No. 94 overall is a very smart move. He needs some time to sit and learn an NFL offense, but he has the the arm talent and mobility to develop into a starter for Carolina. There was a lot to like in the subsequent four picks, and it will be interesting in particular to see whether Amaré Barno can develop into a contributor.
Grade: B+
New Orleans Saints
1.11 – WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
1.19 – OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
2.49 – CB Alontae Taylor, Tennessee
5.161 – LB D’Marco Jackson, Appalachian State
6.194 – IDL Jordan Jackson, Air Force
The Saints ended up with just five picks in this draft and three of those came within the top 50 picks. It is safe to say that the results here were mixed. Their receiving corps certainly needed an upgrade, but trading up to No. 11 overall for Chris Olave felt like a major reach. Olave is a good route runner with reliable hands, but he is also undersized and lacks any of the after the catch ability you typically want from such a receiver. He will no doubt end up as a solid contributor, but I just can’t see him living up to that sort of draft capital.
Their second pick of the first round was much better, securing a much-needed left tackle in Trevor Penning. He definitely needs some work on his technique, but he has all of the traits to develop into a high quality left tackle at the next level. This was then followed by a far more perplexing pick in Alontae Taylor. The Saints clearly felt compelled to reach for Taylor by virtue of their lack of later round capital, but taking a player ranked 112th on the Consensus Board inside the top 50 felt like a questionable decision.
Grade: C+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2.33 – IDL Logan Hall, Houston
2.57 – IOL Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan
3.91 – RB Rachaad White, Arizona State
4.106 – TE Cade Otton, Washington
4.133 – P Jake Camarda, Georgia
5.157 – CB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston State
6.218 – TE Ko Kieft, Minnesota
7.248 – EDGE Andre Anthony, LSU
With Brady back in town for at least another year and no major holes on the roster to address, this draft was always going to be about finding players who can contribute early on. It’s pretty safe to say the Bucs did a great job on that front. They started out by trading out of the first round yet still managed to land a first round quality prospect in the form of Houston’s Logan Hall. Hall gives them versatility along the defensive line and provides an immediate pass rushing presence along the interior.
The next three picks were just as good. Taking Goedeke in the second felt a little rich, but he is a solid prospect who can come in and immediately compete for a starting spot at left guard. White gives them the kind of pass catching back that Tom Brady loves and has all of the tools to develop into far more. The Cade Otton pick might have been one of the better ones of the entire draft too. He ended up as the fifth tight end taken but his college tape was up there with the likes of Trey McBride and Greg Dulcich. Don’t be surprised if he ends up vastly outperforming his draft position.
Grade: A
