The NFC West feels like one of the strongest, but also one of the most open divisions in football. With the exception of Seattle, all of the teams will feel like they have a legitimate shot at a long postseason run and potentially the Lombardi Trophy itself. Here are my 2022 NFL Draft grades for all four teams.
Arizona Cardinals
2.55 – TE Trey McBride, Colorado State
3.87 – EDGE Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
3.100 – EDGE Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
6.201 – RB Keaontay Ingram, USC
6.215 – IOL Lecitus Smith, Virginia Tech
7.244 – CB Christian Matthew, Valdosta State
7.256 – EDGE, Jesse Luketa, Penn State
7.257 – IOL Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma
The Cardinals only had three picks before round six and all of them came on day two. Their haul was actually pretty good in terms of the players they landed. McBride was the best tight end in the class, whilst Thomas deserved to go much higher than No. 87 overall. Sanders came with concerns after a poor pre-draft process, but his college tape was far better than you’d expect for a player taken at the end of the third. That said, whilst the players are good, it did feel like the Cardinals neglected to address their two biggest weaknesses, namely the offensive line and their cornerback room.
That is before we even get on to perhaps the worst move of the entire draft. The Cardinals decided to try and keep their quarterback happy by trading away their first round pick for Marquise Brown. That price tag feels incredibly rich for the player we have seen in Baltimore, and that is before you factor in his contract situation. Brown is a free agent next summer, meaning the Cardinals are effectively tied into giving him a huge extension. Don’t forget that this is a draft where the Eagles were able to trade their first rounder for a far better receiver in the form of A.J. Brown. This felt like another directionless draft for Steve Keim.
Grade: C-
Los Angeles Rams
3.104 – IOL Logan Bruss, Wisconsin
4.142 – CB Decobie Durant, South Carolina State
5.164 – RB Kyren Williams, Notre Dame
6.211 – S Quentin Lake, UCLA
6.212 – CB Derion Kendrick, Georgia
7.235 – EDGE Daniel Hardy, Montana State
7.253 – S Russ Yeast, Kansas State
7.261 – OT A.J. Arcuri, Michigan State
The Rams famously take a different approach to the draft and that showed in their picks. With no selections inside the top 100 it is always going to be difficult to find impact players and it makes it difficult to properly assess their results against those of other teams. In terms of the picks they did make, they were a fairly mixed bag. Logan Bruss is a solid player, but taking him at the end of the third seemed like a reach. Their next pick in Decobie Durant was much better though and he could develop into a contributor.
Kyren Williams seemed like a strange pick in the fifth round given the quality they already boast at running back, but he should be a solid player at the next level if given the chance. The selection of Quentin Lake was also pretty good for a sixth rounder. There wasn’t much of note with the rest of the picks and plenty of the names on their list are likely to be little more than camp bodies.
Grade: C+
San Francisco 49ers
2.61 – EDGE Drake Jackson, USC
3.93 – RB Ty Davis-Price, LSU
3.105 – WR Danny Gray, SMU
4.134 – OT Spencer Burford, UTSA
5.172 – CB Sam Womack, Toledo
6.187 – OT Nick Zakelj, Fordham
6.220 – IDL Kalia Davis, UCF
6.221 – CB Tariq Castro-Fields, Penn State
7.262 – QB Brock Purdy, Iowa State
The 49ers didn’t pick until the back end of the second round but deserve credit for still managing to land one of the more talented edge rushers in this class. Jackson wasn’t always put in a situation to succeed in college, but he still produced well. His combination of size, explosiveness, and bend make him a solid projection. Not only does he fit their scheme nicely, but he will also be a nice complementary option opposite Nick Bosa.
The rest of the class was pretty solid too. Danny Gray was one of the more underrated receivers and can be a contributor from the outset. Spencer Burford also offers positional versatility and can be nice developmental option along the offensive line. The one rogue pick was taking Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round. The 49ers only just took two backs last year and don’t seem to have any real need at the position. Even if they did, there were a handful of better prospect available at that spot.
Grade: B+
Seattle Seahawks
1.9 – OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State
2.40 – EDGE Boye Mafe, Minnesota
2.41 – RB Kenneth Walker, Michigan State
3.72 – OT Abraham Lucas, Washington State
4.109 – CB Coby Bryant, Cincinnati
5.153 – CB Tariq Woolen, UTSA
5.158 – EDGE Tyreke Smith, Ohio State
7.229 – WR Bo Melton, Rutgers
7.233 – WR Dareke Young, Lenoir-Rhyne
The Seahawks are one of those teams who are known for drafting a little different. Their evaluations can often be surprising and have led to a fair few head-scratching picks that failed to pan out at the NFL level. It is still early days, but judging by this class, things have changed. I wasn’t as high as many were on Charles Cross, but he fills an obvious need and can develop into their left tackle of the future. To then come back and fill the other tackle spot on day two with Abraham Lucas made things even better.
The rest of the class was equally impressive. Boye Mafe has some exceptional tools and with the right coaching can develop into a quality starter. Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen are both excellent fits in this defense and look like tremendous value when considering the draft capital it cost to acquire them. Even though the Kenneth Walker pick may seem like a luxury, it is no doubt going to prove highly successful in the near future. They topped it off with two very promising receivers in the seventh round. Their decision to avoid quarterback could prove costly, but it is difficult to grumble with the quality of players taken.
Grade: A-
