The first round of the 2022 NFL draft has come and gone, and it was predictably as unpredictable as expected.
An early run on defensive prospects and a handful of aggressive trades shook up Round 1, making for an entertaining evening of picks.
Here are some of the biggest surprises from Thursday night’s wild round of action:
No QB until No. 20
(AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
A common anecdote about the 2022 NFL draft class was a generally disappointing quarterback class. That said, few predicted that the first QB in the draft wouldn’t be selected until the No. 20 overall pick.
Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett was the first signal-caller off the board, with the Steelers taking the local prospect with their first-round selection. It was generally expected that they would target a quarterback with Mitchell Trubisky slotted as the projected starter, but with a handful of NFL teams needing quarterbacks, it does seem a bit shocking that nobody took a shot on Pickett or Liberty’s Malik Willis earlier.
Jermaine Johnson II falls to No. 26
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
There was talk that the Jets would take Florida State edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II with either the No. 4 or 10 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. They were able to get him with the No. 26 pick, instead.
New York traded up from the No. 35 pick to select Johnson, who was widely seen as a late riser in the draft process after dominating at the Senior Bowl. He is an explosive pass-rusher with good first-step quickness, a solid arsenal of pass-rushing techniques to disengage from blocks, and an uncanny ability to convert speed to power.
The Jets arguably haven’t had a premier edge rusher since John Abraham in the mid-2000s, so to get a talented player at the position like Johnson late in the first round is a very good move. He and a healthy Carl Lawson could wreak havoc off the edge for an ascending Jets team.
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