The 2022 NFL draft isn’t eagerly anticipated by USC fans, except for the placement of Drake London on the draft board. What is special and noteworthy about this draft is that when it ends, Trojan fans will know that a dark period of USC football history will be in the rearview mirror.
It will be a relief to no longer deal with a basic fact which has burdened this football program over the past several years: Clay Helton draft classes have been tissue-thin, especially in the second round and in the top-100 picks.
Last year, USC was shut out in the second round. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jay Tufele had to wait until Day 3 to get picked.
We remarked on that turn of events:
This marks the second draft in the past three years in which USC hasn’t had a single second-round selection. The Trojans have been shut out of the second round three times in seven years and four times in the last 10 years.
Some Pac-12 football analysts thought the conference had a real chance to load up on picks late in the second round, though it was an open question if USC players were going to lead the charge. At any rate, the latter half of the second round was a significant source of NFL draft intrigue for USC and the Pac-12.
The best thing about this draft is that when it ends, we won’t have to hear about a “Clay Helton USC draft” anymore. The 2023 NFL draft will be a Lincoln Riley draft. Some Helton holdovers will be included, but they will have received Riley’s and Alex Grinch’s coaching in 2022. Moreover, all the transfers in and out of the program means the 2022 USC roster — and the 2023 NFL draft class — will have a distinctly different identity.
An unfortunate old era is ending. A better era is about to begin at USC.
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