Goldfish's Way Too Early Draft Rankings 2022 (All Up)

[goldfishwars]

30. LA Rams

 

This Class In One Sentence:

Look, we know they don’t take the draft super seriously (and who would argue!?) and will probably find a bunch of contributors anyway because they are super-confident in their ability to coach these guys up - so let’s just get this out of the way.

Pre-Draft Needs

EDGE, CB, G, LB, S

Selections

Round 3. 104. Logan Bruss  | OG | Wisconsin

Round 4. 142. Decobie Durant  | CB | South Carolina State

Round 5. 164. Kyren Williams  | RB | Notre Dame

Round 6. 211. Quentin Lake  | S | UCLA

Round 6. 212. Derion Kendrick  | CB | Georgia

Round 7. 235. Daniel Hardy  | LB | Montana State

Round 7. 253. Russ Yeast  | S | Kansas State

Round 7. 261. A. J. Arcuri  | OT | Michigan State

What I liked:

I liked the McVay and Snead gently roasting the Cole Strange pick. Any Pats fan getting mad at that is an idiot. They were right, it was a surprise. They liked the player anyway, so who cares. I thought it was great and the NFL needs more genuine moments of fun like that. 

I quite like the Logan Bruss pick, a perfect mid-round lineman who can come in and play a role – even if that’s as the sixth dude. I liked Kyren Williams, had some James White about him – can do a role on third down. Heard decent things about Decobie Durant as a scrappy, speedy DB. I liked that they took a player called Russ Yeast, that’s one of my favorite names in this class. Russ Yeast.

What I didn’t like:

What I don’t like is that I don’t know who most of these guys are. No picks before 104, the class is a good size but the capital spent on it is paper thin. Truthfully, I haven’t spent a minute thinking about many of these dudes at all.

[FinSting]

2 hours ago, Hunter2_1 said:

I guess the playtime in minutes will be incredibly low, comparatively, for this Miami draft class. Two of their picks won’t see the field maybe ever, the other two will have to show they got it to start 

ILB was a glaring weakness so happy to address that first. Totally surprised at the WR pick when o-line is still a work in progress. But GM Grier has a poor track record with o-line picks so it feels like bullet dodged to get a big WR to replace Devante Parker instead of another o-line bust. 

[Spartacus]

2 hours ago, FinSting said:

ILB was a glaring weakness so happy to address that first. Totally surprised at the WR pick when o-line is still a work in progress. But GM Grier has a poor track record with o-line picks so it feels like bullet dodged to get a big WR to replace Devante Parker instead of another o-line bust. 

I think Channing Tindall has a chance to be a good one too. I'm now 6 games in watching tape on Quay Walker and I notice Tindall a lot . Personally I liked Tindall and Quays tape more so then Deans for that LB group. Quay ultimately I think is a more fluid and high upside player I could see Tindall having an extremely long good NFL career. 

[NVRamsFan]

6 hours ago, Hunter2_1 said:

Kevin’s reaction was pathetic, I can’t believe anything is being made of this

I thought the Rams were making fun of themselves for underestimating other teams liking the kid.

[Daniel]

Looking at the classes, I don't know how accurate "needs" are, since I'm not very familiar with the Dolphins roster, but damn.  It really looks like they didn't hit on anything that covered a need except linebackers.  And I'm looking at the players they picked, thinking there were better players at those positions still on the board when they drafted them.

That looks worse than the Pats, from my perspective.

[NVRamsFan]

5 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

30. LA Rams

 

This Class In One Sentence:

Look, we know they don’t take the draft super seriously (and who would argue!?) and will probably find a bunch of contributors anyway because they are super-confident in their ability to coach these guys up - so let’s just get this out of the way.

Pre-Draft Needs

EDGE, CB, G, LB, S

Selections

Round 3. 104. Logan Bruss  | OG | Wisconsin

Round 4. 142. Decobie Durant  | CB | South Carolina State

Round 5. 164. Kyren Williams  | RB | Notre Dame

Round 6. 211. Quentin Lake  | S | UCLA

Round 6. 212. Derion Kendrick  | CB | Georgia

Round 7. 235. Daniel Hardy  | LB | Montana State

Round 7. 253. Russ Yeast  | S | Kansas State

Round 7. 261. A. J. Arcuri  | OT | Michigan State

What I liked:

I liked the McVay and Snead gently roasting the Cole Strange pick. Any Pats fan getting mad at that is an idiot. They were right, it was a surprise. They liked the player anyway, so who cares. I thought it was great and the NFL needs more genuine moments of fun like that. 

I quite like the Logan Bruss pick, a perfect mid-round lineman who can come in and play a role – even if that’s as the sixth dude. I liked Kyren Williams, had some James White about him – can do a role on third down. Heard decent things about Decobie Durant as a scrappy, speedy DB. I liked that they took a player called Russ Yeast, that’s one of my favorite names in this class. Russ Yeast.

What I didn’t like:

What I don’t like is that I don’t know who most of these guys are. No picks before 104, the class is a good size but the capital spent on it is paper thin. Truthfully, I haven’t spent a minute thinking about many of these dudes at all.

Personally like our draft. We had very few needs and addressed most all of them. Bruss will have every chance to earn the RG spot giving us 3/5 of our OL being Wisconsin guys. Hill adds a corner with experience though not part of the draft it helps a ton and we threw a lot of resources at DB depth which was needed. Williams is a very interesting 3rd down back option which likely signals this is Henderson's last year on the team.

The rest are dice rolls on depth so we'll see what happens. Nothing spectacular but a few guys that will contribute this year with Bruss, Williams and Durant and the rest if they're active on game day will be ST guys.

[Sad People]

One of my favorite reads each and every year on this website

[goldfishwars]

29. Carolina Panthers

 

This Class In One Sentence:

Matt Rhule is on the coaching hot seat and that seat is now sizzling his cheeks

Pre-Draft Needs

QB, OT, G, C, WR

Selections

Round 1. 6. Ikem Ekwonu  | OT | NC State

Round 3. 94. Matt Corral  | QB | Ole Miss

Round 4. 120. Brandon Smith  | LB | Penn State

Round 6. 189. Amaré Barno  | EDGE | Virginia Tech

Round 6. 199. Cade Mays  | OG | Tennessee

Round 7. 242. Kalon Barnes  | CB | Baylor

What I liked:

They got Ike at 6. They didn’t trade back and try to claw their picks back, but they did get Ike and he’s a good player and a brute in the run game. If the plan was to get a premium piece, and trying something at quarterback plus whatever else they could do, they executed it well. The later swings were decent efforts to find pieces, Brandon Smith stands out as definitely intriguing given his high-end athletic potential. As for Corral, a lot of scouts seem to like his mental make-up and he’s apparently a super intense, cerebral dude off the field. He should get a chance to see what he can do before the year is out. If he doesn’t take that, then it’s onto the Quest For a Franchise Quarterback 2023.

What I didn’t like:

Unlike other teams without many picks this year, the Panthers entered the draft with most people wondering what they had to show for that, exactly. Matt Rhule came into the league with incredible confidence, but the sheen has been worn away in year three. Carolina had a grumpy and unpredictable owner, a holey roster at premium positions and a galaxy between first and second picks. It was an uphill battle to satisfy everyone and everything. And the truth is, they’ve probably failed to make this team significantly better in 2022 – especially if Sam Darnold emerges with greater job security than before.

[candyman93]

Ruhle is done after this year and Carolina will be competing with a bunch of teams for Stroud and Young.

[Jakuvious]

What did the Panthers use their second rounder for? I can find the third round pick being used in a trade down to pick up C.J. Henderson from the Jags, and that they got a third back by spending next year's picks to get Corral, but I don't see it listed why they didn't have a second rounder.

[NVRamsFan]

12 minutes ago, Jakuvious said:

What did the Panthers use their second rounder for? I can find the third round pick being used in a trade down to pick up C.J. Henderson from the Jags, and that they got a third back by spending next year's picks to get Corral, but I don't see it listed why they didn't have a second rounder.

San Darnold?

[Daniel]

I thought the Panthers did alright.  Ickey is a hometown favorite, stud prospect that fits the biggest need, Corral was valuable where they got him, Barno and Barnes are big time athletes with upside, Mays played a lot of games at UT and has versatility at the position, so he'll be a solid swing.  Brandon Smith was a bit questionable to me

If you factor in Darnold, then yeah, not great, but I thought all their picks were at least solid.

But different strokes different folks.  Always cool to see your rankings.

[Jakuvious]

57 minutes ago, NVRamsFan said:

San Darnold?

Oh yeah. Oof.

[goldfishwars]

28. New Orleans Saints

 

This Class In One Sentence:

An absolute master-class in mishandling draft capital

Pre-Draft Needs

OT, S, WR, G, CB

Selections

Round 1. 11. Chris Olave  | WR | Ohio State

Round 1. 19. Trevor Penning  | OT | Northern Iowa

Round 2. 49. Alontae Taylor  | CB | Tennessee

Round 5. 161. D'Marco Jackson  | LB | Appalachian State

Round 6. 194. Jordan Jackson  | DT | Air Force

Round 6 – Forfeited for being tricksy lads

What I liked:

Man, I like Chris Olave. I’m not sure I loved him at 11, given that he’s probably a really good complimentary piece rather than a feature receiver which is what he’ll be in NO with Michael Thomas coming back. But man, he’s super smooth and cerebral – and will definitely make this team better on offense. Also check out Chris Olave's Dad if you haven't seen it already, absolutely extraordinary. 

D'Marco Jackson is pretty decent.

What I didn’t like:

Man, nobody cares less about draft value than Loomis – draft picks burn chasms in this guy’s pockets. The super-weird trade that brought them two first rounders and nothing in 2023, for what will probably be a better class, already looked like a bad idea. This front office rockets into every draft like they are one pick away from a Super Bowl. I’d be overjoyed if I was a GM looking to trade out and that guy was on the line in a panic to blow everything. What was going on in that man’s mind in the first round? Did he have a dinner date with his wife and forgot it was the NFL Draft? ‘We have a another first round pick!? Why didn’t you guys tell me!?’ And I don’t like that Loomis has forced me to crap on a class which features Chris Olave. I love Olave.

I didn’t like the Penning pick, because he isn’t good (right now). He tested incredibly and it was well accepted he would go first round because apparently the league loves linemen who start fights at the Senior Bowl, but he has a ways to go as a pass-blocker before he'll lock down that vacant left tackle spot. Alontae Taylor wasn’t a top 50 pick in this class, even with DB’s flying off the board. He’s fine, but nothing more than that. Just very odd, it's all so frantic and odd. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by goldfishwars

[Awsi Dooger]

5 hours ago, Daniel said:

Looking at the classes, I don't know how accurate "needs" are, since I'm not very familiar with the Dolphins roster, but damn.  It really looks like they didn't hit on anything that covered a need except linebackers.  And I'm looking at the players they picked, thinking there were better players at those positions still on the board when they drafted them.

That looks worse than the Pats, from my perspective.

Miami is definitely last. Numbers alone dictate that. The odds of our group ending up superior to New England's are next to nothing. The 32 was a fan expressing frustration. That's understandable but overreaction needs to be reigned in, amidst a dose of mathematical clarity. Even if subjectively we don't like the picks the fact that there are so many of them means several will pan out.