NFL 2022 Draft Winners and Losers

One of the best things about the NFL is that, thanks to the draft system, even the worst-performing teams in the league can dream of changing things around by picking up the stars of the future. But it doesn’t always work out like that.
The dust has now settled on the 2022 NFL Draft and we can now see which teams can consider themselves winners. As with every year, the draft also threw up some losers that will not be troubling the sports betting public next season. Here are our winners and losers from the 2022 NFL Draft.
Draft Day Winner: New York Jets
The Jets have been pretty terrible for years but have failed to improve because of some strange draft decisions. But this year may be a little different – possibly giving New York a chance of at least a passing interest in the playoffs for the first time in a very long while.
Three excellent first round picks made the Jets winners even if they had stopped picking there and then. Cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner and defensive end Jermaine Johnson should improve the league’s worst defense, while Garrett Wilson will also start next season and collect plenty of passes from second-year QB Zach Wilson.
Loser: New England Patriots
Proclaiming the Pats as losers in an NFL Draft is obviously playing with fire. Bill Belichick has a history of proving everyone wrong with his ability to pick diamonds. But this year’s selection seemed just plain confusing. We’re all for small schools getting represented – but New England took that a little too far.
Taking Cole Strange in the first round seems like a classic Belichick moment of brilliance that we will all bring up in years to come. But there were better players available and the Pats could have done much better. There were more strange choices later in the draft, so we are tentatively calling New England a loser.
Draft Day Winner: Baltimore Ravens
It is getting to become something of a tradition now. The Ravens do their homework and end up getting some of the best players of every NFL Draft. 2022 was no different, as Baltimore looked to boost fans’ hopes after the disappointing end to the season saw a playoff spot slip from its grasp.
Taking Kyle Hamilton as the number 14 pick overall gives Baltimore an incredible safety that could change the fortunes of the team. David Ojaba’s injury gave the Ravens the chance to take him in the second round – and he was a top-15 pick originally. Add to that center Tyler Lindbaum and you can count that as a job well done.
Loser: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags are undoubtedly one of the worst teams in the NFL. After a flurry of playoff appearances in the early years of their existence, there has been little interest in the postseason recently, with 2017 being the exception in the last 14 years. But somehow Jacksonville fails to improve from the draft each season.
Linebacker Travon Walker may turn out to be a double-digit sack player, as Josh Allen believes, but taking him in the first round still feels like a risky move from the Jags. Taking two more LBs in the top 70 also feels like a wasted opportunity for Jacksonville to make some much-needed improvements.
Draft Day Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles made a very brief visit to the playoffs last season but had a game plan ready for the draft. Acquiring AJ Brown from the Titans for a couple of picks ensured that the Eagles will have some dangerous downfield targets next season as he teams up with DeVonta Smith.
But Philly also cleaned up on defense by taking two players – Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean from the University of Georgia’s national championship winning team. Dean, in particular, went much later than expected and could be a star. The Eagles added some very good players for the future – but ones that could make the difference immediately in what is a weak NFC East.

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com