Originally Posted by Rain Man
Okay, without further ado, here's my 2022 draft.
First, I didn't have the right draft picks to make any of the Chiefs' draft day trades, so none of those were on the table for me. I'm standing pat with my base picks with no trade ups or trade downs.
1-30 -George Karlaftis, DE (Chiefs) – I agree with the Chiefs here and our needs overlap. I have a lot of trouble drafting defensive ends, so I hope George can lock down a position.
Others considered: I very strongly considered Logan Hall at DE and would have taken him other than some concern whether he might move inside to DT. I also briefly considered Roger McCreary (CB) and Andrew Booth (CB), and a took passing look at trading down for Troy Andersen (OLB).
2-62 – Nakobe Dean, ILB (Eagles) – This was a tough pick because I had a lot of guys I like. My linebacking corps has been a perennial weak spot so I’ll invest more this year to try to get some established starters.
Others considered: I was inches from taking Malik Willis here as a developmental play. But Russell Wilson is 33 and in the modern era I can see him playing for five more years or longer. I’m rolling the dice here that I can find a QB a couple of years from now and that Russell won’t retire once he starts playing for a disorganized and hapless franchise. I also briefly looked at Matt Corral instead of Malik, but liked Malik better.
I also considered three other strong ILB prospects, in order: Chad Muma, Christian Harris, and Brian Asamoah. I liked all of them but decided to roll with Nakobe.
And finally, I was intrigued by Bernhard Raimann, but don’t have an immediate need at offensive tackle.
3-94 – Coby Bryant, CB (Seahawks) – My cornerback position is okay but declining. Coby will be a great talent addition.
Others considered: David Bell was intriguing at WR, and I took a brief look at Brian Robinson at RB.
3-103 – Leo Chenal, OLB (Chiefs) – Easy choice here. Chenal was my draft crush even before the Chiefs took him, and OLB is a huge need for me.
Others considered: None, really. If Chenal wasn’t there I would’ve considered WR Danny Gray.
4-135 – Khalil Shakir, WR (Bills). I’ve been having talent shortages at WR for a while. It wasn’t a big priority with some free agents coming in, but Shakir seems like a good value here.
Others considered: I was very intrigued by Malcolm Rodriguez (ILB) and would have drafted him if I didn’t already pick up an ILB earlier in the draft. Others who got consideration were (in descending order) Kingsley Enagbare (LB), Darian Kinnard (OT), Calvin Austin III (WR), D'Marco Jackson (ILB), Sam Howell (QB), John Ridgeway (DT), Braxton Jones (OT), and Thomas Booker (DT). There was a big gap between this pick and my next one, so I had a lot of talent to consider.
6-191 – Grant Calcaterra, TE (Eagles). I need some tight end depth and he seemed like a good value.
Others considered: Jailen Nailor (WR) and Tyler Badie (RB)
6-209 – Kalia Davis, DT (49ers). This isn't an area of need, but it seemed like the best value.
Others considered: Bo Melton (WR), Tariq Castro-Fields (CB)
7-251 – Isaih Pacheco, RB (Chiefs) – I don’t really need a running back, but I like his speed.
Others considered: Strongly considered Jeffrey Gunter (DE). If I hadn't already taken two defensive linemen I would've gone with Gunter.
7-259 – Carson Strong, QB (Eagles) – This is a risk/reward play. The odds are apparently low, but there’s a chance that his knee will be okay and I’ll get a good quarterback prospect cheap.
Others considered: I really liked Verone McKinley III (S) and Aaron Hansford (LB). I think all three of these guys have a good chance of becoming contributors.
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