Predicting 5 of the boldest moves NFL franchises could make in 2022 NFL Draft
The majority of the NFL Draft order for 2022 is known, with it expected there would be some minor shuffling in the days leading up to the opening night.
However, the NFL is in such a fantastic place right now, with dramatic moments seemingly around every corner this offseason; it’s impossible to truly count out several wildcard moves in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Deebo Samuel could still be traded; Baker Mayfield needs to find a home while Bill Belichick is, thus far, merely watching events unfold and waiting to strike.
In negotiations over Tyreek Hill, the New York Jets showed their desperation for a wide receiver, and they are likely to revisit that this week.
So, the 2022 NFL Draft could be the most dramatic in living memory…
What are 5 of the boldest NFL Draft moves teams could make in 2022?
#1 - Kansas City Chiefs will gamble on Tyquan Thornton
The Kansas City Chiefs traded away Tyreek Hill because the price was simply too reasonable to turn down.
Fans are worried because they’ve lost their primary receiving target and the player who stretched defenses with his immense speed.
These plays made his connection with Patrick Mahomes so difficult to defend against, and there are obvious concerns about letting him move on.
This is where the Chiefs could gamble on an NFL Draft prospect either at the end of the first round or in the second… and that prospect is none other than Tyquan Thornton.
Thornton is a valid wildcard heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, given the fact that his best asset is his supersonic speed.
After initially registering the fastest 40-yard dash time ever recorded at the combine, the NFL ruled that the time was a little slower than the initial 4.21 seconds.
The wideout from Baylor is predicted to be a top-100 pick, but his NFL Draft stock has exploded since his display at the combine.
Teams are looking at the success Hill had in the NFL and want to replicate that without parting with the multiple assets it would take to sign a veteran.
So, who better than the Chiefs to take a gamble on Thornton? Physically it’s clear he already fits their offense, and there is a sense that Mahomes could make passes that even writers could catch.
He needs to improve on the fundamentals of wideout play, but so did Tyreek Hill, and Thornton is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting prospects in this NFL Draft. The Chiefs can continue Hill's legacy without missing a beat by making this gamble.
#2 - San Francisco 49ers could trade back into the first-round
Deebo Samuel wants to leave San Francisco, which has been made abundantly clear.
He instructed the 49ers not to make him any contract offers this offseason, and the fiasco is set to come to a head in the final week before the NFL Draft.
The reason for this is the 49ers can’t expect to receive as much value as they want once the draft has passed. A move must be made before opening night, and the Niners could trade back into the first round.
New York looks like a virtual lock of a destination for Samuel. Robert Saleh knows him well from their time in the Bay Area together, and the Jets have serious NFL Draft capital to give up at the front end of the first round.
Holding the #4 and #10 picks in the 2022 draft, the Jets have a lot of room to move to secure one of the best playmakers in the NFL.
#Jets GM Joe Douglas, asked about the possibility of a Deebo Samuel trade, says he can't get into specifics for a player not on their roster. But…
“If the right opportunity presents itself, we are going to be aggressive."
San Francisco won’t accept a trade involving Samuel unless they get a first-round selection in 2022. What better team to negotiate with than the Jets, who’ve already shown their desperation for a proven, elite wideout.
John Lynch will be brilliant here, knowing he can fleece the Jets for multiple draft choices, and it would be a bold move for him to secure one of the New York picks on the opening night of the NFL Draft.
This would give the Niners the chance to have a shot at one of the elite offensive linemen to protect a still unproven Trey Lance or even select a direct replacement for Samuel in the form of Drake London.