2022 NFL Draft: How the first-rounders ranked as recruits
Some facts and figures from the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, including a look back at how each of the 32 first-rounders were ranked as recruits.
+ For the 11th time in 12 years, there were more first-rounders from the SEC than any other league. The SEC had 12, with the Big Ten second with seven, followed by the ACC and Pac-12 with four each, the AAC and FCS schools with two and the independent ranks with one. The Big 12 had zero first-rounders.
+ Nine of the first-rounders were five-star recruits (that’s 28 percent). There were 13 four-star recruits, six three-star prospects, a two-star recruit and three unranked prospects. (Details are below.) If you want to look into the recruiting rankings of those taken in the past few drafts, you can have fun with the On3 NFL Draft by Stars database.
+ The first-rounders went to high school in 18 different states. The leader: California with five. Georgia and Texas had four each. Florida, Iowa, Michigan and North Carolina had two each (both Michigan players were from the Detroit area, both North Carolinians from the Charlotte area). Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee had one each.
+ Alabama had two players go in the first round; it’s the 14th consecutive year the Tide has had a first-rounder. That ties Miami for the longest such streak ever; the Hurricanes’ string went from 1995 through 2008.
+ Travon Walker is the first Georgia player to go No. 1 overall since QB Matt Stafford in 2009.
+ Six wide receivers went in the top 18. It’s the first time in the modern era that six receivers went in the top 20.
+ Kenny Pickett went 20th, making him the earliest-drafted quarterback in Pitt Panthers history. The previous earliest? Dan Marino at No. 27. Pickett passed Marino in 2021 for the most passing yards and the most passing TDs in Pitt history.
+ The top five picks were defensive players. The last time that happened was 1991, when the first six were defenders (DT Russell Maryland, S Eric Turner, CB Bruce Pickens, LB Mike Croel, CB Todd Lyght and DT Eric Swann).
+ The NFL draft continues Friday night with the second and third rounds, and concludes Saturday afternoon with rounds four through seven.
The first-rounders and their recruiting status
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
The player: DE Travon Walker, Georgia
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Thomaston (Ga.) Upson-Lee, in the 2019 recruiting class.
2. Detroit Lions
The player: DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child, in the 2018 recruiting class.
3. Houston Texans
The player: CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham School, in the 2019 recruiting class.
4. New York Jets
The player: CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus three-star prospect, from Detroit King, in the 2019 recruiting class.
5. New York Giants
The player: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Thousand Oaks (Calif.) Oaks Christian, in the 2019 recruiting class.
6. Carolina Panthers
The player: OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus three-star prospect, from Charlotte Providence Day School, in the 2019 recruiting class.
7. New York Giants
The player: OT Evan Neal, Alabama
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, in the 2019 recruiting class.
8. Atlanta Falcons
The player: WR Drake London, USC
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Moorpark (Calif.) High, in the 2019 recruiting class.
9. Seattle Seahawks
The player: OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Laurel (Miss.) High, in the 2019 recruiting class.
10. New York Jets
The player: WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Austin (Texas) Lake Travis, in the 2019 recruiting class.
11. New Orleans Saints
The player: WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills, in the 2018 recruiting class.
12. Detroit Lions
The player: WR Jameson Williams, Alabama
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from St. Louis Cardinal Ritter College Prep, in the 2019 recruiting class.
13. Philadelphia Eagles
The player: DT Jordan Davis, Georgia
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Charlotte Mallard Creek, in the 2018 recruiting class.
14. Baltimore Ravens
The player: S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Atlanta Marist School, in the 2019 recruiting class.
15. Houston Texans
The player: G Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Humble (Texas) Atascocita, as an offensive tackle in the 2019 recruiting class.
16. Washington Commanders
The player: WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Nazareth (Pa.) High, in the 2018 recruiting class.
17. Los Angeles Chargers
The player: G Zion Johnson, Boston College
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus unranked prospect, from Upper Marlboro (Md.) Riverdale Baptist, in the 2017 recruiting class.
18. Tennessee Titans
The player: WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Warren (Ark.) High, in the 2019 recruiting class.
19. New Orleans Saints
The player: OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus unranked prospect, from Clear Lake (Iowa) Newman Catholic, in the 2017 recruiting class.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
The player: QB Kenny Pickett, Pitt
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus three-star prospect, from Oakhurst (N.J) Ocean Township, in the 2017 recruiting class.
21. Kansas City Chiefs
The player: CB Trent McDuffie, Washington
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, in the 2019 recruiting class.
22. Green Bay Packers
The player: LB Quay Walker, Georgia
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Cordele (Ga.) Crisp County, in the 2018 recruiting class.
23. Buffalo Bills
The player: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School, in the 2019 recruiting class.
24. Dallas Cowboys
The player: OT Tyler Smith, Tulsa
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus three-star prospect, from Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley, as a guard in the 2019 recruiting class.
25. Baltimore Ravens
The player: C Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus three-star prospect, from Solon (Iowa) High, as a defensive lineman in the 2018 recruiting class.
26. New York Jets
The player: DE Jermaine Johnson, Florida State
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus unranked prospect, from Eden Prairie (Minn.) High, in the 2017 recruiting class.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
The player: LB Devin Lloyd, Utah
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus three-star prospect, from Chula Vista (Calif.) Otay Ranch, in the 2017 recruiting class.
28. Green Bay Packers
The player: DT Devonte Wyatt, Georgia
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Decatur (Ga.) Towers, in the 2017 recruiting class.
29. New England Patriots
The player: G Cole Strange, Chattanooga
The skinny: On3 Consensus two-star prospect, from Knoxville (Tenn.) Farragut, as a defensive end in the 2016 recruiting class.
30. Kansas City Chiefs
The player: EDGE George Karlaftis, Purdue
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from West Lafayette (Ind.) High, in the 2019 recruiting class.
31. Cincinnati Bengals
The player: S Daxton Hill, Michigan
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Tulsa (Okla.) Washington, in the 2019 recruiting class.
32. Minnesota Vikings
The player: S Lewis Cine, Georgia
The recruiting skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian, in the 2019 recruiting class.