5 Worst Draft Decisions Of The 2022 NFL Season
Picking a good player in the drafts should be easy, right? Just look at the NFL odds, to see who has potential and who is a filler player.
Well, unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Some teams throw a curveball into the mix and pick an underdog, who will never climb the ranks, and others pick a favorite who doesn’t mesh well with their team.
The drafts aren’t just about finding and picking amazing players, it’s about finding the holes in your team and filling them with new blood.
Let’s check out the times when our multi-million dollar teams made the wrong decision.
1.Cade York – Picked 124th in the 4th Round – Cleveland Browns
This season, York was the first player picked as a specialist. Kickers aren’t normally picked as early as the 4th round, so when York was pulled from the draft, the decision caused a stir.
Picking a kicker this early suggests that Cleveland Browns do not respect or trust the skill of their current kicker. And the concept shows in the current Browns drafts, as only York is noted as this season’s kicker. Sorry, Chase McLaughlin.
York hasn’t had a chance to prove himself this season yet, so we cannot disrespect his abilities. However, being picked so early, means that the Cleveland Browns had missed out on other players that they sorely needed. Angling for a stronger kicker was a choice they hope will pull off.
If their first-choice runners, quarterbacks, or wide receivers beat them on another team, the Browns will put all of that anger onto York.
2. Wan’Dale Robinson – Picked 43rd in the 2nd Round – New York Giants
Picking Robinson in the second round only makes sense if the hearsay about a trade actually comes true. Rumors have been flying around that the New York Giants are planning to trade their wide receiver Kadarius Toney, but we don’t know who the possible recipient is yet.
Toney had great potential, but a rocky start to his first season. He managed to clean up his act by the end, but it might not be enough to keep him on the field. This is why Robinson was picked 43rd.
But this was a terrible decision, seeing as Toney has powered through the last half of the season having caught 57 passes at 420 yards.
Robinson doesn’t match Toney’s ability. Compared with the rest of the wide receivers available, Robinson wasn’t even the best choice to go with. He is a middle-of-the-ground prospect, who you would have expected to find a place in the third or fourth round, not the second.
3. Tyrion Davis-Price – Picked 93rd in the 3rd Round – San Francisco 69ers
Davis-Price has a powerful dash that clearly turned the San Francisco 69er’s heads. He completed a 4.5 40-yard dash which is explosive considering his 211 lbs.
However, other than this impressive push, Davis-Price doesn’t have that much to shout about. He was considered a 5th round pick at best, and yet the 69ers were infatuated with Davis-Price’s potential.
It seems as though Tyrion’s charm is more important than the more talented and constantly improving running back choices that the 69ers could have gone with.
Players like Isaiah Spiller and Dameon Pierce would both have paired nicely with Kyle Shanahan – the team’s current head coach – as their style matches their college experience. And yet the team chose someone with fewer skills and more work needed to reach NFL quality.
4. Travon Walker – First Overall – Jacksonville Jaguars
If you’re picked first overall, then you need to be a standout player. And yet Walker is just – meh. Some of you might read this, and completely disagree, but let’s look at the details.
Now, we aren’t denying that Walker is a great player. He definitely should be picked in the top 10, but it should have been Aidan Hutchinson in the number one position. Hutchinson has the best stats of any other college player. He dominated the games in 2021 and was everyone’s number one pick. Everyone but Jacksonville it seems.
Walker failed to make a real impact when he played at the college level. Of course, the argument could be around need over power. Jacksonville needed a linebacker more than a defensive end. But when you have the chance to pick the best player of the rookie season, why opt for second best?
5. John Mechie III – Picked 44th in the 2nd Round – Houston Texas
Unfortunately for Mechie, he will be compared to the amazing players who have come from the college of Alabama. This shouldn’t be put against him, as average players will come from great schools all the same.
Mechie has the potential to become a great slot receiver, but with so many excellent slot receivers ready to be picked, it was odd that Texas chose Mechie.
Summary
Although we have put these 5 players in as the worst picks of 2022, that doesn’t mean that they are bad players altogether. Each still has amazing potential to make their position worth it.
These questionable choices are a judgment on the teams. This season hard decisions were made, but were they the right ones? Time will tell.
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