2022 NFL Draft grades: Biggest winners and losers

NFL Draft Grades – NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

There was absolutely no one left in Atlanta’s receiver room so taking Drake London at No. 8 made a ton of sense to add another freakish athlete to the offense alongside tight end Kyle Pitts. Getting quarterback Desmond Ridder in the third round is a calculated gamble from Arthur Smith, who can let Ridder learn under Marcus Mariota for a year, but the investment isn’t enough to deter the Falcons from taking a quarterback next year if they need one. Getting Arnold Ebiketie in the second round was sneaky-good value for Atlanta as well since Ebiketie should add a jolt to their pass rush.

Grade: A-

Carolina Panthers

This was a mixed bag for the Panthers, who avoided reaching for a quarterback at six and solved their left tackle problem by grabbing Ikem Ekwonu, the draft’s most talented lineman. Matt Rhule’s desperation for a quarterback surfaced, however, as the Panthers traded into the third round to get Matt Corral, which was decent value but not at the cost of other needs for Carolina. Landing Ekwonu was a big help but the Sam Darnold trade depleted a ton of draft capital from the Panthers when they really could have used it.

Grade: C

New Orleans Saints

Your belief in this draft class comes down to whether or not you buy New Orleans as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. If you do, trading up to snag Chris Olave was a smart process to add a starting receiver opposite Michael Thomas while their pre-draft deal with Philadelphia to add a second first-round pick ensured their access to a starting left tackle in Trevor Penning. The problem is that the Saints are not as close as they think they are, making their quality over quantity approach one that could cost them down the road.

Grade: C-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers traded out of the first round and still managed to land a quality defensive end in Logan Hall, who should play a rotational role as a rookie before graduating into a starting job. Luke Goedeke played tackle in college but should kick inside as a pro, helping fill the hole at guard created by Ali Marpet’s retirement. This class was a bit disappointing since Tampa Bay didn’t add depth at defensive tackle although a reunion with free agent Ndamukong Suh could fix that problem.

Grade: B-