Welcome to the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

We’ve run through all the angles — mock drafts, consensus mocks, big boards, every team’s needs … you get the idea.

But now? Speculation and pre-draft analysis is over and it’s time to hand out some grades.

So let’s dive in with a live update of grades for each pick in the first round on Thursday night. Christian D’Andrea and Robert Zeglinski are here to give analysis for each pick, which we’ll update after each selection is made.

Let’s dive in, and keep coming back to see the grades as the night unfolds:

Well, the Jaguars did it. They passed up on Aidan Hutchinson, his Combine-best performance as a defensive lineman, and his 14 sacks in 2021 for Walker, who had nine sacks … in three seasons as a Bulldog. Walker has tremendous potential but will now be forever compared to Hutchinson. Passing up the more developed prospect for a pick that might be better or might blow up in their faces? That’s an extremely Jacksonville move.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong )

There was no way the hometown Lions were going to pass on Hutchinson, was there? A premium, productive pass rusher with one of the highest floors in this class, Hutchinson will bring playmaking and a mean attitude to Dan Campbell’s defense. Simply put, the rebuilding Lions need a foundation. There are few players in this class who provide that better than Hutchinson.

Wow! Stingley went from an average spot in the 10-12 range to the top three, and it’s a justifiable leap. The Texans already have a pretty good left tackle and need help everywhere. If Stingley can be the guy we saw in 2019, he’s worthy of being the No. 3 pick and likely a perennial All-Pro candidate. If he’s injured and inconsistent like he was in 2020 and 2021, well, Houston can’t blame this screw-up on Bill O’Brien.

The Jets needed a defensive injection. This is a little bit of a reach for my tastes, but Gardner brings the goods nonetheless. He’s got great ball skills (nine career picks) and can put receivers on an island. The Bearcats of last year don’t make the CFB Playoff without him. Eventually, I think he’s someone you can build a defensive game-plan around. Kudos to the Jets and Robert Saleh for getting Saucy.

It seemed like this would be a good place to do something nice for Daniel Jones, but since this also happened to be day news leaked the team would (obviously) turn down Jones’ fifth-year option, we’re clearly not doing that. Thibodeaux makes it five straight defensive players off the board but you can make the argument he’s a top-two talent thanks to his blend of size, strength, athleticism, and production. He may not have slipped to the team’s next pick at No. 7 — but you know who will? Either of the top two offensive linemen who are still on the board.

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

An early somewhat surprising run on defenders gives Carolina a legitimate franchise tackle. A 2021 unanimous All-American, Ekwonu has No. 1 overall pick ability and is a seamless fit in any blocking scheme. He’s the kind of dominant tackle that can help flip the fortune of any team on a dime. In Carolina, he might even be a Year 1 Pro Bowler. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s handling veteran pass rushers right away. The Panthers are in business.

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

This is the haul David Gettleman could have only dreamed of in his turn as Giants’ GM. Neal is the best pass protector in this year’s draft – not the athlete Ekwonu is, but a bigger, longer prospect who keeps edge rushers at arms length and can handle either the left or right side without any dip in quality. He and Andrew Thomas give New York a proper foundation up front. Now the Giants just need to figure out what to do at QB.

Oh, so the Falcons do have a plan! A year after taking the incomparable freak Kyle Pitts in the top-five, Atlanta pairs him with the incomparable freak Drake London. Suddenly, Marcus Mariota has an embarrassment of riches with two big targets in Atlanta. And eventually, whenever they do get a young QB, he’ll have quite the receiving friends to start out with. With the wide receiver class being so deep, they could have gone elsewhere, but London gives them another trusted, dynamic weapon.

The Seahawks know how tough it is to find a franchise left tackle. They had to wait for Duane Brown to get completely fed up with Houston just to land him. Now he’s a free agent, and Cross is a proper replacement on the blind side. Rather than reach for a quarterback, Seattle found a protector who faced some of the NCAA’s top pass rushers in 2021 and allowed zero quarterback hits. ZERO. Also, he’s enormous. Can’t wait to watch Drew Lock overthrow DK Metcalf 60 yards downfield with all his newfound time in the pocket.

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

Am I hallucinating? The Jets are nailing this draft. After getting a premium corner, Zach Wilson gets his new favorite target. A natural athlete who can run the full route tree and make defenders look silly in the open field, he’s a perfect fit for Gang Green. Garrett Wilson, to me, is the arguable best receiver in this class, and the Jets now have someone who will be in the conversation for Rookie of the Year. Wilson to Wilson has a great ring to it, too.

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

It’s not the Malik Willis pick we might have expected, but it might work out better. The Saints badly needed a second receiving threat (or first, depending on Michael Thomas’s health and how he feels about the franchise any given October) and the selections of London and Wilson left the draft with one — maybe two, depending on how you view Jameson Williams — first tier wideouts on the board. New Orleans paid a premium in a trade to get the guy it wanted (the 16th, 98th and 120th picks) and Olave’s polished routes and 4.39s 40 time will give him plenty of opportunities to run underneath Jameis Winston’s deep balls. Now we wait and see if a QB is next up with the 19th pick.

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

Woof. Williams is by no means a bad player and is one of the more electrifying weapons in this draft by far. But to trade as much as the Lions did to come back to No. 12 for a receiver? I’m not a fan of that kind of draft process. And that’s not even taking his ongoing ACL tear recovery into account. Unless Detroit loves Jared Goff (I don’t think they do!) this should’ve been a quarterback. A golden opportunity wasted.

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

Davis isn’t a football player. He’s the kind of monster frustrated parents invent to threaten their children into putting away their toys properly. A 341-pound man should not run a 4.8-second 40, yet here he is. He’ll be able to clog the middle of the field against the run — useful for the league’s 18th-ranked rushing defense — and shoot upfield to crumple pockets. The Eagles have an aging defense; now they’ve got someone capable of receiving the torch Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are passing down. He’s got a long way to go before he can measure up to either of those guys, though.

This is such a Ravens pick. Of course it’d be the Ravens who grabbed Hamilton. Of course it’d be the Ravens to pair one of the better safety prospects in recent memory with another rangy ballhawk in Marcus Williams. They’re, in all honesty, the perfect duo, and will get off the ground terrorizing other receivers together for years. The Ravens had the league’s 25th ranked pass defense last season. That’s — how do I put this? — no longer going to be an issue.

There’s nothing wrong with this pick. Green is a nice player. But he’s not even the highest-rated interior lineman on most draft boards and possibly could have been scooped up with Houston’s first pick on Day 2. Impact defensive players like Jermaine Johnson and Devin Lloyd were still on the board here. Hell, Trevor Penning may have filled a greater need as a tackle rather than a guard/center like Green. The Texans went with the safe pick after taking a gamble on Stingley at No. 3. That’s a bold strategy in its lack of boldness. I don’t love it.

Dotson is less a complimentary part of an offense, and more the engine that makes the entire operation hum along perfectly. I firmly believe he’ll be a 90-catch player within a year or two. That makes this a great pick for the Commanders, who can pair the former Nittany Lion with “Scary” Terry McLaurin. Carson Wentz would have to be terribly incompetent, completely out of control (very possible!) to mess up a receiver duo like this. Dotson would produce with anyone. This is a gift.

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

The first thought that crossed my mind with this pick: Justin Herbert is a very happy man right now. A mean, complete, all-around tough guy, Johnson plays like a monster among mere boys. He’s the definition of power, athleticism, and savviness in one. I’m most impressed with how he almost never loses leverage on a block. L.A. will slide him in seamlessly alongside Corey Linsley and Rashawn Slater and they’ll be cooking with gas up front. If Herbert even touches the turf moving forward, I’ll be shocked.

Tennessee didn’t waste any time finding their A.J. Brown replacement. The latest offensive trend in the NFL is the versatile WR who can feature anywhere in an offense. While I my have my doubts that Burks can actually play like a certain complete 49ers All-Pro, he’s a good fit for a Titans offense built around Derrick Henry’s ground game prowess. Whether he can be a reliable No. 1 target is a different story altogether, but I have a hunch Tennessee doesn’t care much about that after a one-and-done postseason. They’re definitely bold and definitely not silly in trying some new ideas.

Another team wasting no time filling a recent hole, New Orleans let former Arkansas-Pine Bluff standout Terron Armstead walk, and they replaced him with another FCS tackle. It’s a wise and sound pick, to be sure. It might be obvious, but one of the best things you can say about an offensive tackle is how they play to the whistle. Penning never wastes an opportunity to bury a defender and often plays beyond the whistle. And with Olave and Penning in the fold, the Saints now have a fantastic selling point for any young (or veteran!) quarterbacks in 2023. A masterstroke of an offensive draft.

I’m not the biggest fan of Pickett, but I thought he was going to go a lot earlier. That he ends up with the Steelers, after a college career in their backyard, is a hilarious outcome all around. Pickett does have issues seeing ghosts, which lead to a lot of unnecessary broken plays with Pitt. Plus, he could stand to polish up his footwork: The man has some wild happy feet. But when Pickett is launching bombs downfield, small hands and all, I can see why the Steelers decided to take a flier. They once passed on Dan Marino, after he also played in their backyard with Pitt. Maybe this time works out differently.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

The trade-up makes this pick come at a price for Kansas City. But they’re not in a position to be cheap in Pat Mahomes’ prime. Last year, the Chiefs had the league’s 27th ranked passing defense. In a cutthroat AFC, they need all the help they can get. A seasoned three-year starter built to play football like a cyborg, McDuffie will step in and give the Chiefs a much-needed boost of leadership and instinct on the back end. That’s one way to fight off Josh Allen/Joe Burrow/Lamar Jackson.

The masses will (understandably) fixate on how the Packers ignored Aaron Rodgers’ desperate pleas for a receiver, but Walker’s a solid consolation prize. There’s only a handful of modern linebackers who can play all three downs and excel in coverage. Walker has athletic limitations, and will never take over a game, but he won’t miss snaps. Plus, he’s an instinctive and dependable player who joins First-Team All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell in what could soon comprise the league’s top linebacker duo. I just don’t know how pressing of a need linebacker was for a team with Allen Lazard as WR1 in the middle of a title window.

Brandon Beane — take a bow. The Bills entered this draft with arguably the most complete team in football. Like, virtually zero flaws. But they had one need: CB2. In nabbing Elam, Buffalo gets one of the better, more pro-ready players in the draft. He’s got great length (6-foot-1, almost 31-inch arms), is more than willing in run support, and flips his hips with the best of them. In another situation, as the top corner, he’d be out of his depth. In Buffalo, in a zone defense, on a stacked overall roster, his press style might make him the final Super Bowl puzzle piece.

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Smith is a throwback. As a result, it’s no surprise he heads to the Cowboys, who seem to always try to recreate the ‘Great Wall of Dallas’ of the 90s. A flat-out massive human being (6-foot-5, 324 pounds, 34-inch arms), Smith is a nasty power merchant. He’s a violent road grater who clears paths in the running game with ease. He might project as more of a guard in the NFL, but that won’t make his career arc any less promising. Dak Prescott needs a new bodyguard and Smith is a match made in heaven for Big D.

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

I have to admit, I’m a little shocked Linderbaum lasted this long. Leading up through the process, I thought he was one of the five truly elite players in the entire draft class. Any size concerns scouts had are trivial when it comes to complete prospects like him. Linderbaum is an absolute steal for the Ravens — who run the perfect power-rush offense for his skill-set. In Baltimore, while paving the way for Lamar Jackson, he might be a perennial All-Pro soon enough. This QB-center pair is going to play together for a long time.

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

Goodness, what a draft for the Jets. Another unexpected fall, I’m surprised a team didn’t take a chance earlier on Johnson II. He fits the bill of a guy with special traits and raw athletic ability that most defensive coaches would salivate over. In 2021, the former Seminole took his first full-time role and ran with it (11 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss). Given enough time and diligence, with Robert Saleh likely giving him a ton of one-on-one attention in the coming months, Johnson II will be a household name.

This is a high-floor pick for Jacksonville, as Lloyd’s relative complete mold joins the raw ability of No. 1 pick Travon Walker. A two-time Butkus Award finalist, Lloyd was one of college football’s most productive linebackers over his three seasons as a starter. He’s a tackle machine who can also extend himself by making plays as a pass rusher (15.5 sacks) and in coverage (four picks in 2021). I get a lot of Micah Parsons vibes from him, albeit, obviously, at a much smaller capacity. At the very least, Jacksonville’s defense will be his shortly. And if he can offer even a fraction of that sort of stat-stuffing production, the Jaguars have a fascinating defense in the works.

Wow. They actually did it. The Packers had two first-round picks, even traded up, and didn’t take a receiver. Hmm, okay. We all make choices. And in lieu of a receiver, Wyatt is an interesting choice. I don’t hate what he brings to the table — a high motor, a high level of activity, a great two-gap run defender — it’s just that I don’t think there’s going to be any more. Wyatt doesn’t do anything special and isn’t particularly gifted as an athlete in any manner. He’s a rotational defensive lineman, which is fine? While a good player, you can find these guys anywhere in the draft. I don’t get it.

Far be it from me to doubt the process of maybe the greatest coach in NFL history, but: Did Bill Belichick really need a Day 2 FCS center to close the first round? Is that really the grand plan to make sure we don’t forget about Mac Jones? Got it. Sure. Okay. That said, while a strange pick, Strange fits the bill of a Patriots player — hard hat, lunch pail, experienced, smart. I can see why they, of all teams, like him. Still, his actual undersized frame isn’t an issue to me (307 pounds), but he often plays small. That might prove to be a problem as a pro against defenders who can bully him — if only temporarily.

Whereas Kansas City still needs receivers like other teams (cough, cough), I don’t actually mind their approach thus far to this draft. You can afford to wait on offense when your quarterback is an established young All-Pro. The best way to stay ahead of the AFC pack in the long term is building yourself out with formidable defenders like Karlaftis. One of the more productive edge-setters in Boilermaker history (29 career tackles for loss), Karlaftis projects as the strong side anchor of an attacking 3-4 defense. He’ll join McDuffie in giving the Chiefs a defensive edge they haven’t had in years.

This reads like more of “look to the future” move than the rest of the first-round picks. With Von Bell and Jessie Bates III both currently set to be unrestricted free agents after the 2022 season, Cincinnati is almost certainly making a bet that Daxton Hill can be their long-term back-end, centerfielder. Honestly, it’s not a bad wager. Hill can line up at safety, in the slot, and is one of the more natural defensive backs in coverage of this entire class. In other words, he’s got range. I think there’ll be struggles when Cincy asks Hill to help out in run support, but I know they won’t fit a square peg into a round hole. At least, right away.

(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

It might look better once the dust settles, but I don’t like the ins and outs of this move for new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. If you’re going to trade back with the division rival Lions and garner more picks in, what I assume, is a rebuild (or retool?): Is it too much to ask to get a better player? Cine is fine. Fine. A plug and play starter, really. But he’s someone who fits more in the NFL of 2011 — a bruising, big safety — than someone who can hold their own against quarterbacks who now throw 40-plus times game. He’ll stay afloat in the league for the most part, but at first glance, Minnesota got fleeced.

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