The 2022 NFL Draft is only a few days away, and the rumor mill is on fire. There are only 32 picks in the first round, yet 50 players have been linked to round one. As we enter the final stretch before the draft, there are several unanswered questions. Who could slide out of the first round? Who could be a surprise selection? Time to dive into that and more!
Could Tyler Linderbaum Slide out of the First Round?
If you only watch the tape, Tyler Linderbaum is arguably the best interior offensive lineman prospect since Quenton Nelson in 2018. However, that might not be enough to keep him in the first round. Some teams have concerns over his size. His arm length measured at just over 31 inches at the combine, and some feel he can’t overcome that in the NFL. The bigger issue is the lack of center-needy teams this year.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Baltimore Ravens are the three teams with a clear need at center. However, the Jaguars and Giants won’t use a top-seven pick on Linderbaum. Meanwhile, the Ravens typically draft heavier offensive linemen. At 296 pounds, Linderbaum doesn’t fit the mold of Baltimore’s offensive linemen. If the Giants or Jaguars trade back into the late first round, Linderbaum will likely be their target. However, he could slide into the second round if neither makes a draft night trade.
Will a Running Back get Drafted on Opening Night?
While running backs have become easier to replace, it hasn’t stopped NFL teams from spending first-round picks on them. Last year there were two first-round running backs in Najee Harris (24th overall) and Travis Etienne (25th). Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the 32nd overall pick in 2020. Josh Jacobs was the 24th overall pick in 2019. There were three running backs selected in the first round in 2018: Saquon Barkley (2nd), Rashaad Penny (27th), and Sony Michel (31st). Furthermore, at least one running back has gotten picked in the first round in the past seven drafts. The last time there wasn’t a first-round running back was nearly a decade ago, in 2014.
So the answer is yes, a running back will get drafted on opening night. However, which running back will it be? Breece Hall is the favorite to be the first running back picked. His three-down ability and production at Iowa State make him the best running back in the class. Possible landing spots include the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Of the three, the Bills are the most logical landing spot after the Cardinals and Buccaneers re-signed James Conner and Leonard Fournette in free agency. However, they lost Chase Edmonds and Ronald Jones. Either team could decide to draft Hall as a replacement to pair with their veteran running back.
Over/Under 2.5 Safeties in the First Round?
The over/under for safeties picked in the first round is 1.5 in most places. Sadly, the payout is -250. However, there could be three first-round safeties this year. Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton is a lock and a possible top-10 pick. Behind him is Michigan’s Daxton Hill and Georgia’s Lewis Cine. Neither is a lock to get picked on opening night. However, both have a real shot at getting drafted in the 20s.
Hill’s over/under draft position on DraftKings is 29.5. I would take the under. He could go as high as pick 18 to the Philadelphia Eagles, while his floor is probably the Green Bay Packers with pick 28. Cine currently doesn’t have an over/under draft position on DraftKings. However, he could go in the 25-30 range. The Bills (pick 25), Buccaneers (27), Packers (28), and Kansas City Chiefs (29, 30) all have a need at safety. If you can find a spot that will give you +200 or better odds for over 2.5 safeties in round one, I would take it.
Could Leo Chenal be the First Linebacker Drafted?
All pre-draft process long, Devin Lloyd and Nakobe Dean have been the focal point of the linebacker prospects. However, Dean had a disappointing pre-draft process. Some teams reportedly have his teammate Quay Walker rated higher on their draft board. Meanwhile, Lloyd remains the heavy favorite to be the first linebacker drafted at -500 according to DraftKings. However, Chenal has been a late riser and become a possible first-round pick.
Chenal might not be someone the casual NFL draft fan recognizes, but he has severely helped his stock during the pre-draft process. At 6’3″ and 250 pounds, Chenal ran a 4.53 40-yard dash time while posting a 41-inch vertical jump and a 128-inch broad jump. All three rank in the top 91 percentile for linebackers. In his final year at Wisconsin, Chenal had 115 total tackles, 18.5 going for a loss, and eight sacks. Given his athletic profile, it won’t be surprising if he gets drafted in the first round. At +7500, Chenal is worth throwing a few bucks down on as the first linebacker drafted.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
