NFL Draft 2022: How are all 32 first-round picks faring in the preseason?
By Arif Hasan
Aug 16, 2022
With the first week of the preseason out of the way, most NFL fans have at least caught a glimpse of their team’s first-round pick. While camp reports provide useful context, seeing these players on an NFL field for the first time against real, live opponents willing to tackle to the ground carries a different meaning.
One preseason game doesn’t give us a complete story on any rookie, but it’s good enough for a progress update — and to compare that progress to other rookie first-rounders. So let’s check in on the progress of every rookie drafted in the first round.
No. 1: Travon Walker, Edge, Jacksonville Jaguars
Walker has excited observers in Jaguars camp with highlight plays and extraordinary speed. He has been running with the starters since day one as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme. According to John Shipley at Jaguar Report, “He’s made a lot of plays against the run but he’s still a work in progress as a pass rusher, especially one-on-ones, but his speed still pops.” Walker finished his first preseason game with one sack, one pressure and one run stop, per Pro Football Focus.
No. 2: Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Detroit Lions
Hutchinson has captured national attention with his rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” captured by HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” But as a player, he still has more to learn. His preseason performance was excellent, but as The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy reports, it has been a learning experience to go up against Lions lineman Penei Sewell, and he has lost highlight reps to T.J. Hockenson. He has had his share of wins, too, but there’s a long way to go.
By Arif Hasan
Aug 16, 2022
With the first week of the preseason out of the way, most NFL fans have at least caught a glimpse of their team’s first-round pick. While camp reports provide useful context, seeing these players on an NFL field for the first time against real, live opponents willing to tackle to the ground carries a different meaning.
One preseason game doesn’t give us a complete story on any rookie, but it’s good enough for a progress update — and to compare that progress to other rookie first-rounders. So let’s check in on the progress of every rookie drafted in the first round.
No. 1: Travon Walker, Edge, Jacksonville Jaguars
Walker has excited observers in Jaguars camp with highlight plays and extraordinary speed. He has been running with the starters since day one as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme. According to John Shipley at Jaguar Report, “He’s made a lot of plays against the run but he’s still a work in progress as a pass rusher, especially one-on-ones, but his speed still pops.” Walker finished his first preseason game with one sack, one pressure and one run stop, per Pro Football Focus.
No. 2: Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Detroit Lions
Hutchinson has captured national attention with his rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” captured by HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” But as a player, he still has more to learn. His preseason performance was excellent, but as The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy reports, it has been a learning experience to go up against Lions lineman Penei Sewell, and he has lost highlight reps to T.J. Hockenson. He has had his share of wins, too, but there’s a long way to go.
No. 3: Derek Stingley, CB, Houston Texans
Stingley is still recovering from the Lisfranc injury he suffered at LSU and has been a limited participant in practices. While the Texans still project him to start in Week 1, he hasn’t participated fully in team drills. Still, some of his performances in individual drills have earned him praise, including when he nearly generated a pick-six when jumping a route from Brandin Cooks, according to Cole Thompson of Texans Daily.
No. 4: Ahmad Gardner, CB, New York Jets
By all accounts, Sauce Gardner has had a wonderful camp. While he isn’t technically the starter yet and is battling for that role, his performances in individual and team drills have been exemplary. The Athletic’s Zach Rosenblatt said that “Gardner has had a great camp. (I’m) not sure I’ve seen him get beat one-on-one a single time.”
No. 5: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, New York Giants
According to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, “Thibodeaux has come as advertised, with a lightning-quick first step that has been a problem for the Giants’ tackles during training camp.” That’s not enough to make waves, however. Thibodeaux didn’t record a pressure or solo tackle in his 14 snaps against the Patriots last week, but he generally looked good. “Thibodeaux is still working on counter moves, and he has room to develop to become a game-wrecking pass rusher. But the early signs have been promising, with Thibodeaux fitting into the locker room despite pre-draft concerns about his personality.” For more on Thibodeaux, read Duggan’s practice diary.
No. 6: Ikem Ekwonu, OL, Carolina Panthers
Joe Person of The Athletic has given us some insight into the left tackle battle between Ikem Ekwonu and second-year player Brady Christensen, pointing out that Christensen is ahead as a pass protector but that Ekwonu may win the job regardless because of his physicality. Once he begins to do a better job against crafty pass rushers, Ekwonu could unlock his enormous potential. As it stands, his struggles in the first preseason game are a good reason for the Panthers to exercise some patience. For more on Ekwonu’s camp performances, read Person’s piece here.
No. 7: Evan Neal, OL, New York Giants
Duggan notes that Neal has “earned rave reviews for his professionalism and diligence. But Neal’s on-field transition to the NFL has been a bit bumpy. He is adjusting to more aggressive pass sets, and that has led to some ugly reps during camp.” That followed him into his preseason matchup against the Patriots, where he earned a 37.4 pass-blocking grade from PFF. “Overall,” says Duggan, “the expectation is that Neal will develop into a stud tackle, but there could be a few growing pains during his rookie season.” Duggan watched Neal during Monday’s practice and wrote about it here.
No. 8: Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
London left his first preseason game with a knee injury. According to The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, the injury isn’t believed to be serious. Kendall also notes that London has been having a good camp and has had no problem generating separation despite the speed concerns that surrounded him during the draft process. A good camp with high-level highlights has London primed for an exciting rookie season.
No. 9: Charles Cross, OL, Seattle Seahawks
Cross had a fantastic preseason debut at left tackle, allowing zero pressures and drawing praise from film analysts. This follows a strong camp at which Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll remarked that he “doesn’t see anything holding those guys back other than just the time and experience,” according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. It has been fascinating to see how the Seahawks have attempted to mold pass-blocking specialists into mauling run blockers in their scheme.
No. 10: Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Rosenblatt said that Wilson has “flashed his remarkable athleticism” and “made some special catches.” But importantly, despite showing chemistry with quarterback Zach Wilson, there is still room for the wideout to grow and improve. “(Wilson) has had a few too many drops and is still developing as a route runner,” Rosenblatt said. For more on the Jets, read Rosenblatt’s piece on the developing battles in the receiver room.
No. 11: Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
While Olave only earned one target in the Saints’ preseason matchup against Houston — a reception — he has been consistently impressive throughout training camp. Not only has he made some highlight-level plays, but he has been a consistent performer who has drawn praise from teammates, media and coaches, according to the Associated Press’ Brett Martel. There’s a reason he’s a favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
No. 12: Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Drafted after sustaining an ACL injury late in the college season, there’s no timeline for Williams’ return to the field. While his rehab is on schedule, per Lions head coach Dan Campbell, we don’t have much insight on whether we’ll be seeing Williams sooner rather than later, though the expectation is that he should be ready to go partway through the season. That won’t surprise anyone who followed Williams through the draft process, but it’s still a long wait for such an exciting talent.
No. 13: Jordan Davis, DL, Philadelphia Eagles
After a great preseason game and a viral camp highlight, the hype for the Eagles nose tackle seems to be peaking. And, according to Bo Wulf of The Athletic, Davis’ overall camp performance has been fantastic. But we shouldn’t expect an enormous role for Davis. The Eagles already had a talented defensive line and will be switching between four-man and three-man fronts throughout the season, limiting Davis’ initial participation. But what we will see should be explosive. For more on Davis’ journey to the NFL, check out this feature from Zach Berman.
No. 14: Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens
The top safety in the draft according to most experts, Hamilton was regarded as a steal by many draft experts. But he’s had a rough camp which was followed by an uneven preseason performance, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. For now, he’s working with the second-team defense, but it’s likely that the Ravens will find ways to get Hamilton on the field early and often — like they did with Brandon Stephens, Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott last year.
No. 15: Kenyon Green, G, Houston Texans
It took some time for Green to earn first-team snaps in practices, but he did so after impressing with the second unit. However, Green suffered an undisclosed injury shortly after that promotion, has not been practicing and wasn’t available for the game. We don’t know how long his injury will keep him out, but there haven’t been any reports that he’ll miss a significant portion of the regular season.
No. 16: Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
The new Commanders receiver didn’t receive a single target in his first preseason game, and his camp reports can best be characterized as “solid,” per Ben Standig of The Athletic. That’s not meant to damn by faint praise; Standig has characterized Dotson as a riser who has been “one of the cleanest performers” in camp, working with the first team in Curtis Samuel’s absence. Dotson’s technically sound and consistent play might not receive the plaudits that come with incredible highlight videos or a statistically packed preseason but might portend a strong start to his career.
Jahan Dotson warms up before Saturday’s preseason game against the Panthers. (Brad Mills / USA Today)
No. 17: Zion Johnson, OL, Los Angeles Chargers
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper argues that Zion Johnson has been “outstanding in camp so far” and has earned comparisons from teammates and coaches to Rashawn Slater, who had a remarkable rookie season for the team last year. While Johnson’s limited reps in his first preseason showing didn’t showcase the blocking highlights that fans saw at Boston College, there was plenty to be happy about.
No. 18: Treylon Burks, WR Tennessee Titans
After concern in the spring about asthma-related conditioning issues, Burks entered training camp ready to take every rep. And he has been impressive. In the early days of training camp, Joe Rexrode of The Athletic called Burks “menacing.” We have yet to see that in the preseason, as he only saw one target, which was knocked away by Ravens safety Geno Stone in the red zone. But Burks didn’t have the quarterback he should see in the regular season, Ryan Tannehill. Malik Willis and Logan Woodside took all the snaps, and Willis’ struggles in the game were well documented.
No. 19: Trevor Penning, OL, New Orleans Saints
Penning has already become well known for his incessant physicality, as he was kicked out of a practice early in camp for repeatedly starting fights. While he has learned to dial that back a little bit and has done well in a practice environment, his preseason showing was extremely rocky. His physical dominance carried through in the run game, but he gave up five pressures, often doing so quickly. Right now, he’s not a complete package.
No. 20: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Before his heroic performance in his first preseason showing, Pickett was having a rough camp — especially early on, according to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly. His inconsistency and timing issues have held him back, and that makes it difficult to project him as a starter anytime soon. He has been moved up the depth chart, but that was more the result of a predetermined plan than a determination made on performance. It might be a while before we see Pickett in the regular season.
No. 21: Trent McDuffie, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
One of a number of defensive backs the Chiefs sniped in the draft, McDuffie has provided early returns for the team. Slated to start in Week 1, McDuffie has looked capable against one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic. McDuffie didn’t take many snaps against the Bears in the preseason, but it is encouraging that he didn’t see any targets in coverage.
No. 22: Quay Walker, LB, Green Bay Packers
The Packers surprised many by selecting Walker, a linebacker from Georgia’s historic defense, in this spot. Walker has immediately slotted in with the starters and will start to begin the season. Walker didn’t play many snaps in Green Bay’s preseason opener, but the camp evaluations of Walker are positive. It’s challenging to evaluate linebackers in a camp environment, so we won’t get a full assessment of Walker for quite some time.
No. 23: Kaiir Elam, CB, Buffalo Bills
As Tre’Davious White recovers from a torn ACL, the Bills have hoped that Elam could take on a starting cornerback role immediately opposite Dane Jackson. But a competition has opened up between him and fellow rookie Christian Benford, a sixth-round pick. He started off the preseason game against the Colts well, but it was part of an up-and-down day, according to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, and his overall camp experience has been similar. It has been a slow start for Elam so far, but the Bills may make up for it with the Benford pick.
No. 24: Tyler Smith, OL, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys made the biggest surprise pick of the first round — until the Patriots bested them a few picks later — selecting Smith from Tulsa at No. 24. Smith had a penalty problem in college, and it showed up again in his preseason showing. Bob Sturm of The Athletic thinks Smith isn’t quite ready for the NFL. His strength and upside have been obvious in camp, but his lack of technical development has been, too. His competition with Connor McGovern for the starting left guard job appears to be genuine, and we won’t know who wins out until Week 1.
No. 25: Tyler Linderbaum, OL, Baltimore Ravens
There haven’t been many padded practices on the books for the Ravens’ rookie center, who suffered a foot injury two weeks ago and has an unspecified timeline for his return, though the expectation is that he will be back around the start of the season. Before that, he was having a mixed training camp, according to Zrebiec.
No. 26: Jermaine Johnson, Edge, New York Jets
Johnson has a long way to go, according to head coach Robert Salah. As Rosenblatt points out, Johnson is “a little bit more of a project than the Jets might’ve expected. (He) has had a few good practices where he’s gotten some pressure but hasn’t really stood out.” Johnson did earn a sack against the Eagles, but his overall camp performance is still worth some scrutiny before the Jets can trust that he’s simply a gamer who doesn’t always show his skill in practice.
No. 27: Devin Lloyd, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars haven’t seen Lloyd in a training camp or preseason environment because of a hamstring injury. While he has practiced off to the side, he hasn’t participated in contact drills. Head coach Doug Pederson thinks there’s a chance he could be ready to participate by the time the Jaguars play the Steelers on Saturday, however.
No. 28: Devonte Wyatt, DL, Green Bay Packers
While his fellow first-round picks from Georgia have been seeing time with the first team, Wyatt has been a backup throughout camp. That’s just as much a product of the incredible depth the Packers have on the defensive line as it is Wyatt’s development path. Wyatt has impressed against second- and third-string competition, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, but could not put that on display in the preseason game because he was out with a concussion.
No. 29: Cole Strange, OL, New England Patriots
The most surprising pick of the first round, Strange might have an unfair spotlight on him in his first training camp. But he’s done about as well as you would expect a late first-round pick to do in his early showings. Chad Graff of The Athletic said Strange’s limited preseason reps were positive, but that his overall camp has been up and down. It is impressive that Strange has earned the trust of the Patriots coaching staff so soon, but he’ll need to live up to it.
No. 30: George Karlaftis, Edge, Kansas City Chiefs
Karlaftis “dazzled” in the Chiefs’ preseason opener, according to Taylor. In just 14 snaps, Karlafis generated four pressures, per PFF. That matches his progression in camp, and he may even have the ability to drop back in coverage on a somewhat regular basis. Given how much Karlaftis has impressed the Chiefs’ coaches and beat writers, he might be a sneaky value for Defensive Rookie of the Year odds.
No. 31: Dax Hill, S, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals need Hill to be an impactful player sooner rather than later given the franchise-tag situation surrounding star safety Jessie Bates. And it looks like that’s what they’re getting. Jay Morrison of The Athletic noted Hill as a “riser” following his preseason showing, a product of his excellent play throughout the game and in camp.
No. 32: Lewis Cine, S, Minnesota Vikings
Cine seems like a player who has the skill to be a great safety but may not make a splash right away. While the Vikings will put him on the field in three-safety packages — like the Ravens will with Hamilton — it seems clear that Camryn Bynum has the inside track to the starting job. As Cine begins to trust his instincts more, he could wrest that job away from Bynum and be the versatile starter the Vikings drafted. As for now, his camp and preseason performances — while not disappointing — haven’t generated much excitement.
(Top photo of Aidan Hutchinson: Lon Horwedel / USA Today)
Stingley is still recovering from the Lisfranc injury he suffered at LSU and has been a limited participant in practices. While the Texans still project him to start in Week 1, he hasn’t participated fully in team drills. Still, some of his performances in individual drills have earned him praise, including when he nearly generated a pick-six when jumping a route from Brandin Cooks, according to Cole Thompson of Texans Daily.
No. 4: Ahmad Gardner, CB, New York Jets
By all accounts, Sauce Gardner has had a wonderful camp. While he isn’t technically the starter yet and is battling for that role, his performances in individual and team drills have been exemplary. The Athletic’s Zach Rosenblatt said that “Gardner has had a great camp. (I’m) not sure I’ve seen him get beat one-on-one a single time.”
No. 5: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, New York Giants
According to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, “Thibodeaux has come as advertised, with a lightning-quick first step that has been a problem for the Giants’ tackles during training camp.” That’s not enough to make waves, however. Thibodeaux didn’t record a pressure or solo tackle in his 14 snaps against the Patriots last week, but he generally looked good. “Thibodeaux is still working on counter moves, and he has room to develop to become a game-wrecking pass rusher. But the early signs have been promising, with Thibodeaux fitting into the locker room despite pre-draft concerns about his personality.” For more on Thibodeaux, read Duggan’s practice diary.
No. 6: Ikem Ekwonu, OL, Carolina Panthers
Joe Person of The Athletic has given us some insight into the left tackle battle between Ikem Ekwonu and second-year player Brady Christensen, pointing out that Christensen is ahead as a pass protector but that Ekwonu may win the job regardless because of his physicality. Once he begins to do a better job against crafty pass rushers, Ekwonu could unlock his enormous potential. As it stands, his struggles in the first preseason game are a good reason for the Panthers to exercise some patience. For more on Ekwonu’s camp performances, read Person’s piece here.
No. 7: Evan Neal, OL, New York Giants
Duggan notes that Neal has “earned rave reviews for his professionalism and diligence. But Neal’s on-field transition to the NFL has been a bit bumpy. He is adjusting to more aggressive pass sets, and that has led to some ugly reps during camp.” That followed him into his preseason matchup against the Patriots, where he earned a 37.4 pass-blocking grade from PFF. “Overall,” says Duggan, “the expectation is that Neal will develop into a stud tackle, but there could be a few growing pains during his rookie season.” Duggan watched Neal during Monday’s practice and wrote about it here.
No. 8: Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
London left his first preseason game with a knee injury. According to The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, the injury isn’t believed to be serious. Kendall also notes that London has been having a good camp and has had no problem generating separation despite the speed concerns that surrounded him during the draft process. A good camp with high-level highlights has London primed for an exciting rookie season.
No. 9: Charles Cross, OL, Seattle Seahawks
Cross had a fantastic preseason debut at left tackle, allowing zero pressures and drawing praise from film analysts. This follows a strong camp at which Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll remarked that he “doesn’t see anything holding those guys back other than just the time and experience,” according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. It has been fascinating to see how the Seahawks have attempted to mold pass-blocking specialists into mauling run blockers in their scheme.
No. 10: Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Rosenblatt said that Wilson has “flashed his remarkable athleticism” and “made some special catches.” But importantly, despite showing chemistry with quarterback Zach Wilson, there is still room for the wideout to grow and improve. “(Wilson) has had a few too many drops and is still developing as a route runner,” Rosenblatt said. For more on the Jets, read Rosenblatt’s piece on the developing battles in the receiver room.
No. 11: Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
While Olave only earned one target in the Saints’ preseason matchup against Houston — a reception — he has been consistently impressive throughout training camp. Not only has he made some highlight-level plays, but he has been a consistent performer who has drawn praise from teammates, media and coaches, according to the Associated Press’ Brett Martel. There’s a reason he’s a favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
No. 12: Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Drafted after sustaining an ACL injury late in the college season, there’s no timeline for Williams’ return to the field. While his rehab is on schedule, per Lions head coach Dan Campbell, we don’t have much insight on whether we’ll be seeing Williams sooner rather than later, though the expectation is that he should be ready to go partway through the season. That won’t surprise anyone who followed Williams through the draft process, but it’s still a long wait for such an exciting talent.
No. 13: Jordan Davis, DL, Philadelphia Eagles
After a great preseason game and a viral camp highlight, the hype for the Eagles nose tackle seems to be peaking. And, according to Bo Wulf of The Athletic, Davis’ overall camp performance has been fantastic. But we shouldn’t expect an enormous role for Davis. The Eagles already had a talented defensive line and will be switching between four-man and three-man fronts throughout the season, limiting Davis’ initial participation. But what we will see should be explosive. For more on Davis’ journey to the NFL, check out this feature from Zach Berman.
No. 14: Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens
The top safety in the draft according to most experts, Hamilton was regarded as a steal by many draft experts. But he’s had a rough camp which was followed by an uneven preseason performance, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. For now, he’s working with the second-team defense, but it’s likely that the Ravens will find ways to get Hamilton on the field early and often — like they did with Brandon Stephens, Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott last year.
No. 15: Kenyon Green, G, Houston Texans
It took some time for Green to earn first-team snaps in practices, but he did so after impressing with the second unit. However, Green suffered an undisclosed injury shortly after that promotion, has not been practicing and wasn’t available for the game. We don’t know how long his injury will keep him out, but there haven’t been any reports that he’ll miss a significant portion of the regular season.
No. 16: Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
The new Commanders receiver didn’t receive a single target in his first preseason game, and his camp reports can best be characterized as “solid,” per Ben Standig of The Athletic. That’s not meant to damn by faint praise; Standig has characterized Dotson as a riser who has been “one of the cleanest performers” in camp, working with the first team in Curtis Samuel’s absence. Dotson’s technically sound and consistent play might not receive the plaudits that come with incredible highlight videos or a statistically packed preseason but might portend a strong start to his career.
Jahan Dotson warms up before Saturday’s preseason game against the Panthers. (Brad Mills / USA Today)
No. 17: Zion Johnson, OL, Los Angeles Chargers
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper argues that Zion Johnson has been “outstanding in camp so far” and has earned comparisons from teammates and coaches to Rashawn Slater, who had a remarkable rookie season for the team last year. While Johnson’s limited reps in his first preseason showing didn’t showcase the blocking highlights that fans saw at Boston College, there was plenty to be happy about.
No. 18: Treylon Burks, WR Tennessee Titans
After concern in the spring about asthma-related conditioning issues, Burks entered training camp ready to take every rep. And he has been impressive. In the early days of training camp, Joe Rexrode of The Athletic called Burks “menacing.” We have yet to see that in the preseason, as he only saw one target, which was knocked away by Ravens safety Geno Stone in the red zone. But Burks didn’t have the quarterback he should see in the regular season, Ryan Tannehill. Malik Willis and Logan Woodside took all the snaps, and Willis’ struggles in the game were well documented.
No. 19: Trevor Penning, OL, New Orleans Saints
Penning has already become well known for his incessant physicality, as he was kicked out of a practice early in camp for repeatedly starting fights. While he has learned to dial that back a little bit and has done well in a practice environment, his preseason showing was extremely rocky. His physical dominance carried through in the run game, but he gave up five pressures, often doing so quickly. Right now, he’s not a complete package.
No. 20: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Before his heroic performance in his first preseason showing, Pickett was having a rough camp — especially early on, according to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly. His inconsistency and timing issues have held him back, and that makes it difficult to project him as a starter anytime soon. He has been moved up the depth chart, but that was more the result of a predetermined plan than a determination made on performance. It might be a while before we see Pickett in the regular season.
No. 21: Trent McDuffie, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
One of a number of defensive backs the Chiefs sniped in the draft, McDuffie has provided early returns for the team. Slated to start in Week 1, McDuffie has looked capable against one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic. McDuffie didn’t take many snaps against the Bears in the preseason, but it is encouraging that he didn’t see any targets in coverage.
No. 22: Quay Walker, LB, Green Bay Packers
The Packers surprised many by selecting Walker, a linebacker from Georgia’s historic defense, in this spot. Walker has immediately slotted in with the starters and will start to begin the season. Walker didn’t play many snaps in Green Bay’s preseason opener, but the camp evaluations of Walker are positive. It’s challenging to evaluate linebackers in a camp environment, so we won’t get a full assessment of Walker for quite some time.
No. 23: Kaiir Elam, CB, Buffalo Bills
As Tre’Davious White recovers from a torn ACL, the Bills have hoped that Elam could take on a starting cornerback role immediately opposite Dane Jackson. But a competition has opened up between him and fellow rookie Christian Benford, a sixth-round pick. He started off the preseason game against the Colts well, but it was part of an up-and-down day, according to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, and his overall camp experience has been similar. It has been a slow start for Elam so far, but the Bills may make up for it with the Benford pick.
No. 24: Tyler Smith, OL, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys made the biggest surprise pick of the first round — until the Patriots bested them a few picks later — selecting Smith from Tulsa at No. 24. Smith had a penalty problem in college, and it showed up again in his preseason showing. Bob Sturm of The Athletic thinks Smith isn’t quite ready for the NFL. His strength and upside have been obvious in camp, but his lack of technical development has been, too. His competition with Connor McGovern for the starting left guard job appears to be genuine, and we won’t know who wins out until Week 1.
No. 25: Tyler Linderbaum, OL, Baltimore Ravens
There haven’t been many padded practices on the books for the Ravens’ rookie center, who suffered a foot injury two weeks ago and has an unspecified timeline for his return, though the expectation is that he will be back around the start of the season. Before that, he was having a mixed training camp, according to Zrebiec.
No. 26: Jermaine Johnson, Edge, New York Jets
Johnson has a long way to go, according to head coach Robert Salah. As Rosenblatt points out, Johnson is “a little bit more of a project than the Jets might’ve expected. (He) has had a few good practices where he’s gotten some pressure but hasn’t really stood out.” Johnson did earn a sack against the Eagles, but his overall camp performance is still worth some scrutiny before the Jets can trust that he’s simply a gamer who doesn’t always show his skill in practice.
No. 27: Devin Lloyd, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars haven’t seen Lloyd in a training camp or preseason environment because of a hamstring injury. While he has practiced off to the side, he hasn’t participated in contact drills. Head coach Doug Pederson thinks there’s a chance he could be ready to participate by the time the Jaguars play the Steelers on Saturday, however.
No. 28: Devonte Wyatt, DL, Green Bay Packers
While his fellow first-round picks from Georgia have been seeing time with the first team, Wyatt has been a backup throughout camp. That’s just as much a product of the incredible depth the Packers have on the defensive line as it is Wyatt’s development path. Wyatt has impressed against second- and third-string competition, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, but could not put that on display in the preseason game because he was out with a concussion.
No. 29: Cole Strange, OL, New England Patriots
The most surprising pick of the first round, Strange might have an unfair spotlight on him in his first training camp. But he’s done about as well as you would expect a late first-round pick to do in his early showings. Chad Graff of The Athletic said Strange’s limited preseason reps were positive, but that his overall camp has been up and down. It is impressive that Strange has earned the trust of the Patriots coaching staff so soon, but he’ll need to live up to it.
No. 30: George Karlaftis, Edge, Kansas City Chiefs
Karlaftis “dazzled” in the Chiefs’ preseason opener, according to Taylor. In just 14 snaps, Karlafis generated four pressures, per PFF. That matches his progression in camp, and he may even have the ability to drop back in coverage on a somewhat regular basis. Given how much Karlaftis has impressed the Chiefs’ coaches and beat writers, he might be a sneaky value for Defensive Rookie of the Year odds.
No. 31: Dax Hill, S, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals need Hill to be an impactful player sooner rather than later given the franchise-tag situation surrounding star safety Jessie Bates. And it looks like that’s what they’re getting. Jay Morrison of The Athletic noted Hill as a “riser” following his preseason showing, a product of his excellent play throughout the game and in camp.
No. 32: Lewis Cine, S, Minnesota Vikings
Cine seems like a player who has the skill to be a great safety but may not make a splash right away. While the Vikings will put him on the field in three-safety packages — like the Ravens will with Hamilton — it seems clear that Camryn Bynum has the inside track to the starting job. As Cine begins to trust his instincts more, he could wrest that job away from Bynum and be the versatile starter the Vikings drafted. As for now, his camp and preseason performances — while not disappointing — haven’t generated much excitement.
(Top photo of Aidan Hutchinson: Lon Horwedel / USA Today)
