Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft is in the books, and boy, it was a snoozefest! Not even one blockbuster trade involving an elite wide receiver.
Alright, fine, it wasn’t a snoozefest. Not even close. Three quarterbacks who had Round 1 inspirations came off the board in Round 3, each of which have plenty of intrigue. Six running backs made their way onto NFL rosters, but none to Atlanta or Houston, the two hot spots that are still looking for plausible starters. Tight ends finally got picked – four to be exact – and 11 wide receivers got snagged including one with the final pick of Round 3.
Who came out looking good? Who came out looking bad? The initial reaction is below.
Player profiles
Below you’ll find our pre-draft scouting reports, strengths, concerns, advanced stats and more plus our post-pick Fantasy and Dynasty outlooks:
- WR Christian Watson to the Packers
- RB Breece Hall to the Jets
- RB Ken Walker to the Seahawks
- WR Tyquan Thornton to the Patriots
- WR Wan’Dale Robinson to the Giants
- WR George Pickens to the Steelers
- WR Skyy Moore to the Chiefs
- RB James Cook to the Bills
- TE Trey McBride to the Cardinals
- QB Desmond Ridder to the Falcons
- TE Greg Dulcich to the Broncos
- QB Malik Willis to the Titans
- QB Matt Corral to the Panthers
Fantasy winners after Rounds 2 and 3
For at least one more year we should expect good numbers from Fournette. The Buccaneers‘ selection of Rachaad White in Round 3 doesn’t suggest Fournette is on borrowed time in the backfield. He’s been reliable for Tampa Bay and for fantasy managers for the last year and a half and should be in a position to continue that. It’s never easy to take 27-year-old running backs early on Draft Day, but I’m comfortable now taking Fournette before the end of Round 2.
Breece Hall
Hall claimed the Jets wanted to move into Round 1 to draft him but couldn’t make a deal. So they moved up in Round 2 instead. It suggests that Robert Saleh & Co. were targeting the three-down running back all along. Hall is a wonderful fit for the Jets’ run scheme and should become their primary runner pretty quickly. There will be concerns about how much he will share with Michael Carter, and there will be concerns about what kind of target volume he gets after Zach Wilson barely through to his backs last year, but the Jets offense figures to be on the rise and Hall is a reason why. Hall is a top-50 Fantasy pick.
Walker wasn’t the first running back drafted in Round 2, but he’s in the best situation. Pete Carroll loves physical, one-cut running backs, especially if they have top-end speed. Walker has those traits and then some. The pick is a pretty ominous sign that Chris Carson‘s health is a serious issue and that Rashaad Penny won’t have a much longer stay in Seattle. Because Carroll’s been a one-RB guy in the past, it’s not even remotely crazy to think Walker will take over the Seahawks’ run game by October. We’ll see Walker be off boards by Round 5 at minimum.
The Bills added James Cook to their roster, but General Manager Brandon Beane almost spoke as if Cook would be used as a receiver. Remember, pass-catching runner J.D. McKissic ditched the Bills in free agency and went back to Washington; this was the Bills’ move to make up for it. He may see a decline in the number of targets he gets, but for now, Singletary remains a startable Fantasy rusher you can take in Round 5 or 6.
Christian Watson
The Packers don’t always draft wide receivers, but when they do, they’re usually tall guys who can run. Watson fits in that mold perfectly. Though he played against FCS level competition at North Dakota State, he has the raw skills to be a competitive perimeter receiver in the NFL. Without much competition for playing time, we could see Watson pressed into action immediately. He’ll be one of the first five receivers taken in redraft leagues, potentially ahead of Garrett Wilson, who was the second wideout taken. It helps to have Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback.
Skyy Moore
It’s not that Skyy Moore is one of the best receivers in the draft, it’s that he figures to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes this year and every year moving forward. That’s pretty special. Figure he has some good moments this year before potentially evolving into a solid contributor for the Chiefs moving forward. He’ll have a shot to do what Mecole Hardman never could figure out, and what Marquez Valdez-Scantling may never have the opportunity to do. Moore will be a popular Round 9 pick.
Fantasy losers after Rounds 2 and 3
Antonio Gibson … ??
The Commanders leaned on Gibson quite a bit last year. Maybe they leaned on him too much and it made them want to find a physical complementary running back to work with him. That’s what Brian Robinson brings to the table – power and physicality. It’s already been frustrating for the past two years that he’s had to share touches with J.D. McKissic – if he’s going to share with Robinson too, Fantasy managers will be scared to take him.
Michael Carter
So much for Carter leading the Jets’ backfield. He’ll still play because the Jets like to use multiple running backs, but he might be lucky to see 10 touches per game as long as Hall delivers on expectations. He’ll be a solid Fantasy bench running back worth taking beginning in Round 8.
Rashaad Penny, Chris Carson
Walker’s arrival signals bad news for both guys. Penny will have to outplay the rookie and stay healthy, two things he’s really struggled with. Carson’s neck injury might keep him from playing again. Penny is barely a Top-100 pick and Carson probably shouldn’t get picked at all.
It’s as if the Steelers wanted to purposely punish Chase Claypool for all of his 2021 mistakes by flying him out to Las Vegas and having him announce George Pickens as the team’s second-round draft pick. Pickens has the potential to replace Claypool in the Steelers offense. Both are tall, and Claypool is definitely thicker, but Pickens is more sudden and well-rounded. I’m getting the feeling that drafting Claypool is a waste of a pick.
2021 Patriots wide receivers
After acquiring DeVante Parker from the Dolphins earlier this month, the Patriots drafted Tyquan Thornton with a second-round pick. They hosted him for a pre-draft visit and spent time with him at his Pro Day, so they were clearly invested in him. The Baylor speedster should give the Patriots’ offense an element they tried to coax out of Nelson Agholor last year and out of many other receivers previously. This pass game is evolving to the point where I’m not even sure Jakobi Meyers is worth drafting.
Rookie tight ends
There weren’t any big-time rookie prospect tight ends, but there were plenty of guys with upside. None of them went to a team that, for now, figure to help them reach that upside in 2022. Trey McBride went to the Cardinals; Jelani Woods and his 6-foot-7 frame joined the Colts; Greg Dulcich rode off with the Broncos; and Jeremy Ruckert flew to the Jets. Tight ends tend to struggle in their rookie seasons, so it’s probably a blessing in disguise they didn’t gain any Fantasy appeal.
What about the quarterbacks?!
Any quarterback taken in Round 3 is set up to lose in Fantasy. That’s just the nature of the game. But each of the ones drafted Friday have long-term outlooks that range from concerning to awesome. And it makes all three Round 2 picks in one-QB rookie-only drafts, maybe a top-10 option in two-QB/Superflex rookie formats, and mid-round picks in two-QB/Superflex seasonal leagues.
Desmond Ridder
Ridder probably has the best chance to play in 2022 since only Marcus Mariota is blocking his path to playing time. Once Mariota stinks, or once the Falcons are out of playoff contention (both could happen by November), Ridder figures to see the field. If he plays well, the Falcons have their quarterback of the future. If he struggles, the Falcons will probably draft a quarterback with a first-round pick next April and Ridder will be a backup.
Malik Willis
Lasting until late Round 3 wasn’t ideal, but Willis’ landing spot with the Titans offers some wild intrigue. A dual-threat quarterback like Willis could become hyper-efficient sharing a backfield with Derrick Henry, and the Titans are one of the brighter teams in the league – they won’t put Willis in a situation that’s too big for him. The issue is that the Titans also have no reason to rush Willis. It could mean he won’t play unless Ryan Tannehill misses time, which then suggests he could take over in 2023 once Tannehill’s contract expires.
Matt Corral
Corral is basically in an identical situation to Ridder. The Panthers don’t seem to be going anywhere this year and don’t have a quarterback who can take them anywhere. That means they will eventually evaluate Corral to see what he can do. If he’s not good, the Panthers will move on from him pretty quickly next offseason. If he is good, he’s got a gig for at least another year or two.
