We are all looking for instant impact recruits. Let’s go further than that. How about entire draft classes with instant impact? Sounds fun.
Getting valuable contributions from multiple rookies is worth its weight in gold because these players are as cheap as they come in the NFL. Let’s rank the top 10 instant impact classes of the 2022 draft.
Before we get started, it’s important to remember that teams with lesser rosters are naturally more reliant on rookies and young players than established contenders, so just because, say, a team favored to win their division isn’t in featured, that doesn’t mean I believe he had a bad draw.
Impactful recruits: WR Jahan Dotson, DT Phidarian Mathis, RB Brian Robinson, S Percy Butler
Commanders are exciting until you remember who their starting quarterback is. And it’s not like Carson Wentz was the last fourth passer in the league. He’s just not someone I would feel comfortable with in the myriad crucial situations that arise throughout a regular season. And her stockings are scary.
Anyway, back to the rookie class – I have a theory on this. It’s that the philosophy of the Commanders Draft in April was simply to “find players like the good players on our roster.”
Dotson is the “lite” version of McLaurin. It weighs less than it too, so the “light” version works too. Mathis is one of Alabama’s most well-rounded defensive line prospects – Washington has a “guy” in the trenches, don’t you think? – and Robinson is a nimble, rocky back – see: Antonio Gibson – but does not have a speed of 4.39.
Butler is a more dynamic version of former renowned free agent Landon Collins, who was released earlier this offseason. This rookie class will get to work in 2022 for a playoff-caliber club.
Impactful recruits: CB Martin Emerson, EDGE Alex Wright, WR David Bell, DT Perrion Winfrey, RB Jerome Ford
The Browns’ roster is good, but not so good that it will keep rookies off the field. Ever since Cleveland drafted Myles Garrett at No. 1 overall in 2017, they’ve been looking for a legit add-on for him down the line. Wright has a Garrett-like height and moves like he’s much smaller.
Speaking of complements, the tall, long Emerson will pair beautifully with the smaller, twitchy, newly minted Denzel Ward, and Bell was truly one of the most complete broads in the 2022 class, he just tested as a low-level athlete who catalyzed his third-round downfall. Even Winfrey is the precise type of one-spread penetrator the defense craved on the inside, and Ford is the precise type of home-run hitting No. 3 running back every team should employ.
Impactful recruits: S Kyle Hamilton, OL Tyler Linderbaum, DT Travis Jones, TE Charlie Kolar, P Jordan Stout
The Ravens aren’t too keen on opening the vault for big second deals, but they do love some cheap young talent. Hamilton was my No. 1 overall hope in this class, modern confrontation-proof security. Linderbaum is going to be a force at the center of Greg Roman’s diverse running game.
Baltimore is rumored to be ready to pick Jordan Davis at No. 14 before the Eagles jump past them. Didn’t bother GM Eric DeCosta. He just waited two more rounds to get another intimidating nose tackle at Jones, who has more pass-rush moves in his arsenal than the Georgia star. Kolar is the second coming from Mark Andrews and Stout will improve the clearing game. Quality class, as usual, from the Ravens.
Impactful recruits: CB Derek Stingley, OG Kenyon Green, S Jalen Pitre, LB Christian Harris, RB Dameon Pierce
Given how blah Houston’s roster was in 2021, the Texans desperately needed to draft an impactful rookie class. They did it. While the five freshman pros above aren’t all immediate stars, they’re going to play key roles right away.
Stingley was my No. 1 cornerback and I had a first-round rating on Pitre, as a slot defender. He’s more nickel than pure security. Harris plays at his 4.44 speed and is sudden in his movements. He needs to work on his reliability in tackles. Pierce will be the returning feature in November at the latest. There aren’t many runners with his combination of compact size, natural power and lightning-fast feet.
Impactful recruits: QB Kenny Pickett, WR George Pickens, DL DeMarvin Leal, WR Calvin Austin
The Steelers are kind of a team in transition, aren’t they? But Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season as a head coach, and Pittsburgh is not a city used to a losing football team. The last time the Steelers were under .500 was in 2003. With Pickett, they got their quarterback of the future, though he was in a competitive battle in training camp with Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. Pickett is expected to walk away late.
Pickens is a first-round talent who exudes an alpha mentality and Leal was a first-round caliber prospect before a hugely disappointing 2021 where he felt like a proper tweener. The Steelers love these guys on defense. Austin can be the low-volume, splashy type due to his blistering speed. General manager Kevin Colbert left the Steelers with a strong and decently fundamental draft.
Impactful recruits: TE Trey McBride, EDGE Cam Thomas, EDGE Myjai Sanders, OL Lecitus Smith, OL Marquis Hayes
McBride and Zach Ertz will see target after target from Kyler Murray during DeAndre Hopkins’ six-game suspension to start the season. And that will be par for McBride, who was Colorado State’s entire offense last season en route to winning the John Mackey Award. I loved the double dipping at the tip point and the different flavors selected by the Cardinals.
Thomas is a pro-ready inside-out guy with an impressive finesse game. Sanders is a leaner, faster power player who will thrive on the corners. I even thought the Cardinals got massive value with Smith and Hayes on Day 3. I know Kliff Kingsbury doesn’t emphasize the offensive line due to the fast-hitting nature of his Air Raid offense, but blocking is imperative in the NFL, regardless of the system a team runs.
Impactful recruits: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, WR Jameson Williams, EDGE Joshua Paschal, S Kerby Joseph, LB Malcolm Rodriguez
The Fighting Dan Campbell are on the rise. Sure, Jared Goff is capping Detroit’s cap but the roster renovations are starting to take shape. After Penei Sewell fell to their knees in 2021, Hutchinson did the same this time around. The aggression – but not the massive overpayment – to get Williams into the top 15 will add a dynamic component to the offense.
The Lions also have three reliable future starters on defense with Paschal – whose on-field energy will be infectious – Joseph, who is a free-flowing athlete with telephone poles for arms, and Rodriguez, a former linebacker-turned-safer who covers well and beat the blocks. like an NFL veteran. This crew will contribute greatly this season.
Impactful recruits: OT Charles Cross, RB Ken Walker, CB Coby Bryant, EDGE Boye Mafe, EDGE Tyreke Smith
Cross is the instant starter at left tackle, and he’s a smooth-running pass protector. Walker was tied with Isaiah Spiller as my RB1 in this class, and Bryant was one of the longest and most experienced outside corners in the class.
Then there are the two edge rushers – I’m glad they tackled that spot, a glaring weak link in the defense. Mafe is older but improving every season as a passing thrower and has serious edge-bending juice. Smith has been one of the most productive and polished in the entire class — yes, you read that right — over the past two seasons at Ohio State. He had no reason to be available in Round 5.
Impactful recruits: CB Trent McDuffie, EDGE George Karlaftis, WR Skyy Moore, CB Joshua Williams, S Nazeeh Johnson
GM Brett Veach took a calculated risk. Trading Tyreek Hill, given his age and contract demands, may have been financially smart for the Chiefs’ future. However, this undoubtedly intensified the pressure on Veach himself.
And he’s done a damn good job of turning the Hill trade into quality young players. However, McDuffie was an overpayer in the first round. It does, however, have a very high floor. Karlaftis is the exact type of NFL-ready edge rusher the defense needed to dull Chris Jones’ attention on the inside.
Moore was a first-round talent who was sort of the sixth receiver picked… IN THE SECOND-ROUND (?!). He will be a budding star with Patrick Mahomes throwing football at him. Then the two secondary members of the schools have the experience and athleticism to surpass their draft positions. The Chiefs entered the draft with probably the least complete roster of any legitimate Super Bowl contender, then did a great job on draft weekend to bolster it.
Impactful recruits: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, OT Evan Neal, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, CB Cordale Flott, OL Joshua Ezeudu, LB Micah McFadden
Neal 7th overall? Rob the city. There’s even a legitimate argument that the Giants made a deal with Thibodeaux at No. 5. The Cowboys would agree. Robinson went too early but will nonetheless be a fun feature and gimmick for the offense. Flott is a lanky but sudden nickel wedge closing in on the ball in a hurry. Both North Carolina offensive linemen could see time early, but Ezeudu is more ready and could play in multiple positions.
McFadden is the sleeping impact type. He was a tackle machine at Indiana and has the speed and short-area awareness to be a star underhand in coverage, where a lot of linebackers struggle. In the first year of the Joe Schoen/Brian Daboll era, the Giants would get a lot out of their rookie class.
