WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE NFL DRAFT

By Nia Chinn

The upcoming 2022 NFL Draft is coming up faster than we think, and with teams making trades for the past months organizations are getting ready for this upcoming football season. Do you think your team will draft your favorite player?

The first pick of the draft is going to the Jacksonville Jaguars and after drafting a No.1 pick quarterback last year they are trying to look at other options. According to a list made by Kevin Skiver of The Sporting News, there are five players that are possible picks for the Jaguars.

Kayvon Thibodeaux from Oregon, Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan, Travon Walker from Georgia, Evan Neal from Alabama, and Ikem Ekwonu from NC State are the top five prospects possible for the number one spot and get to make a new life in Jacksonville, Florida.

Amid all the mock-up draft picks, there has been a lot of buzz around all the players that have been getting traded since the 2021 NFL season ended.

“Teams have gotten really aggressive with trades,” one executive told Pro Football Talk’s Peter King. “I'm starting to hear teams offering to package picks and players to move up-not just picks. So instead of trying to trade up five spots in the first round, maybe this year you’ll see a team offering one, a three and a player they're down on a little.”

One player that has caused social media to be in a frenzy is Deeboo Samuel who has played wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers since 2019, but recently requested for them to trade him because he was not happy with his usage in the offense. Reporter Adam Schefter had a different take on Samuel’s “real” reason for wanting to leave the 49ers. Schefter said on ESPN he thinks that Samuel “simply prefers to be close to home, South Carolina, not out west in California. San Francisco chose him. He didn’t choose that.”

There are many trades in question and these trades could throw off organizations plans for the 2022 NFL Draft. One player that could be a problem, according to the Nfl Spin Zone, is if Kyler Murray actually leaves the Arizona Cardinals and a team like the Houston Texans pick him up.

Murray is from Bedford, Texas so being in Texas wouldn't be new to him and the Texans also have two first round picks which include the third and 13th picks overall. People are waiting to see if Murray will extend his holdout with the Cardinals during mandatory team activities, which will cost him but also put pressure on Arizona to make a decision.

Even though there are many recently drafted players and younger players that are the talk of the town when it comes to drafts and trades, one name people can not stop talking about ever since he decided to come out of retirement is Tom Brady. The Tampa Bay Quarterback has fans and others wondering if there is something deeper than what is being told as his reason for coming out of retirement and wanting to play another NFL season.

Many teams are trying to get their rosters together and make sure they make the best decision for their program when picking their draft picks. The 49ers are one of those teams.

Their QB Jimmy Garoppolo may be on the chopping block when it comes to his time with San Francisco because now the 9ers have Trey Lance and he held it down for the season while Garoppolo was out.

Don't sleep on HBCU players when it comes to this year's NFL draft because there are many prospects that fit the criteria teams are looking for. James Houston IV from Jackson State University, Decobie Durant from South Carolina State, and Aqeel Glass from Alabama A & M University are just to name a few.

When the draft comes around fans, players, and coaches all around get excited and nervous. People’s favorite players could be leaving their favorite team, players getting traded against their wishes, and coaches getting fired, but better ones getting hired.

Be sure to tune into this year’s 2022 NFL Draft hosted in Las Vegas because there will be unexpected surprises and picks you never saw coming!