• Three Teams That Lost the 2022 NFL Draft

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    The 2022 NFL Draft had a lot of surprises with trades and landing spots. As always, some teams made questionable picks and lost the draft.


    The 2022 NFL draft is over with and, as always, a few teams did not perform well. A ton of shifting around, trades, and surprise landing spots made this a fascinating draft. Now, it is on to the off-season, where the rookies will prove themselves to their respective teams.

    There are always teams that lose during the days of the draft, so let's break down who I think are the three losers of this year's NFL draft.

    1. New England Patriots

    The New England Patriots have had a few rough years since Tom Brady departed to Tampa Bay. With no Brady, it is difficult to make inexperienced receivers look good because Mac Jones is no Tom Brady.

    The Patriots took just one wide receiver in the entire draft — Baylor receiver Tyquan Thornton. When a team's number one wide receiver is Devante Parker, it is safe to say that they should have focused on bringing in weapons for Mac Jones.

    Due to injuries, Parker has never completed a full season in his entire career. He has eclipsed over 1,000 receiving yards just once in his seven seasons. The Patriots also took offensive guard from Chattanooga, Cole Strange, and — no pun intended — the consensus thought strange of this pick.

    Strange, a projected third-round pick, went in the first round. I will not write him off as the Patriots have always found a way to turn write-offs into great NFL players. The Patriots have a history of turning players into stars, but this just was not enough from a fantasy standpoint to help Mac Jones and the offense.

    The New England Patriots are my biggest losers for the simple fact that they have Damien Harris and a very lovely running mate in Rhamondre Stevenson, forming one of the best young running back duos in the NFL, proceeded to draft not one, but two running backs.

    That now makes seven running backs on the roster with a three-receiver set of DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, and Kendrick Bourne. No one in the fantasy community should draft any offensive players on the Patriots this season, not even Harris or Stevenson.

    The Jets and Dolphins will have better records than the Patriots this year.

    Draft Grade: D

    2. Chicago Bears

    The Chicago Bears have a bright future, but the 2022 season might see more losing than winning.

    Assuming to be thrust into the full-time role of starting quarterback, Justin Fields will have his work cut out for him. This Bears team will most likely be playing from behind which will leave a lot of opportunities for Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet.

    The Bears drafted two "offensive weapons" in wide receiver and running back. The only problem is that they are better at returning punts and kickoffs than playing their actual position.

    With a young quarterback, who is supposed to be the next franchise quarterback, getting him all the help possible is what should have happened.

    Instead, Chicago took a running back, Trestan Ebner, and receiver Velus Jones. Ebner will now be a part of a backfield that already features David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert.

    Velus Jones will be a rookie but is already 25 years of age. Someone who took this long to come into the NFL is concerning.

    This is not a good look for the Bears in real life and it is concerning from a fantasy standpoint. Will Justin Fields be able to make plays? Will he be able to rely on more than just Kmet and Mooney? Stay tuned to the next episode of DragonBall Z.

    Draft Grade: C

    3. Jacksonville Jaguars

    Two things are evident in Jacksonville. This draft was all about improving their defense, and they believe they have surrounded Trevor Lawrence with the weapons to be successful in year two.

    One of those two things is correct while the other is off, way off. The Jaguars beefed up their defensive line with a questionable move at the first overall pick. Aidan Hutchinson was the best player to go number one, but the Jaguars had other ideas.

    The Jaguars' draft started off questionably with their first pick, then, they proceeded to not take a single offensive weapon until the fifth. That fifth-round pick was Ole Miss running back, Snoop Conner.

    Conner has a chance to make some noise with both James Robinson and Travis Etienne coming off injuries, but it is mostly insurance. Christian Kirk, Evan Ingram, Zay Jones, and Marvin Jones are the top targets for second-year starter Lawerence and it just seems that he will be set up to fail again.

    Only time will tell. Are the Jaguars saving another bad season in 2022 for a top receiver in a stacked 2023 draft class? As of now, they only helped the defense in the draft. Although defense wins championships, surrounding your franchise quarterback with weapons is always more important.

    Draft Grade: C

    Thank you for checking out my three draft losers for the 2022 NFL draft! You can read all of my articles on my IDP Guys' author page. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @NBF_Clo and @IDPGuys (we have offense too) and please check out our website at idpguys.org.

    Brandon Blanco

    Fantasy footballer for over 10 years now. Writing is my passion along with enjoying Star Wars and anything with heroes and villains. In my spare time, I am creating crazy parlays, playing video games or reading. I hope for my writing to help people win their leagues but most importantly something that entertains them and brings them joy when reading my articles.
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