2022 NFL Draft Grades: AFC South

2022 NFL Draft Grades: AFC South

The worst division in football is back at it again. All of these teams do a great job at being irrelevant while winning nothing of real importance. Yes, that was harsh but also neccessary. Do better AFC South! The 2022 NFL Draft grades are here so how did this division fare? Let’s get down to business.

Houston Texans: Grade A-

• Round 1: No. 3 – Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
• Round 1. No. 15 (from PHI via MIA) – Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
• Round 2: No. 37 – Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
• Round 2: No. 44 (from CLE) – John Metchie III, WR, Alabama
• Round 3: No. 75 (from DEN) – Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
• Round 4: No. 107 (from DET via CLE) – Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida
• Round 5: No. 150 (from CHI) – Thomas Booker, DT, Stanford
• Round 5: No. 170 (from NE via TB) – Teagan Quitoriano, TE, Oregon State
• Round 6: No. 205 (from GB) – Austin Deculus, OT, LSU

Some really good. Some really bad. I had Derek Stingley as the best player in the draft so it’s hard to hate this class. Stingley’s talent speaks for itself and if you don’t get it, that’s on you. John Metchie is another great pick. He’s probably their number one wide out day one. Christian Harris is a damn good pick too. A guy they have been missing for the middle of that defense.

The other picks were head scratchers. Kenyon Green was not high on my list. Felt like a guy pushed up the board because of a bad offensive line class. Zion Johnson was have been the better option. Not a fan of Jalen Pitre either. Scrappy but really small and lacks the high end talent to make up for it. Dameon Pierce just flat out stinks. Guy has no burst and can’t catch.

This draft is going to aid the Texans rebuild in a big way. It just can’t be viewed as a perfect draft. There are clear misses here.

Indianapolis Colts: Grade F

• Round 2: No. 53 (From LV via GB via MIN) – Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati
• Round 3: No. 73 (from WAS) – Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia
• Round 3: No. 77 (from MIN) – Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
• Round 3: No. 96 (from DEN via LAR) – Nick Cross, S, Maryland
• Round 5: No. 159 – Eric Johnson, DT, Missouri State
• Round 6: No. 192  (from MIN) – Andrew Ogletree, TE, Youngstown State
• Round 6: No. 216 – Curtis Brooks, DT, Cincinnati
• Round 7: No. 239  – Rodney Thomas, DB, Yale

Chris Ballard is a dope. The sooner you realize this the easier your life will be. When that guy wins the division more recently than Blake Bortles, you can then come talk to me. This guy doesn’t get to live off Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard forever.

This is an F draft and it’s not debateable. Alec Pierce may or may not work. Certainly wouldn’t have been the guy I took. Major Andy Isabella vibes which are not a good thing. Jelani Woods is fine but you’re throwing darts with this tight end class. Bernhard Raimann was a tight end two years ago. Could easily flame out.

Point being, there is a VERY real chance the Colts got nothing from this class. Ballard took massive swings at prospects that come with major risk. I think the only pick I actually liked was Nick Cross and I’m not sure he’s even good. Fast but I’m not sure he’s even a good football player. Colts fans everywhere should be pissed at another blown Ballard draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Grade C-

• Round 1: No. 1  – Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
• Round 1: No. 27 (via TB) – Devin Lloyd, ILB, Utah
• Round 3: No. 65 – Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky
• Round 3: No. 70 (from CAR) – Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming
• Round 5: No. 154 (from PHI via WAS) – Snoop Conner, RB, Ole Miss 
• Round 6: No. 197 (from PHI) – Gregory Junior, DB, Ouachita Baptist
• Round 7: No. 222 – Montaric Brown, CB, Arkansas 

We know that Trent Baalke is a dope. I sure as hell don’t love this draft. Travon Walker could very well be a great player but hard to justify him going first overall. Especially considering he moved to edge after failing to beat out Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt on his own college team. Again, could very well be a Bradley Chubb type guy if it works out but this is a total lump of clay.

I was not high on Devin Lloyd. Shaky athlete. Linebackers that lack range just simply aren’t as valuable today. You know they could have just kept Myles Jack too. Who knows what we’re getting from Chad Muma. Luke Fortner is probably a serviceable center but this draft just flat out stinks. There is just no way this was the optimal outcome.

Snoop Conner isn’t even the best running back on his own college team…

Tennessee Titans: Grade D

• Round 1: No. 18 (from PHI via NO) – Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
• Round 2: No. 35 (from NYJ) –  Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
• Round 3: No. 69 (from NYJ) – Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State
• Round 3: No. 86 (from LV) – Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
• Round 4: No. 131 – Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan
• Round 4: No. 143 – Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Maryland
• Round 6: No. 204 – Theo Jackson, DB, Tennessee 
• Round 6: No. 219 – Chance Campbell, LB, Ole Miss

The Titans lost AJ Brown. Am I supposed to give them a high letter grade for replacing him with a guy that’s a coin flip to make it at the NFL level? You can say what you want about Treylon Burks. He very well could find a way to make it but he’s littered with red flags. I wouldn’t have taken him in the first round.

Two of the picks I really like Roger McCreary and Nicholas Petit-Frere will find a way to contribute which saves this grade from an F.

Let’s just be honest; Malik Willis was a 3rd-4th round prospect and now comes to town ready to take Ryan Tannehill’s job. Regardless of how it turns out, the Titans have not turned any sort of corner. What are these later round picks accomplishing? Hassan Haskins is okay at best. The Maryland tight end is a project. The Titans are worse than they are before entering the draft. That’s just a fact without AJ Brown on the roster.

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