Potential Landing Spots for Garrett Wilson, Kenneth Walker III, Jameson Williams (2022 Fantasy Football)

It’s officially NFL Draft week, and fantasy managers in dynasty and redraft leagues will be keeping a close watch on the landing spots for the top skill position players in this year’s draft class. Our analysts have been studying these prospects and their potential fits with NFL teams over the last several months, and they’ve written tens of thousands of words and created over a dozen mock drafts while evaluating the different ways they see the 2022 NFL Draft playing out.

Below are the potential landing spots they considered for Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson, Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker III, and Alabama WR Jameson Williams. You can find our full set of consensus dynasty rookie rankings for superflex leagues here.

Potential Landing Spots for Malik Willis, Breece Hall, Drake London

Garrett Wilson (WR – Ohio State)

8. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons could conceivably take a quarterback after trading franchise mainstay Matt Ryan to the Colts, but wide receiver is a bigger need given that Calvin Ridley (suspension) will be unavailable for 2022.

Wilson last year had 70-1,058-12 receiving and 4-76-1 rushing in 11 games as a true junior, and he looked like a potential No. 1 option at the NFL Combine with his speed (4.38-second 40-yard dash).
– Matthew Freedman, Week of the Draft Mock Draft

The Falcons are in full-on tank mode. The team is taking a whopping $40.5 million dead cap hit after trading Matt Ryan – the largest dead cap hit in NFL history – setting the franchise back from where they were a season ago.

They have to play the long-term game to get back in contention for 2023/2024, and that starts with adding to the wide receiver position And more specifically, not putting a fringy rookie quarterback in a bad situation.

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley is already suspended for the 2022 season, and Russell Gage signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason.

To address the need, the Falcons select Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson who generated an 84% open target rate in 2021. At just 20 years old, the former Buckeye also scored 12 receiving touchdowns, compiled over 1,000 receiving yards and generated the FBS’ 12th-highest passer rating when targeted (141.7).

If Atlanta doesn’t go WR here, I wouldn’t be shocked if they go offensive tackle. They have left tackle Jake Matthews locked up, but right tackle Kaleb McGary is a free agent in 2023. Might be wise to invest in blocking now to protect the rookie quarterback they draft in the future.
– Andrew Erickson, Mock Draft 3.0

10. New York Jets

The Jets saw the Bengals offense take off in Year 2 after they paired their second-year quarterback with a dynamic rookie wide receiver. If they want Zach Wilson to take a similar leap in Year 2, New York needs to give him more offensive weapons. Insert Garrett Wilson.

The Ohio State wide receiver was deemed open on 90 of 107 targets in 2021 – an 84% open target rate. Elijah Moore – the Jets’ second-round pick in 2021 – earned an 88% open target rate his last year at Ole Miss.
– Andrew Erickson, Mock Draft 2.0

11. Washington Commanders

Poor quarterback play prevented Washington from taking a step forward in 2021. Their offense trotted out the league’s seventh-worst offense per PFF. As the newly-named Commanders, they needed to upgrade.

Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz is far from perfect – but he’s still an improvement from what Washington was thrusting under center in 2021. The next step is adding talent around Wentz to get the most use of him. So they bring in Garrett Wilson to pair with fellow former Buckeye Terry McLaurin.

Last year’s third-rounder Dyami Brown did not flash as a rookie, and injuries plagued Curtis Samuel’s first season in the nation’s capital. Wilson’s addition addresses a “need” while also creating a friendly environment for a future quarterback should the team move on from Wentz in 2023.

Wilson finished the 2021 season first in Sports Info Solutions’ expected points per game added metric – despite playing among extremely high-level competition.
– Andrew Erickson, Mock Draft 5.0

15. Philadelphia Eagles

Howie Roseman is no stranger to selecting wide receivers early on, having selected one in the top two rounds over the last three seasons, two of which have been first-round picks.

WR is firmly back in play with one of the Eagles’ two 2022 first-round picks, and I have an inkling they will target one who can offer YAC ability like Garrett Wilson.

Wilson finished this past season third in broken tackle and missed tackle rate, per Sports Info Solutions.

2022 WR Class

Broken and Missed Tackles per 100 dropbacks per @SportsInfo_SIS

1. Velus Jones – 0.34
2. Skyy Moore – 0.32
3. Garrett Wilson – 0.29
4. David Bell – 0.27
—
43. Chris Olave – 0.05

— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) April 13, 2022

The Eagles finished second in screen pass rate in 2021.
– Andrew Erickson, Mock Draft 6.0

First WR Drafted Odds

(Current odds via BettingPros Consensus)

Kenneth Walker III (RB – Michigan State)

58. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons had the second-fewest explosive rushes come from the running back position in 2021 (21).

In his first year at Michigan State in 2021, Kenneth Walker III led his class in rushing yards (1,634), forced missed tackles (89), and explosive runs (46) en route to winning the Doak Walker Award – an honor bestowed upon college football’s best running back.

Walker possesses the skills to be an effective rusher at the next level, with the second-most missed tackles forced over the past two seasons (trailing only (Breece Hall) and third-most rushing yards after contact. Breaking tackles and creating after contact in college translates to the pros exceptionally well, as seen most recently with Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams.

Williams led the nation in missed tackle rate (48%) in his final season at North Carolina and would go on to lead the NFL in the same metric after his stellar rookie season.
– Andrew Erickson, Mock Draft 6.0

First RB Drafted Odds

(Current odds via BettingPros Consensus)

Jameson Williams (WR – Alabama)

8. Atlanta Falcons

All indications have been that Jameson Williams will go off the board in the top 10.

He met with the Falcons at the Combine and is a logical fit for a team that has Auden Tate slated as the top WR on its depth chart. The Falcons are looking toward the future beyond 2023, which allows them the luxury to ease Williams back into football coming off a late-season ACL tear.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot comes from a Saints organization under Mickey Loomis that had zero issues investing high-end draft capital in wide receivers. Seems only fitting that the team formerly called home by Alabama wide receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley acquires another member of the Crimson Tide.
– Andrew Erickson, Mock Draft 6.0

11. Washington Commanders

Now that the Commanders have quarterback Carson Wentz, they could try to get him another pass-catching option to play alongside wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Due to the knee injury he suffered in the College Football Championship, the Commanders are able to get Williams on the cheap.

If not his for injury, I’d have Williams as my No. 1 receiver in the class. Last season, Williams as a true junior looked like one of the best players in the nation with 79-1,572-15 receiving and 3-23-0 rushing in his only year at Alabama after transferring from Ohio State.
– Matthew Freedman, Week of the Draft Mock Draft

15. Philadelphia Eagles

Due to the knee injury he suffered in the College Football Championship, the Eagles are able to get Williams on the cheap as a strong running mate alongside 2021 first-rounder DeVonta Smith.

First WR Drafted Odds

(Current odds via BettingPros Consensus)

FantasyPros Mock Drafts

Andrew Erickson:

Matthew Freedman:

Version 1: Post-free agency
Version 2: Post-Eagles & Saints trade
Version 3: Mid-April
Version 4: 10 days away
Version 5: Seven days away
Version 6: Week of the Draft

Derek Brown:

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Trade Analyzer – which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.

NFL NFL Draft Garrett Wilson Kenneth Walker III Jameson Williams Matt Ryan Calvin Ridley Russell Gage Jake Matthews Kaleb McGary Zach Wilson Elijah Moore Carson Wentz Terry McLaurin Dyami Brown Curtis Samuel’s Drake London Chris Olave Treylon Burks Breece Hall Javonte Williams Kenneth Walker Isaiah Spiller James Cook Dameon Pierce Kyren Williams Brian Robinson Auden Tate Julio Jones DeVonta Smith