The 2022 NFL Draft is behind us, and it’s time to move on to the best part of the offseason: rookie drafts. The NFL landscape is dramatically different than it was just a week ago. While everyone is focused on the rookies and where they landed, veteran players have seen their fantasy value alter because of the draft. Which veterans saw a bump up or down in their fantasy value? Let’s take a look at my top five for both.
Winners
You could argue the biggest winner during the draft was Murray. While the Cardinals didn’t hand him the massive extension he wants, they did the next best thing. They traded their first-round pick for Murray’s former college, Marquise Brown. After losing Christian Kirk in free agency, the Cardinals re-signed A.J. Green and traded for Brown. Thus, giving Murray plenty of receiving options next to DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore.
However, that wasn’t the end of it for Arizona. They used their second-round pick on the top tight end in the draft class, Trey McBride. Murray will now have Zach Ertz and McBride at his disposal to go along with those wide receivers. If he signs a long-term deal at some point this offseason, Murray is arguably a top-five dynasty quarterback.
There were rumors that the Giants were exploring the possibility of trading Barkley during the pre-draft process. While those rumors quickly got shot down, many thought the Giants could add a running back at some point during the middle rounds. However, the Giants didn’t use any of their 11 draft picks on a running back. Instead, they improved the offensive line in front of him.
Throughout the pre-draft process, the Giants were linked to the top three offensive tackles in the draft, especially Evan Neal. After they grabbed Kayvon Thibodeaux with their first pick, the Giants drafted Neal. They now have talented bookend tackles in Andrew Thomas and Neal for the next several years. New York then used a third-round pick on Joshua Ezeudu and a fifth-round pick on Marcus McKethan. The pair of mid-round guards might not start as rookies but will provide depth on the offensive line. If Barkley can stay healthy (and yes, that’s a big if), he is in a position to bounce back to an elite RB1 status. Now is the time to trade for Barkley while you still can at a discount.
In the final few days leading up to the NFL Draft, everyone expected the Bills to take Breece Hall in the first round, thus squashing Singletary’s fantasy value. Instead, the Bills took a cornerback, and Singletary’s fantasy value remained intact. However, they did use a second-round pick on James Cook. While that isn’t ideal, Cook will have only a limited impact on Singletary’s fantasy value.
The Bills tried to sign J.D. McKissic away from the Washington Commanders in free agency. After some flip-flopping by McKissic and his agent, the veteran running back chose to re-sign in Washington. So, it was no secret that the Bills wanted to add a pass-catching running back, and they did just that with the addition of Cook. However, he won’t have much of a role on the ground. If Zack Moss is cut or traded during the preseason, Singletary could be a top 20 running back in 2022. That said, if you can trade Singletary away for a first-round pick (especially in 2023), now is the time to do it.
It’s crazy how much things have changed for Pitts in the past year. After getting selected with the fourth-pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts joined an Atlanta team with Matt Ryan at quarterback with Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones at wide receiver. However, the Falcons trade Jones shortly after the draft. Then Ridley missed most of the 2021 season dealing with his mental health and has since gotten suspended for the entire 2022 season. Finally, the Falcons traded Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in March. So how is Pitts a winner?
Two words: Drake London. Before the draft, the wide receiver room in Atlanta looked like the island of misfit toys. Their top three wide receivers, Auden Tate, Olamide Zaccheaus, and KhaDarel Hodge, have a combined 145 career receptions. Defenses would consistently double team Pitts and force Atlanta to throw to those sub-par wide receivers. Now with London on the team, defenses won’t get away with consistently double-teaming Pitts. Furthermore, Desmond Ridder could see the field early in the season, giving Pitts an upgrade at quarterback over Marcus Mariota.
Dan Arnold & Evan Engram (TE – JAC)
Seeing Arnold and Engram’s names on this list might surprise you, but they came away big winners during the draft. Even after adding Engram in free agency, many though the Jaguars could use a Day 2 pick on a tight end. Furthermore, the Jaguars could have selected any tight end other than McBride with either of their third-round picks. Instead, they went the entire draft without adding a tight end.
Not only did the Jaguars not use a pick on a tight end, but they also didn’t draft a wide receiver. Furthermore, the Jaguars used five of their seven draft picks on defense, including two of their top four selections on a linebacker. While that might be a mistake for the development of Trevor Lawrence, it means Arnold and Engram won’t have any new competition for snaps at tight end. Both are entering the final year of their contracts and will want a new deal next offseason. Time will tell which veteran will earn the starting role, but at the very least, they don’t have to look over their shoulder at a rookie.
Losers
The first two nights of the draft were a punch to the gut for Tannehill. First, the Titans trade away his top weapon in A.J. Brown. They then replaced him with a rookie. While the fantasy community should be excited for Treylon Burks, Tannehill can’t be happy about having a rookie as his new No. 1 wide receiver. However, that was only the start of his awful weekend.
After watching Malik Willis slide towards the end of the third round, the Titans traded up to secure the former Liberty quarterback. While Willis likely spends the year on the bench, Tannehill is one interception away from hearing the fans chant, “we want Willis.” Even if Tannehill keeps the starting job all year long, his time in Tennessee is winding down. The Titans can save $17.8 million in cap space by trading or releasing Tannehill next offseason. After that, it’s anyone’s guess if Tannehill will remain a starting quarterback or have to accept a job as a backup.
Everyone knew the Jets could take a running back at some point during the draft. However, very few expected them to spend prime draft capital on a running back. Head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur come from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. Thus, many expected the Jets not to prioritize the running back position. In their first year in New York, Saleh spent a fourth-round pick on Carter and signed Tevin Coleman in free agency. So when the Jets used a top-40 draft pick on Hall, many were shocked.
Furthermore, Hall didn’t fall into their laps. The Jets traded up over the Houston Texans to secure Hall. Obviously, Hall will take over as the No. 1 running back on the depth chart and earn the majority of the workload. However, Carter will still play a role and have low-end flex appeal in deeper leagues. Unfortunately, Carter would have been a borderline top 20 running back if the Jets hadn’t used a prime draft pick on Hall.
Chris Carson & Rashaad Penny (RB – SEA)
Heading into the draft, the Seahawks had three top-41 picks, and no one expected them to use one of them on a running back. Carson is under contract for next season, while the Seahawks re-signed Penny to a one-year deal this offseason. However, Seattle used the 41st overall pick on Kenneth Walker. Obviously, the Seahawks felt they needed more help at running back, and with good reason.
Carson’s future with the team and in the NFL is up in the air over his neck injury. While no one has publicly stated it’s a career-ending injury, Carson hasn’t officially gotten declared clear to play. Meanwhile, Penny finished the 2021 season on fire. Yet, he only earned a one-year prove-it deal in free agency. The reason why? His injury history. He has missed 43.1 percent of the games in his career and has only one season with over 85 rushing attempts. Walker might split the backfield work with Penny to start the year. However, Penny is one injury or fumble away from giving Walker the featured role. Hopefully, you sold high on Penny after the Seahawks re-signed him.
The Steelers lost two wide receivers in free agency this year. JuJu Smith-Schuster signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, while James Washington signed with the Dallas Cowboys. That left Chase Claypool and Johnson with plenty of available targets to absorb from last year. However, the Steelers have a decision to make as Johnson is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is in line for a massive extension this summer.
Unfortunately for Johnson, the timing couldn’t be worse. The Steelers used two of their top four selections on a wide receiver, including a second-round pick on George Pickens. Many believed Pickens would have been a first-round pick if not for the possible off-the-field and maturity issues. Given the contracts wide receivers have earned this offseason, the Steelers could opt to let Johnson walk in free agency, putting his fantasy value up in the air for 2023 and beyond.
Arizona’s draft class was excellent for Murray’s fantasy value. However, it was awful for Ertz’s fantasy value. Before the draft, the Cardinals lost Chase Edmonds and Kirk in free agency, and they hadn’t added any new weapons to the offense. Instead, they signed Ertz to a new three-year deal before free agency started. The veteran tight end is coming off a productive season in Arizona and appeared to have a few more years of solid fantasy production in him before retiring. Unfortunately, the draft changed that.
They started the draft by trading their first-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for Brown. Then they used their first draft selection on McBride despite other holes on the roster. Instead, Arizona waited till the sixth round and their second to the last pick to address the offensive line. After the new additions or Brown and McBride, Ertz will see his snap share take a hit. Furthermore, Ertz might get asked to block more this season instead of running routes when he is on the field because of the offensive line. A week ago, Ertz looked like a solid fantasy starting tight end. Now, his fantasy value is up in the air.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
