May 2, 2022 - Sports
Georgia players dominate 2022 NFL Draft
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The 87th NFL draft is in the books, as 262 players from 105 schools took the next step in their football journey.
By the numbers: Draftees represented all 10 Power Five and Group of Five conferences, four independent schools, nine FCS conferences and five D-II conferences.
- Georgia's 15 draftees are the most since the NFL introduced the seven-round format in 1994.
- The SEC produced the most picks for the 16th straight year, and its 65 draftees tied its haul from last year as the most ever.
- Cincinnati's nine draftees are the most by a non-Power Five school since at least 1990, when Houston had seven.
- Texas didn't produce a pick for the first time since 2014, and just the second time since 1938.
More draft notes:
- Who needs QBs? The first QB didn't come off the board until pick No. 20 (Kenny Pickett), the latest since 1997 (No. 26), and Pickett was the only QB taken in the first two rounds, which last happened in 2000.
- WR spotlight: A record-tying 17 receivers were taken in the first three rounds, and two more (A.J. Brown and Marquise Brown) got traded during Round 1. It's truly an incredible time to be an NFL wide receiver.
- Rare feet: Two punters were taken in the first four rounds for the first time since 2007. Somehow neither one was Matt Araiza, the Bills' sixth-round pick who just set the NCAA yards per punt record.
- Mr. Irrelevant: Iowa State QB Brock Purdy went to the 49ers with the 262nd and final pick, making him this year's Mr. Irrelevant.
- Draft goes global: Some picks were announced from abroad — including Germany, England and Mexico, which are hosting games in 2022 — as the NFL embraces its international ambitions.
