2022 NFL Draft picks: Nearly two-thirds of first-round selections were rated 4-stars or higher as recruits
The 247Sports Composite rankings once again rang true in projecting superior football talent
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Star rankings matter, and the 2022 NFL Draft proved it once again during an action-packed first round Thursday evening in Las Vegas. Former 5-star prospect Travon Walker of Georgia was selected No. 1 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars after a successful career at Georgia that culminated with a national championship. He was one of six former 5-stars -- as defined by the 247Sports Composite rankings -- who were selected in the top 10.
There were some sleepers, though. Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner was picked No. 4 by the New York Jets after coming into college ranked No. 1,672 overall in the 2019 rankings. The biggest underdog of the night was former Boston College offensive lineman Zion Johnson, who was an unranked guard out of Riverdale Baptist High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, before heading to Davidson for two years.
In total, nearly two-thirds (62.5%) of first-round picks in this draft were rated as 4-star prospects or better, while an astounding 90.1% (29 of 32 picks) were rated as 3-star prospects or better.
Here's a look at the star rankings for every player selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
2022 NFL Draft by recruiting ranking
- 5-stars: 8
- 4-stars: 12
- 3-stars: 9
- 2-stars: 1
- 1-star: 0
- Unranked: 2
| NFL Team | Player | School | Stars | Rank (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jacksonville
| Travon Walker | Georgia | 5 | 22 (2019) |
Detroit
| Aiden Hutchinson | Michigan | 4 | 112 (2018) |
Houston
| Derek Stingley Jr. | LSU | 5 | 3 (2019) |
N.Y. Jets
| Ahmad Gardner | Cincinnati | 3 | 1,672 (2019) |
N.Y. Giants
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | Oregon | 5 | 2 (2019) |
Carolina
| Ikem Ekwonu | NC State | 3 | 612 (2019) |
N.Y. Giants
| Evan Neal | Alabama | 5 | 7 (2019) |
Atlanta
| Drake London | USC | 4 | 247 (2019) |
Seattle
| Charles Cross | Mississippi State | 5 | 27 (2019) |
N.Y. Jets
| Garrett Wilson | Ohio State | 5 | 20 (2019) |
New Orleans
| Chris Olave | Ohio State | 3 | 399 (2018) |
Detroit
| Jameson Williams | Alabama | 4 | 82 (2019) |
Philadelphia
| Jordan Davis | Georgia | 3 | 424 (2018) |
Baltimore
| Kyle Hamilton | Notre Dame | 4 | 60 (2019) |
Houston
| Kenyon Green | Texas A&M | 5 | 15 (2019) |
Washington
| Jahan Dotson | Penn State | 4 | 192 (2018) |
L.A. Chargers
| Zion Johnson | Boston College | n/a | n/a (2016) |
Tennessee
| Treylon Burks | Arkansas | 4 | 103 (2019) |
New Orleans
| Trevor Penning | Northern Iowa | n/a | n/a (2017) |
Pittsburgh
| Kenny Pickett | Pittsburgh | 3 | 738 (2016) |
Kansas City
| Trent McDuffie | Washington | 4 | 126 (2019) |
Green Bay
| Quay Walker | Georgia | 4 | 31 (2018) |
Buffalo
| Kaiir Elam | Florida | 4 | 48 (2019) |
Dallas
| Tyler Smith | Tulsa | 3 | 2,417 (2019) |
Baltimore
| Tyler Linderbaum | Iowa | 3 | 409 (2018) |
N.Y. Jets
| Jermaine Johnson | Florida State | 3 | 2,089 (2017) |
Jacksonville
| Devin Lloyd | Utah | 3 | 1,631 (2017) |
Green Bay
| Devonte Wyatt | Georgia | 4 | 278 (2017) |
New England
| Cole Strange | Chattanooga | 2 | 3,084 (2016) |
Kansas City
| George Karlaftis | Purdue | 4 | 59 (2019) |
Cincinnati
| Daxton Hill | Michigan | 5 | 14 (2019) |
Minnesota
| Lewis Cine | Georgia | 4 | 45 (2019) |
