The Raiders traded away their first- and second-round selections in the Davante Adams trade, making No. 86 overall the first chance they have to add talent to the roster. Coming off a playoff appearance, and adding tons of talent already in free agency means that there are not a lot of gaps to fill on the depth chart. One spot they could stand to improve is the secondary. Damarri Mathis is thought to be a slot-only prospect by many, but I don’t agree. Mathis could serve anywhere from the slot to the boundary to over the top at safety. He is a superb athlete with top-tier instincts.
Similar to the Raiders, the Dolphins find themselves without a pick in the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. This is also due to a blockbuster trade for a superstar wide receiver, as Tyreek Hill now sports the teal and orange. There are a few different ways to go with this pick, but the idea of a leader for the middle of the defense sounds appealing. Darrian Beavers is versatile enough to serve at any of the linebacker spots, but he should step in as the MIKE in the Dolphins defense from day one, while sprinkling in some of his pass rushing chops on occasion.
The Rams are the last team to make their first pick, something they are not totally unfamiliar with. LA is coming off of a Super Bowl victory, and like the two teams mentioned in round three, they have only gotten better since hoisting the Lombardi. They have been linked to safety Tyrann Mathieu this offseason, but as of this post, those talks haven’t led to a deal. So, let’s add a safety through the draft with Kerby Joseph. Joseph is a jack-of-all-trades type of player that mixes incredible athleticism with a high football IQ. The Rams continue their trend of drafting well in the middle-to-late rounds.