2022 NFL Draft: 5 Game-Changing Rookies to Watch on Monday Night Football

The schedule makers are blessing us with a Monday Night Football doubleheader in week two of the NFL season! There are a handful of rookies from the 2022 NFL Draft that should see playing time this evening.

Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans

The former Arkansas Razorback was a favorite of many entering the NFL Draft cycle. His game film from college made him look like Deebo Samuel and AJ Brown, some popular comparisons that I didn’t always agree with.

I don’t like minimizing how special a player is by comparing him to another special player. Treylon Burks is not the next Deebo Samuel or AJ Brown, he’s simply the first Treylon Burks.

The Tennessee Titans, ironically enough, essentially traded AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for the right to select Treylon Burks as his replacement. So, even if I don’t agree with the one-for-one comparisons, Burks is going to be in the AJ Brown role in Nashville anyway.

2022 NFL Draft picks to watch this evening during Monday Night Football

In week one, Burks put more good than bad on tape. He was targeted five times, hauling in three of those for 55 yards. Even the two targets that Tannehill didn’t connect on with Burks were promising.

The first came on a long pass downfield that should have been called DPI. The next came in the end zone as Tannehill overshot the mark.

Burks primarily ran crossers, something that Brown frequently did for the offense. He didn’t get much of a chance to show his prowess after the catch last Sunday, but even against the vaunted Buffalo Bills defense, he’s going to have a chance to make some plays tonight.

Kaiir Elam, CB, Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, Tre’Davious White. However, he is currently on the PUP list recovering from a season-ending injury from last year. This puts the onus on the team’s 2022 NFL Draft pick, Kaiir Elam, to learn on the fly.

Elam, a first-round pick out of Florida, did not draw the start in the week one matchup vs. the defending champion Los Angeles Rams. To the credit of the Bills secondary, they held up incredibly well considering they were missing their leader at cornerback.

When he was on the field, Elam looked the part of a seasoned veteran. He has an NFL frame, which served as one of his most redeeming qualities entering the NFL Draft.

Dane Jackson is going to play, but keep an eye on Elam too. The youngster is going to be a lockdown cornerback in this league if he can clean up the technique and cut out his grabby tendencies.

I’d be remiss to not mention another rookie at cornerback for the Bills, former Villanova superstar Christian Benford. He looked like a steal after playing well against the Giants in week one. Buffalo selected him in the sixth round, and tonight should show us whether or not the preseason and week one performances were just a blip on the radar.

Lewis Cine, DB, Minnesota Vikings

Another star defensive back is going to be in the spotlight tonight. Lewis Cine, a key piece to the stacked Georgia defense from 2021, is slated to make his NFL debut in week two vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cine came off the board at No. 32 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft after the Vikings traded all the way down the draft board with the Detroit Lions. Cine is a hard-hitting safety that makes his presence felt in coverage and as an extra defender in the box.

His high-end tackling is something that the Vikings will need tonight against a run game as strong as the Eagles possess. He’s also going to be tasked with keeping pass catchers in front of him, something that isn’t as easy against Philadelphia as it was in 2021.

The Vikings and Eagles both look to be among the most improved rosters in the NFL. After beating the brakes off of their divisional rival Green Bay Packers, Minnesota will be looking for a 2-0 start on their season. Lewis Cine should be a shot in the arm for the Viking’s defense.

Ed Ingram, OL, Minnesota Vikings

One of the most slept-on players from the 2022 NFL Draft class is offensive lineman Ed Ingram. The former LSU Tiger graded out incredibly well in pass protection and as a run blocker during his time in Baton Rouge.

He earned an invite to the Senior Bowl after finishing up his stellar career, and he proved to be a standout in Mobile. Ingram earned honors as the best offensive lineman for the week for his team, propelling his name up NFL Draft rankings.

Still, as the draft approached, Ingram was nowhere to be found on a majority of two-round mock drafts. To the credit of Minnesota’s new regime, they saw what Ingram could bring to their offensive line and didn’t wait to take him.

The Vikings took Ingram at No. 59 overall in the second round, and he immediately brought an edge to the group that didn’t exist before his arrival. Ingram has proven to be a nasty run blocker so far, clearing out space for his running backs during the offseason workouts and preseason.

Ingram is still a work in progress when it comes to pass protection, but seeing how well he graded out in college, there’s reason to believe that improvements are on the way in that department. As stated, the Vikings are ready to make that leap to the top of the NFC, and Ed Ingram will play a crucial role in doing so.

Jordan Davis, DL, Philadelphia Eagles

This Georgia Bulldog dominated college football in 2021. Davis was one of the best players in the country, regardless of which side of the ball we are talking about.

Jordan Davis’ biggest concern, no pun intended, is that he’s such a large human being. While it benefits him on the gridiron, it’s also a reason why he wasn’t an every-down player during his time in Athens.

Davis got embarrassed during the SEC Title game against Alabama, with Nick Saban keeping his foot on the gas and directing Bill O’Brien to run no-huddle in an effort to gas the Bulldog’s defense. This worked, but when the two teams squared off a month later in the National Championship, Davis got the last laugh.

The behemoth defensive tackle showed up in the best shape of his life and wrecked the game, helping finally lead his squad to the promised land. He kept this form as he headed to the NFL Draft Scouting Combine, and set the world ablaze when he tested like a man that was made in a laboratory.

After seeing the conditioning issues put to rest, the Eagles selected Davis in the middle of the first round in the 2022 NFL Draft. So far with Philly, Davis looks to be in peak physical form. He graded out as the best rookie defensive lineman in week one against the Detroit Lions.

Tonight he will go head to head with the Minnesota Vikings. He will be battling with the aforementioned Ed Ingram all night, hoping to shut down running back Dalvin Cook. Davis creates immense pressure on passing downs, as well, so Kirk Cousins better be aware of this as his squad welcomes the Eagles to town.