The 2022 NFL draft should be rich in wide receivers yet again. There are multiple tiers in the 2022 draft’s class of wideouts.
There’s the top group of Garrett Wilson, Drake London, Chris Olave and Jameson Williams. Then, the next group of players such as Treylon Burks, Jahan Dotson and Christian Watson. Then, you have everyone else. Georgia’s George Pickens is among the receivers in the “everyone else” category, who is coming off an injury, but otherwise would likely land in round one.
While Williams is also coming off a knee injury, he would likely be the draft’s No. 1 wide receiver if not for the injury. However, teams believe Williams will be ready for training camp and his combination of size and speed will be too tempting to pass up early.
The Washington Commanders need help at wide receiver. Sure, there’s smoke the Commanders may not be in love with any of the wide receivers at No. 11, but if the right player falls, Washington will be interested. Head coach Ron Rivera knows he can’t go into the 2022 season with Terry McLaurin as his only proven and healthy wideout.
Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network did his pre-draft media session Thursday and was asked about the Commanders taking a wideout at No. 11 overall.
Here is his complete answer:
“To me those are the top two wideouts in the class,” Jeremiah said. “There’s two schools of thought with wideouts. Coach Billick used to always say it and we used to talk about it all the time on the podcast, which is you kind of build out a basketball team of receivers you want. You know, guys with different skill sets, different sizes, different speed, all that stuff. You just wanted a basketball team. And then kind of with the Shanahan system, you kind of see more of we want guys that are interchangeable, you can play every spot, and you’re kind of real, real versatile in that way. Two different schools of thought around the league.”
“To me, Drake London would give them something that they (Washington) don’t have, just giving them that big frame.” Jeremiah continued. “He’d be a great fit there, physical; just love everything about his game. I have Garrett Wilson as the top wideout. I can’t imagine he’ll be there. There’s a chance London is there if both those guys are gone, McLaurin already kind of gives you more of a kind of a complete receiver. I think there’s been a healthy obsession with speed in this league, so I would probably come down to Olave and Jameson Williams. I would lean to Olave just because I think he’s a more complete receiver. I think he’s a little bit better route runner. So that would be where I would lean. And I guess there’s nothing wrong with going back to Ohio State. When you hit on one there, you might as well go get another one.”
No one knows for certain which wide receiver the Commanders have No. 1 on their board. I would imagine it’s between Wilson, London and Olave. Remember, Rivera didn’t visit too many pro days, but he was in Columbus to see Olave and Wilson. If Wilson slides, I believe it will be difficult for Washington to pass on him.
We are less than one week away from night one of the 2022 NFL draft.
