Fictional drafts are in vogue in the NFL off-season, but all too often they overlook the big event that precedes the draft: the free agency! Veterans additions have the potential to displace team project boards and fill big gaps in the list in both the short and long term.
With that in mind, we decided it would be fun to apply the fake draft formula to a free agency for NFL 2022 that doesn’t get what it deserves. What if the veterans market was held as a draft, with all 32 teams choosing available players based on their record? What if, instead of bidding on bargains, you could just “draw up” free agent rights for the upcoming season? It’s pointless, yes, but it’s also a fun exercise to identify the most valuable free agents of the year, as well as the most important needs of teams out of season.
See our free agency model for 2022, including the actual order for the first round, below!
Note: The following players have been excluded from the exercise as they are expected and / or reported to receive the franchise label or re-sign with their current team: Packers WR Davante Adams, Chargers WR Mike Williams, Chiefs OT Orlando Brown Jr. ., and Bengals S Jesse Bates III.
A long-term playmaker would be really good for Trevor Lawrence, but QB’s defense is paramount. With a left-footed shot of Cam Robinson coming on the market, Armstead can step in and give them an elite upgrade.
If QB with a big name was on the market, they could consider it. Instead, they step up the uninspiring attack with this year’s best veteran with skills. Even after an injury, Godwin drew juice from level 1.
Few defenders have been around the ball like Jackson, and Houston desperately needs playmakers on both sides of the ball. GM Nick Caserio knows him from New England and he would give the new coach Love Smith a real cover.
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GM Joe Douglas would prefer to invest elsewhere, but they have two players in the first round, and Williams is worth the salary they gave Marcus May for 2021. Their secondary moment would be improved by his reach.
Reaching for a narrow end? Not when the main priority is to calm down QB Daniel Jones. Evan Engram has to leave, and rising star Schultz could serve as Jones’ number one target in Brian Dabol’s restructured attack.
QB is the main problem, but they also mistaken the O-line. Sherf is 30 years old with a history of injuries, but it would be a monumental improvement to their interior, paving the way for better results on the ground and in the air.
The Bucs would like to keep Jenson, but they can’t afford everyone. Daboll, meanwhile, can actually make a real assessment of Jones by giving up a solid blocker to join a group with improved skills.
After Dante Fowler Jr. left, they still have a big hole to fill on the edge, where they have long struggled to find stable production. Adhering to Arthur Smith’s goal of taking advantage of Matt Ryan’s closing window, this is a quick fix game.
After proposing to Von Miller to stock up on elections for the 2021 draft, they could use a first-class rusher against Bradley Chub. Jones may be a shorter-term decision, but he remains a Pro Bowl starter and they are watching big changes in QB veterans.
Joe Douglas poured money into the position in 2021 with Corey Davis, but Zach Wilson still needs goal number 1. A-Rob could be the man to spend a year down with the Bears, giving New York a pair of big starters outside.
Ron Rivera is in dire need of an experienced QB upgrade, but this year’s veteran class is weak. Mathieu, meanwhile, would bring all sorts of fierce flexibility to the porous secondary, which could lead to Landon Collins coming out as a victim of the hat.
A potential theft beyond the top 10, the 25-year-old Davis will immediately take over as the top corner of the Vikings, giving new coach Kevin O’Connell a proven, title-winning building block for defense after Mike Zimmer.
Funny as it may be, this would be the perfect place for Odell Beckham Jr. in alternate reality, where he’s not divorcing Cleveland. However, Gallup is great as a promising external target for a host corps that can only boast of an aging Jarvis Landry.
Calais Campbell could easily secure another short-term deal here, but Ogbah offers a long-term rise and some emerging passes for a defensive front that lacks steady pressure.
With the release of Derek Barnett, the Eagles were able to switch from one early pass to another. The 25-year-old Landry stood in Tennessee as a 3-4 OLB, but Jonathan Gannon can use it creatively as a much-needed long-term starter.
GM Howie Roseman isn’t a man who spends too much on a midfielder, but he’s not spending enough on it now to the point that he needs a playmaker like Campbell did for the Packers in 2021. Suddenly, Philly’s defense seems tougher.
Poor protection when running? Jones, who has quietly emerged as a strong man on the acclaimed 49ers defensive front, would be a big help.
They could use QB, LT and WR aid more, but that’s for long-term value. At 26, Gesitsky is still a rising playmaker who can help make up for Adam Troutman’s average output. They recover, so it is much better than the interval.
19. Orly: WR Odel Beckham Jr.
The suit may seem like a winning addition, but he looked very energetic at the age of 29 before entering the Super Bowl. The Eagles already have DeVonta Smith, but they could really use another starter, no matter who’s in QB.
It makes too much sense and can work in real life. Winston may be a pilot for a year more than a real answer, but his big hand will give the Steelers at least a useful option in a position without a sure successor.
Mac Jones can use more weapons, and JC Jackson, entering the market, makes them needy in the corner. But Gregory is the type of Plug-and-Play pass rusher who can make his D-line ferocious with Matt Juden.
Casey Hayward Jr. is coming to market and their defense can use improvements almost anywhere. Gilmore, meanwhile, knows new coach Josh McDaniels of New England and would give the Raiders a cover man.
23. Cardinals: DE Calais Campbell
Meeting! And that would really help Arizona, as JJ Watt often clashed and Chandler Jones mocked elsewhere. Campbell is obviously a short-term solution, but his large body still works in front, both inside and out.
They have many other needs (OG, WR, TE, LB), but with Randy Gregory mocked in a new home and Demark Lawrence coming out of a year full of injuries, Clowns will give them an impressive short-term starter for their game “D.”
An angle or receiver would be smarter and more sprawling, but Tomlinson is a solid insider who could help Josh Allen stand up for the inevitable Buffalo playoffs over the next few years.
Tennessee is betting on overcoming the hump in the near future, with Ryan Tanehill below center, and that requires an improved front end. Taylor Leanon is a potential victim of the cap, while Brown is still a left attack of Pro Bowl caliber when he is healthy.
An unspectacular choice of a free agent from the first round, if there ever was one, but what will you do? The Bucs need QB like no other and Teddy, while better suited for the lead role, is the latest proven hand on the market.
Randall Cobb is aging and expensive. Aaron Rodgers wants to win now. Why not pair Davante Adams and Alan Lazard with a prototype target with a large body for one or three more playoff series with the current setting?
He is not necessarily an elite interior man, but Daniels will offer the new coach Mike McDaniel a ready starter – very important for a team that intends to build from the trenches outside.
An attacking pass like Haason Reddick would be good, but since Tyrann Mathieu and Charvarius Ward are both coming on the market, their secondary player desperately needs some depth of play.
31. Bengali: C Bradley Bozeman
Joe Barrow needs more help up front. This has been clear for a long time. Bozeman did appear at the heart of the Ravens line in 2021, so he would fit in just like an O-line quarterback.
32. Lions: OLB Haason Reddick
A potential theft at the back end, Reddick is just 27 years old with 23.5 bags in the last two years. His short-term and long-term potential will give Dan Campbell’s defense the much-needed impetus.