Draft Day One Reactions & Previewing the Chances of Kalia Davis Being Drafted

Looking back at the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft and discussing top prospects still available for days two and three like UCF’s Kalia Davis.

Author:
Stephen Leonard
Publish date:
Apr 29, 2022 6:18 PM EDT

Las Vegas - The 2022 NFL Draft kicked off last night in Las Vegas with the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting Georgia’s Travon Walker. Walker is a versatile defensive lineman able to play interior and on the edge, as well as the ability to play outside linebacker. He is the second straight first overall pick for Jacksonville, who selected quarterback Trevor Lawrence last year.

Walker had been the presumed first overall pick for a few weeks after his impressive combine numbers absolutely blew people away. It also helped he played on the national champion Georgia defense which including himself had five players drafted in the first round, breaking the record for most players from one defense selected in the first round in modern draft history. His fellow Georgia Bulldogs heading to the NFL include monstrous defensive tackle Jordan Davis who was selected with pick 13 by the Philadelphia Eagles.

As well as, linebacker Quay Walker who was picked twenty-second by the Green Bay Packers, who also picked defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt with pick number 28. Then with the final pick of the night, the Minnesota Vikings selected Lewis Cine thirty-second overall and completed the historic night for Georgia Head coach Kirby Smart.

Another coach that has to feel elated after the first night is New York Jets coach Robert Saleh, who as a defensive minded coach saw his team pick two of the best defensive players in the entire class. The Jets started off the night taking Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner with the fourth overall selection. Gardner is regarded as an All-Pro potential cornerback, who gave up 0 total touchdowns in coverage in his three collegiate seasons facing high octane offenses like SMU and UCF, as well as powerhouse lineups like Alabama and Ohio State.

New York continued the smart picks, drafting a receiver that Gardner faced in college Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson with the tenth overall pick. This is a great compliment to a Jets’ receiving corps with Braxton Berrios, Corey Davis, and Elijah Moore, giving Zach Wilson a talented group of players to throw to.

Then maybe my pick of the NFL Draft would be Florida State’s Jeremiah Johnson, who some people had going as high as third overall began slipping after alleged character concerns arose just before the draft. The Jets general manager Joe Douglas, who had expressed interest in Johnson at both picks four and ten but made a trade.

New York gave the Tennessee Titans a second round, a third round pick, and a fifth round pick in exchange for the twenty-sixth overall selection and a fourth round pick. With the 26 pick they selected Johnson, and have immediately changed their outlook of a team with below average pass rush and defensive backfield to a team with young stars on the edge and at corner, as well as picking up a supremely talented wide receiver.

The University of Georgia’s five defenders weren’t the only history made, as when former PIttsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett was drafted by the PIttsburgh Steelers 2022 became the first draft since 1997 to not have a single quarterback selected in the first 19 picks. Pickett also doesn’t move at all as the university and NFL team share both a practice facility as well as a stadium. With Liberty’s Malik Willis and Ole Miss’ Matt Corall in the “green room” they watched as 32 names were called and will now look to today for their NFL dreams to be realized.

Rounds two and three also bring on our first chances to see a 2022 draftee from UCF, as defensive tackle Kalia Davis has been mocked by some as early as 82 overall to the Atlanta Falcons. After setting an All-American pace early in the season Davis went down with an ACL tear in the first half against East Carolina.

Davis has continued to rehab the injury in Miami, Fla. while attending the NFL Draft Combine as well as performing 30 reps on the bench press at the UCF Pro Day. Davis is one of many UCF players to be draft prospects after switching positions from high school to college. Davis switched from playing running back and linebacker to being an interior defensive lineman, while Bills’ receiver Gabriel Davis switched from tight end to receiver.

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