The 6th Annual ITL Best NFL Draft Award
Insidetheleague.com Presented The 6th Annual ITL Best NFL Draft Award
The Best Draft Award is presented to the NFL organization determined to have selected the most impactful rookie draft class, as chosen by their front office peers.
The winner of the 2022 Best NFL Draft Award goes to John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks. With quarterback Russell Wilson no longer the face of the franchise, the Seahawks entered the 2022 season with lots of question marks. They needed to retool, and a key part of success would mean adding critical pieces in the draft. Mission accomplished. With their first-round selection, they found a starter at the critical left tackle position in Mississippi State’s Charles Cross.
In the second round, they found a 1,000-yard rusher in Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker and in the third round, they selected a bookend tackle in Washington State’s Abraham Lucas. Cross started 17 games, Lucas started 16, and Walker 11, but that wasn’t all. The team also got multiple starts out of Cincinnati cornerback Coby Bryant, a fourth-round pick, and UTSA corner Tariq Woolen, a fifth-rounder who started 17 games.
Both Walker and Woolen were named to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team, as Seattle finished 9-8 and clinched a berth in the wildcard round of the playoffs. Congratulations to the Seahawks!
2022 – John Schenider, Seattle Seahawks
2021 – George Paton, Denver Broncos
2020 – Jason Licht, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2019 – John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers
2018 – Chris Ballard, Indianapolis Colts
2017 – Jeff Ireland, New Orleans Saints
