Twenty-One in ‘22 — NFL Draft Order Clarified for All 32 Teams; Patriots Projected for Six Picks

With the 2022 NFL Draft order now set, the New England Patriots are projected to have six selections.

2021…it’s been fun. We’re on to 2022.

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday evening, putting the capon the 2021 NFL Season.

As the championship confetti continues to be removed from the SoFi Stadium turf, the league now transitions to offseason business. While free agency is first up on the docket, the 2022 NFL Draft will garner its share of the spotlight, as well.

One of the first orders of business to be set was the confirmation of the Draft order. With Super Bowl LVI now in the history books, the records of all 32 NFL teams have been finalized.

As a result, here is the first look at the official selection order of the 2022 NFL Draft:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14 (.512)
2. Detroit Lions: 3-13-1 (.528)
3. Houston Texans: 4-13 (.498)
4. New York Jets: 4-13 (.512)
5. New York Giants: 4-13 (.536)
6. Carolina Panthers: 5-12 (.509)
7. New York Giants via Chicago Bears: 6-11 (.524)
8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10 (.472)
9. Denver Broncos: 7-10 (.484)
10. New York Jets via Seattle Seahawks: 7-10 (.519)
11. Washington Commanders: 7-10 (.529)
12. Minnesota Vikings: 8-9 (.507)
13. Cleveland Browns: 8-9 (.514)
14. Baltimore Ravens: 8-9 (.531)
15. Philadelphia Eagles via Miami Dolphins: 9-8 (.464)
16. Philadelphia Eagles via Indianapolis Colts: 9-8 (.495)
17. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8 (.510)
18. New Orleans Saints: 9-8 (.512)
19. Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8 (.469)
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1 (.521)
21. New England Patriots: 10-7 (.481)
22. Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7 (.510)
23. Arizona Cardinals: 11-6 (.490)
24. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5 (.488)
25. Buffalo Bills: 11-6 (.472)
26. Tennessee Titans: 12-5 (.472)
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4 (.467)
28. Green Bay Packers: 13-4 (.479)
29. Miami Dolphins via San Francisco 49ers: 10-7 (.500)
30. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5 (.538)
31. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7 (.472)
32. Detroit Lions via Los Angeles Rams: 12-5 (.483)

^{[strength of schedule percentage in parentheses]}

Following their opening round loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2021 NFL Playoffs, the New England Patriots found themselves in tentative possession of the 21st selection in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. With the season now over, the Patriots have settled into that spot. Despite sharing a 10-7 record with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Pats hold the tiebreaker when it comes to strength of schedule. As such, New England was awarded the earlier selection.

While picking 21st offers no assurance of the Pats drafting their most coveted player, it does provide a great deal of flexibility. New England may opt to select the best available player, or choose to trade down, as has occasionally been the case during Bill Belichick’s tenure in Foxboro. Of course, it should be noted that the Patriots are currently in possession of five additional picks, along with their first-rounder. New England is set to own the following six selections this year:

Round 1: pick 21

Round 2: pick 54

Round 3: pick 85

Round 4: pick 126*

Round 6: pick 199*

Round 6: pick-209*

*projected draft slots

The 2022 NFL Draft will be the 87th in league history, and is slated to be held in Paradise, Nevada, from Thursday April 28 through Saturday April 30, 2022.