NFL Draft 2022: Will There Be a Record Run for Wide Receivers in the First Round?

Wideouts have been at the epicenter of the wild offseason but will there be a run on wide receivers during the first round of the NFL Draft?

It’s shaping up to be an NFL draft in which the quarterbacks are taking a back seat to the edge rushers, wide receivers and the men in the trenches. There’s been plenty of discussion when it comes to signal-callers Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis. But come Thursday evening at Las Vegas, a quarterback doesn’t expect to be the first overall pick for the first time since 2017.

The focus could be on wideouts. There are quite a few to choose from. And it will be interesting to see just how many are selected within the first 32 picks. There’s the University of Alabama combination of Jameson Williams and John Metchie III, Southern Cal’s Drake London, and the Ohio State duo of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. There’s Penn State’s Jahan Dotson, and Alabama’s Treylon Burks, to name just a few.

NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein believes that there will be six wide receivers taken on opening night. The record for the common draft is seven, set back in 2004. It began with the Arizona Cardinals selecting Larry Fitzgerald with the third overall pick. Texas’ Roy Williams went to the Detroit Lions at No. 7 and the Jacksonville Jaguars opted for University of Washington standout Reggie Williams ninth. Lee Evans (13th to Bills), Michael Clayton (15th to Buccaneers), Michael Jenkins (29th to Falcons), and Rashaun Woods (31st to 49ers) round out the first-round class of ’04.

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One For The Record Books?

While seven wideouts in the first round would indeed tie the record (is 8 a possibility?), there’s something else to consider. If by chance five wide receivers are selected on Thursday evening, it would mark the third consecutive year that number would be reached. And that would be a first in the common draft era. The Class of 2021 was led by Cincinnati Bengals’ standout Ja’Marr Chase, who wound up earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. There’s Jaylen Waddle, who set a new rookie record for catches in a season (104) for the Miami Dolphins. And from 2020, CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) and two-time Pro Bowler Justin Jefferson (Vikings) have made their presence felt.

It’s also worth noting that if Williams and Metchie are chosen in Round 1, it would be the third straight year that a pair of wide receivers from the Crimson Tide are chosen in the first round. All told, it could be a record-setting evening in Las Vegas.