The best time of the year is officially upon us. With the 2022 NFL draft live from Las Vegas in just one week, I have finished looking over game tape and slotting my positional rankings.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick for the second consecutive year. And a record eight teams have two first-round picks -- making up half of the picks in the opening round -- which breaks the previous mark of six.
This year's prospects are a unique bunch, as there isn't a clear consensus among the top players at certain position groups, which in turn creates a lot of intrigue. This is why my positional rankings below might differ from other draft analysts -- and vice versa.
At quarterback, it is unknown who will be the first one selected -- it could be Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett or someone else entirely -- unlike what we have seen in years past with Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence clearly as top choices.
A reminder that this is a defense-heavy draft class, with the defensive ends and cornerbacks being the strength of the group. We could see as many as seven edge rushers drafted on the first night of the draft alone. And at offense, wide receivers and offensive tackles feature deep classes.
Exactly 262 names will be called over the course of the three draft days, the most picks since 2003. But my final rankings cover 365 total names -- giving a complete picture of potential prospects available.
Here are my final player rankings for the 2022 draft class and where they rank at each position: