NFL draft takeaways from free agency, trades, other moves

It has been a wild two weeks in the NFL, from shocking trades involving top-tier quarterbacks (and a certain big-name receiver) to big-money signings in free agency. First-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft have changed hands, team needs have been checked off and the makeup of the entire league — most notably the AFC West — has been shaken up. And we’re still waiting for plenty of high-end players on the open market to sign and likely another handful of quarterback changes.

But what does the chaos and movement mean for next month’s draft? How have the signings and trades over the past two weeks altered what we’re expecting when Round 1 begins? And will teams approach their first-round picks differently after already addressing needs in the early parts of the offseason?

NFL draft analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid looked at five major draft-related takeaways from free agency and the trade market, including how the wheeling and dealing impacted how Day 1 could play out. Let’s begin with what free agency tells us about one position of interest for the 2022 class.