Yearly draft Picks can augment a team’s defense and offense areas of the game. The choice every franchise makes is imperative to improve and reinforce their team plays on the gridiron.
NFL teams have the opportunity to choose hopeful rookies aspiring to build their careers and prove their worth. Here are the best impact draft picks in the AFC East Division.
AFC East Division
Buffalo Bills: James Cook, Runningback (Round 2)
Running Back James Cook is one of the best fits the Buffalo Bills ever had for the 2022 NFL Draft. In recent seasons, the position had been a problem where the Bills gave attention but had meager results. Cook has superb catching skills that can augment the third-down back this year; he could be the missing link of Buffalo’s Offense.
The Bills have now the solution for their current predicament in James Cook from the 2022 NFL Draft Picks.
Buffalo opted for Cornerback Kaiir Elam from the University of Florida Gators. The Bills have one of the top secondaries in the League with Tre’Davious White at the helm. Cook is the man for the position to back up White for the level up. However, Cook is not the usual running back who does best as a pass-catcher than running the ball out of the backfield.
Miami Dolphins: Channing Tindall, LB (Round 3)
Miami chose Channing Tindall in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 102nd overall. The Dolphins didn’t pick until the third round but filled a need with Tindall from the University of Georgia Bulldogs. He was one of the historic pillars of defense at Georgia last season with 5.5 sacks and 67 tackles.
The feisty linebacker does not possess the production skills that other players have, but what drew the attention of Miami is his talent. He racked up 5.5 sacks from his linebacker spot in 2021 and has excellent closing speed and reliable tackling skills despite not starting for Georgia.
New England Patriots: Bailey Zappe, QB (Round 4)
GM Bill Belichick recognizes the value of good quarterbacks. The New England Patriots chose Bailey Zappe, from the University of Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. Zappe is a superb fit for a team with his nearly 6,000 passing yardage. He spent four years
with the Houston Baptist Huskies of the FCS before jumping to WKU in 2021. His senior year was a historic mark throwing 5,967 yards with an FBS-record of 62 touchdowns.
New York Jets: Breece Hall, RB (Round 2)
The New York Jets needed a running back to fill up their slack as the demand rose on this post. The Jets chose Breece Hall for the slot; Hall has the build at par with Jonathan Taylor and the team is desperate to have him on their roll. The running back recruit will lessen the pressure applied on QB Zach Wilson. He is immediate relief and augmentation to the team’s offense.
NFC East Division
Dallas Cowboys: Jalen Tolbert, WR (Round 3)
The Dallas Cowboys suffered the wideout receiver depth after Amari Cooper left the team for the Cleveland Browns. The team is struggling as CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup hold down the team for the moment, and Jalen Tolbert certainly provides the filler needed by the Cowboys. He averaged nearly 18 yards per catch at the University of South Alabama and could be a great potential for Dallas.
The South Alabama Jaguar was in the first-team All-Sun Belt Conference grabbing 64 passes for 1,085 yards. After which he received the All-SBC Offensive Player of the Year in 2021 earning 82 catches for 1,474 receiving yards with 8 touchdowns.
New York Giants: Evan Neal, OT (Round 1)
The New York Giants have an issue with their offensive line. They tried to fill the slack in the past with few positive results until they opted for Evan Neal. Neal is a good fit for the offensive concern of the team. Offensive tackle Neal will take the right side of the offensive line as soon as the preseason starts to give QB Daniel Jones a chance to bond with the new coaching staff.
In Neal’s first year with the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in 2019, he started all his 13 matches at left guard. He then moved to right tackle in 2020 and was a starter of the ball club that won the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship in the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision.
After the 2021 season, Neal decided to skip his senior year to join the 2022 National Football League Draft.
Philadelphia Eagles: Nakobe Dean, LB (Round 3)
Linebacker Nakobe Dean could’ve made it to the first-round draft pick if not for injury issues. Instead, he settled at round 3 of the draft pick and is an excellent choice for the Eagles. Philadelphia was in a frantic search for a linebacker and Dean was the answer to that call.
Dean is a product of the University of Georgia Bulldogs with a record of 25 tackles despite struggling with injuries. He earned the Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker, capping the season as a key participant of a team that won the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship. He then stated his intent for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Washington Commanders: Jahan Dotson, WR (Round 1)
It is evident that the past two seasons had the Washington Commanders in search of a wide receiver to augment Terry McLaurin in the grid. Last year, the Commanders chose Curtis Samuel, who did not produce for the team.
This year, Washington chose Jahan Dotson to catch QB Carson Wentz’s projectiles and be armament in the Commanders’ arsenal.
Dotson displayed his ability playing with the Penn State University Nittany Lions with 91 receptions in only 12 matches last year. He graduated with a degree of telecommunications in 2022 and declared for the NFL Draft.
It is not certain how the teams are going to perform with their draft picks this season and in the years to follow. The new recruits seem to be each team’s best pick for their needs.