The 5 best picks of the first round

Florida Gators defenseman Kaiir Elam. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Every NFL team believes it made a difference in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft, but these five teams deserve the greatest praise.

No NFL general manager making a Round 1 pick will ever admit to drafting a player who is less than a senior starter. Of course, the history of the event shows that the first round has more variance than NFL decision makers would like fans to believe.

Selecting the right prospects in Round 1 is an important step for any franchise looking to build a Super Bowl contender. Fans of the following five teams should be particularly excited to see the tips their respective GMs hit with their first-round picks.

5. Kaiir Elam on the bills at #23

Buffalo’s stellar offseason continued with the 23rd-ranked pick of the former Florida defenseman. Cornering was a clear need for the Bills in this draft, and they deftly advanced to snap Elam ahead of the competition as the cornerback run began towards the end of Round 1.

Elam has all the physical gift teams that want press coverage. He didn’t show great ball skills in terms of producing interceptions, but there’s no reason the production can’t be improved with some quality NFL coaching. Elam is projecting himself as a potential No. 1 cornerback if things go right for him. That’s a great stat for Buffalo down to 23rd place.