Next 2022 NFL Draft Picks Set for New Contracts After Garrett Wilson Deal

Garrett Wilson was in the headlines Monday after the New York Jets star agreed to a four-year, $130 million contract extension with $90 million in guaranteed money.

By accepting that offer from the New York Jets, Wilson became the second member of the 2022 NFL draft class to ink a blockbuster extension, following a record-setting three-year, $90 million deal that Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. agreed to in March.

While Wilson and Stingley were the initial first-rounders from an impressive 2022 class to re-up with their incumbent clubs, they certainly won’t be the last.

There are many more first-round picks who should soon cash in, as 17 other members of the class had their fifth-year options picked up but are still seeking an extension that would keep them under contract beyond the 2026 campaign.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the 2022 draft picks who should sign contract extensions in the near future.

Edge Travon Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 1 Overall)

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have made a slight misstep in choosing Travon Walker’s upside over Aidan Hutchinson’s proven production at the top of the 2022 draft, but they can’t be too disappointed with how the selection has played out.

Walker shook off a mediocre rookie campaign to post back-to-back double-digit-sack seasons in 2023-24. He started all 34 games, and his 20.5 sacks rank fifth in the NFL during that span.

While Walker hasn’t garnered any Pro Bowl nods, it seems it’s only a matter of time before the rangy, athletic edge-rusher earns more recognition. It hasn’t helped Walker’s case that the Jaguars struggled in recent seasons, including a trying 2024 that saw the club post an unsightly 4-13 record while fielding a poor defense that ranked No. 31 in the league in yards conceded.

Brighter days are ahead for the Jags under the incoming regime helmed by head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone. Walker appears to be in the team’s long-term plans, evidenced by his fifth-year option being picked up while fellow 2022 first-rounder Devin Lloyd had his declined.

Jacksonville’s brass has engaged in extension talks with Walker, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him eventually cash in with a new deal that pays him in the neighborhood of $30 million per season.

Edge Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions (No. 2 Overall)

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Aidan Hutchinson has been downright dominant since he first stepped foot on an NFL field. Motivated by the Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to pass on him with the No. 1 overall pick, Hutchinson went on to record 9.5 sacks in 2022 and finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race.

Hutchinson showed his first-year performance was no fluke when he started all 17 games for a second consecutive season while improving his sack total to 11.5. That effort earned him his first Pro Bowl nod, although Hutchinson saved some of his best work for the playoffs.

During the Detroit Lions’ run to the NFC Championship Game, Hutchinson recorded 10 tackles, three sacks and a pair of passes defensed in just three contests.

An unfortunate ACL tear cut short what was shaping up to be Hutchinson’s true breakout season in 2024. Prior to the devastating knee injury, the edge-rusher had amassed a league-leading 7.5 sacks in just five games and was a front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

While Hutchinson’s momentum was temporarily stalled by the ailment, he’s made it clear that his best is yet to come. During an interview with CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson, the Lions star struck back at the “high-floor, low-ceiling” label he was tagged with leading up to the 2022 draft and said he’s continuing to develop and add to his game each year.

Opposing quarterbacks should fear a fully recovered and healthy Hutchinson. He’s already had his fifth-year option picked up by Detroit and it won’t be long before the rising franchise locks down its defensive leader with a potential record-setting extension that could eclipse the $40 million per year mark.

CB Sauce Gardner, New York Jets (No. 4 Overall)

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Editor's Note: Gardner received a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension on Tuesday.

With Garrett Wilson’s deal done, the New York Jets took care of one of the two foundational pieces they selected during the 2022 draft. Now it’s time for the club to come to terms with Sauce Gardner, the star corner who went six picks ahead of Wilson and has gone on to anchor one of the league’s top defensive units.

Gardner made what is often a difficult transition from playing corner in college to the pros look easy. He ran away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2022—garnering 46 of 50 first-place votes—and earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods after racking up a league-best 20 pass defenses to go along with his 75 tackles and two interceptions.

Gardner didn’t rest on his laurels, going on to make another set of Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams in 2023. Although he had a down 2024 by his lofty standards, the star defensive back still only allowed a 56.9 percent completion rate in coverage and gave up just a single touchdown in 15 starts.

While Gardner didn’t three-peat as an All-Pro, he’s on the cusp of being paid as the top cornerback in the league.

Derek Stingley Jr.—the Houston Texans cornerback taken one pick ahead of Gardner—set the table for his positional mate when he inked a three-year deal worth $30 million annually. That appears to be Gardner’s floor, one that could be eclipsed by a significant margin if the recent above-market deal Wilson signed is any indication of how the corner's negotiations with Jets general manager Darren Mougey will play out.

WR Drake London, Atlanta Falcons (No. 8 Overall)

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The Atlanta Falcons have struggled to find a competent quarterback since Matt Ryan’s departure in 2021, but that hasn’t stopped Drake London from emerging as one of the NFL’s most consistent wideouts over the last three seasons.

London was the first receiver off the board in 2022 and has more than lived up to the lofty expectations that come with that status. He opened his career with a 72-catch, 866-yard, four-touchdown rookie campaign and has gone on to improve his numbers in each subsequent season.

While London hasn’t punched a Pro Bowl ticket yet, he made a strong case with a career-best performance in 2024. The sure-handed, big-bodied wideout ranked third in the league in targets (158), fourth in receiving yards (1,271) and ninth in both receptions (100) and touchdown catches (nine).

London accomplished this while working with an ineffective Kirk Cousins for much of the season. He took his game to another level when rookie signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. entered the lineup down the stretch. During the final two games of 2024, London racked up 293 yards and two scores on 17 receptions.

That was only a small glimpse of the Penix-London battery's vast potential, a burgeoning connection that should be on full display throughout the upcoming season. Expect London to make a significant leap with Penix under center, eventually earning what may be an even richer extension than the one Garrett Wilson recently set the market for young star wideouts with.

S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens (No. 14 Overall)

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The Baltimore Ravens hit a home run with their pick of Kyle Hamilton near the midpoint of the 2022 NFL draft’s first round.

The first of just two safeties to come off the board on Day 1—No. 32 overall pick Lewis Cine, who has played sparingly for three different teams over the past three seasons, was the other—Hamilton has more than matched the high expectations that come with being such an early selection at this position.

Although Hamilton’s rookie year didn’t move the needle too much, the jumbo-sized defensive back earned invaluable reps across 16 games—including four starts—that paid dividends during a breakout 2023 campaign.

Hamilton would go on to not only earn his first Pro Bowl nod, but also make the All-Pro team in 2023—a season in which he recorded 81 tackles, 13 pass defenses, four interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown) and three sacks.

Hamilton showcased his elite versatility in 2024, earning a second consecutive Pro Bowl spot despite transitioning from a strong safety consistently deployed near the box to free safety roaming the back lines of Baltimore’s defense during the latter half of the campaign.

In total, the 24-year-old accumulated a career-high 107 tackles to go along with nine pass defenses, a pair of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception last season.

With a market value of over $20.3 million per year (per Spotrac) and both Antoine Winfield Jr. and Kerby Joseph netting $21 million per season on their recent extensions, Hamilton is on pace to become the league’s highest-paid safety when he’s inevitably re-upped by the Ravens.