The first 24 picks in the 2022 NFL draft are now fully slotted. The Detroit Lions earned the No. 2 overall pick on their own, but we still don’t know where the Lions’ second first-rounder, acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in a trade, will come.
The Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals, 34-11, in Monday night’s wild card game. Had the Rams lost, Detroit would have received the No. 23 overall pick from Los Angeles. But because the Rams and QB Matthew Stafford — the player traded away for the pick — came out victorious, the highest the pick can be is now No. 26.
The Rams play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC divisional round. If Los Angeles loses, their 12-5 record will automatically be better than at least one of the teams that lose. Picks are slotted by regular season records after each round, with fewer wins earning higher picks.
If the Rams lose and the Chiefs and Packers also lose, the pick will stay at No. 26. It bumps to No. 27 if only one of those teams loses. Should the Rams win and advance to the NFC championship game, the highest the pick can be is No. 29 overall.
How the Rams finish in the 2021 postseason does not impact the fate of the 2023 first-round pick the Lions also acquired from the Rams in the trade.
