The 2022 NFL trade deadline is officially in the books. The trade deadline in the NFL usually isn't as hectic as it is in other big sports leagues such as the NBA and MLB, but yesterday's deadline in the NFL was quite hectic, and actually went down as the busiest trade deadline in the history of the league.
Big moves were being made in the buildup to the deadline, and that certainly didn't stop on Tuesday afternoon. All in all, there were 10 trades made on Tuesday, with a few more big ones being made in the days before the deadline. In retrospect, it was quite a successful deadline day for the NFL and their fans.
It's clear that a few teams had successful outings at the trade deadline, and while there were also some teams that didn't have a great day, we are going to focus on the winners of the day for now. Let's take a look at the three biggest winners from the 2022 NFL trade deadline and see why the moves they made will make their teams better down the stretch of the season.
3. Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have been surprisingly good to open the 2022 season, as their 6-1 record has them sitting in the number two seed in the NFC playoff picture currently. They were unsurprisingly buyers at the deadline, and they pulled off one of the bigger moves of the day when they acquired T.J. Hockenson from their divisional rival in the Detroit Lions.
This is a huge move for the Vikings, as it adds another weapon to an offense that already features Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, and Adam Thielen. Minnesota has never really had a top tier tight end during Kirk Cousins' time under center, but now they have one of the best in the game in Hockenson suiting up for them.
The Vikings also didn't have to give up a ton to land Hockenson, as it took just a 2023 second-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick to land him and a pair of fourth-rounders from Detroit. Hockenson is already a weapon at tight end, and he's still just 25 years old, so if he can quickly pick up the Vikings offense, this could easily go down as the steal of the trade deadline.
2. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens made their big move on Monday, the day before the actual deadline, but it still makes them a winner when looking back at all the action. The Ravens picked up Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears in exchange for A.J. Klein, a 2023 second-round draft pick, and a 2023 fifth-round draft pick, and it quickly became clear the Ravens had a steal on their hands.
Smith forced his way out of Chicago because he didn't get the contract extension he was looking for this offseason from the Bears, and that's something the Ravens will now have to deal with. But Smith is arguably the top inside linebacker in the NFL right now, and he's still just 25 years old. You can't put a price on that type of talent in the NFL right now.
Even with the expensive contract the Ravens just signed themselves up for with Smith, they managed to pick him up without giving up a first-round pick, which is a huge win. Baltimore will happily fork over a second-round pick for one of the top linebackers in the game, and this will quickly make their defense ten times better as they look to run away with the AFC North.
1. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins will easily walk away from the 2022 trade deadline as the biggest winner. They started things off by swinging a blockbuster deal for Denver Broncos star pass rusher Bradley Chubb, then replaced Chase Edmonds, who was included in the deal for Chubb, with Jeff Wilson Jr. When all was said and done, it was hard to ignore the improvements that Miami made to their roster.
Trade rumors had been swirling around Chubb for a while, but it didn't seem inherently likely that he would get moved at the deadline. If he did, though, I viewed the Dolphins as one of the teams that should be in the running for his services, and his addition to their defense is a scary sight for the rest of the league.
They also upgraded their running back room with the addition of Wilson, adding to an already dangerous offense. The Dolphins have been aggressive in building their team around Tua Tagovailoa, and so far the results have been encouraging. Their efforts didn't stop at the trade deadline, and Miami proved that they mean business this season with a busy deadline day.
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