For the eighth year in a row, High School Football America is tracking where every pick in the 2022 NFL Draft played high school football.
California led the 1st Round with five former high school players picked. Georgia and Texas were right behind with four selections each.
18 states were represented in the 1st Round of the 2022 #NFLDraft. California led the way with 5 former high school football players picked in Las Vegas Thursday night.
— High School Football America (@HSFBamerica) April 29, 2022
Georgia and Texas were right behind Cali with 4 picks each. #playfootball #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/2cjbhB3eZi
The Jacksonville Jaguars chose defensive end Travon Walker No. 1 overall. Walker, who played his high school football at Upson-Lee High School in Thomaston, Georgia is the fifth former high school football player from Georgia to be selected as the top pick.
Related: Travon Walker was a very good high school basketball players
It’s the second year in a row that the Jags chose a former Georgian No. 1 overall. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who prepped at Cartersville High, was the top selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The other former overall No. 1 picks from Georgia are quarterback Cam Newton (Westlake HS) by the Carolina Panthers in 2011, running back George Rogers (Duluth HS) by the New Orleans Saints in 1981 and guard Ken Rice (Bainbridge HS) by the Buffalo Bills in 1961.
Related: See where every No. 1 overall pick went to high school
Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oaks Christian High School was the first of five Californians taken. The New York Giants chose the defensive end with the No. 5 overall pick.
The other former Californians taken Thursday night were wide receiver Drake London (Moorpark HS) by the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8, wide receiver Chris Olave (Mission Hills HS) at No. 11, cornerback Trent McDuffie (St. John Bosco HS) at No. 21 by the Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Devin Lloyd (Otay Ranch HS) at No. 27.
One player picked in the first round enters the NFL with family ties to the league. The Buffalo Bills chose cornerback Kaiir Elam (The Benjamin School – Florida) at No. 21. Elam’s father Abram Elam was a safety in the league from 2005 through 2012 for four different teams. Kaiir’s uncle Matt Elam was a first round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
2022 NFL Draft 1st Round
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | High School | State |
| No. 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Travon Walker | DE | Upson-Lee | Georgia |
| No. 2 | Detroit Lions | Aidan Hutchinson | DE | Divine Child | Michigan |
| No. 3 | Houston Texans | Derek Stingley | CB | The Dunham School | Louisiana |
| No. 4 | New York Jets | Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner | CB | Detroit Martin Luther King | Michigan |
| No. 5 | New York Giants | Kayvon Thibodeaux | DE | Oaks Christian | California |
| No. 6 | Carolina Panthers | Ikem Ekwonu | OT | Providence Day | North Carolina |
| No. 7 | New York Giants | Evan Neal | OT | IMG Academy | Florida |
| No. 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Drake London | WR | Moorpark | California |
| No. 9 | Seattle Seahawks | Charles Cross | OT | Laurel | Mississippi |
| No. 10 | New York Jets | Garrett Wilson | WR | Lake Travis | Texas |
| No. 11 | New Orleans Saints | Chris Olave | WR | Mission Hills | California |
| No. 12 | Detroit Lions | Jameson Williams | WR | Cardinal Ritter | Missouri |
| No. 13 | Philadelphia Eagles | Jordan Davis | DT | Mallard Creek | North Carolina |
| No. 14 | Baltimore Ravens | Kyle Hamilton | S | Marist | Georgia |
| No. 15 | Houston Texans | Kenyon Green | G | Atascocita | Texas |
| No. 16 | Washington Commanders | Jahan Dotson | WR | Nazareth | Pennsylvania |
| No. 17 | Los Angeles Chargers | Zion Johnson | G | Riverdale Baptist | Maryland |
| No. 18 | Tennessee Titans | Treylon Burks | WR | Warren | Arkansas |
| No. 19 | New Orleans Saints | Trevor Penning | OT | Newman Catholic | Iowa |
| No. 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Kenny Pickett | QB | Ocean Township | New Jersey |
| No. 21 | Kansas City Chiefs | Trent McDuffie | CB | St. John Bosco | California |
| No. 22 | Green Bay Packers | Quay Walker | ILB | Crisp County | Georgia |
| No. 23 | Buffalo Bills | Kaiir Elam | CB | The Benjamin School | Florida |
| No. 24 | Dallas Cowboys | Tyler Smith | OT | North Crowley | Texas |
| No. 25 | Baltimore Ravens | Tyler Linderbaum | CB | Solon | Iowa |
| No. 26 | New York Jets | Jermaine Johnson II | DE | Eden Prairie | Minnesota |
| No. 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Devin Lloyd | ILB | Otay Ranch | California |
| No. 28 | Green Bay Packers | Devonte Wyatt | DT | Towers | Georgia |
| No.29 | New England Patriots | Cole Strange | G | Farragut | Tennessee |
| No. 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | George Karlaftis | DE | West Lafayette | Indiana |
| No. 31 | Cincinnati Bengals | Daxton Hill | S | Tulsa Booker T. Washington | Oklahoma |
| No. 32 | Minnesota Vikings | Lewis Cine | S | Cedar Hill Trinity Christian | Texas |
