NFL draft: Georgia EDGE Travon Walker believes he’s in play for No. 1 pick

We’re lower than every week from the beginning of the 2022 NFL draft, and we nonetheless do not know who the Jacksonville Jaguars will probably be taking with the primary total choice.

Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson may nonetheless be the favourite to be the primary title referred to as however do not depend out Georgia EDGE Travon Walker, who instructed Yahoo Sports activities he believes he is in play for No. 1.

“Me personally, I do assume I’ve a shot at being the primary choose total,” Walker mentioned Friday. “But it surely’s a scenario the place nobody is aware of the place they’re going to find yourself. You do not know what the individuals upstairs, the GMs, issues of that kind [are thinking]. A coach may such as you much more than the GM likes you.

“So that you by no means actually know the way it all performs out. I’m simply leaving it in God’s palms.”

Earlier this week, Jaguars GM Trent Baalke instructed native media that there hasn’t been a lot in the way in which of commerce requires the No. 1 choose and that he and the staff presently are contemplating 4 gamers in that spot — prospects whose last staff grades are apparently very shut. It’s believed that Walker is a kind of gamers they’re contemplating.

There maybe has been no larger riser within the pre-draft course of than Walker, who helped the Bulldogs win a nationwide championship, making a number of huge performs within the title recreation victor over Alabama. Then Walker went to the NFL scouting mix and turned in a whale of a exercise, seemingly altering his draft vector considerably.

Heading into the mix, Alabama offensive sort out Evan Neal was the betting favourite to be picked first. Exiting Indianapolis, Hutchinson overtook the highest spot — and was as soon as a reasonably sizable favourite. Now, not a lot. Based on BetMGM, Hutchinson presently sits because the -175 favourite, which supplies him implied odds of about 63.4% to go first total. Walker sits second at +140.

Walker’s stats usually are not as beefy, with solely six sacks final season in comparison with Hutchinson’s 14. Hutchinson additionally had two compelled fumbles and 16.5 tackles for losses, in comparison with Walker’s zero compelled fumbles and seven.5 TFLs.

Story continues

Walker did not play the identical position as Hutchinson and was that good on the mix that it was unimaginable to miss Walker’s uncommon abilities, handing over distinctive testing numbers — at 272 kilos, no much less.

“It positively shined a lightweight on the talent set I’ve,” he mentioned. “Simply my versatility to have the ability to do plenty of issues — transfer by means of the baggage, fast ft, issues of that nature.

In the meantime, a supply near Hutchinson instructed Yahoo Sports activities earlier this week that they nonetheless imagine come Thursday Hutchinson’s title will probably be referred to as first.

The best way this wild offseason has gone, we maybe should not depend out a 3rd possibility being in play for the highest total choose. So the thriller lingers. In a draft class that lacks intercourse attraction, that is an attention-grabbing storyline that continues to be unresolved.