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NFL Draft 2022: Jacksonville Jaguars draft Travon Walker No. 1 overall

By Sravan Gannavarapu

ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 06: Travon Walker #44 of the Georgia Bulldogs leaves the field at the conclusion of the game against the Missouri Tigers at Sanford Stadium on November 6, 2021 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 06: Travon Walker #44 of the Georgia Bulldogs leaves the field at the conclusion of the game against the Missouri Tigers at Sanford Stadium on November 6, 2021 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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In back-to-back years, the Jacksonville Jaguars draft No. 1 overall, and this year, they add a combine warrior in Travon Walker.

Outside of a run to the AFC Championship in 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made themselves comfortable near the bottom of the NFL Power Rankings. In 2021, they had the top overall pick and used it on quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Once again, they have the top overall selection, and prior to draft night, there has been a lot of speculation as to whom they will take with the top pick.

The initial thought was to take Michigan’s, Aidan Hutchinson. Another player of interest that suddenly became a hot commodity for the top spot was Georgia’s Travon Walker.

Regardless of who is selected, both men bring big-game experience and a winning mindset to a franchise that is still trying to improve upon the days when they first entered the league and were competitors among the more established franchises.

In the end, the Jaguars decided to take Walker with the 1st pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars use the No.1 overall pick on a perennial Pro Bowl talent in Travon Walker.

When he first arrived on campus, Travon Walker was a highly touted recruit, having had the opportunity to play at the 2019 All-American Bowl. In his first season, Walker played sparingly and recorded 2.5 sacks in 12 games.

However, his junior season was a breakout campaign—fifteen games as a starting defensive tackle, with 37 total tackles and six sacks.

Walker’s rise is primarily due to how he performed at the scouting combine. 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a 123-inch leap in the broad jump, and a 35.5-inch vertical jump. For someone that is over 270 lbs, those numbers are staggering.

But the question remains, is he just another guy who was just a starter on one of college football’s best defenses? Are we seeing another Mike Mamula-type incident where his draft stock shoot up because of the combine results? Eagles fans know that story all too well.

Walker has a lot of talent on him and no off-the-field issues. He is most certainly NFL-ready and will be an excellent player in the league. But does he warrant being selected this high in the draft? Time will tell.

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