2022 NFL Draft: Grading the Jaguars’ No. 1 pick of Travon Walker

The Jacksonville Jaguars had the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and they chose Travon Walker. How does this pick grade out for the Jags?

The Jacksonville Jaguars opened up the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday with one of the most anticipated No. 1 overall picks in quite some time because no one knew where they were going to go.

Would the Jaguars go with who the owner reportedly wanted in Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan or would it be the GM’s wish of Travon Walker from Georgia?

We finally got to hear the news as the pick came in at around 8:15 p.m. ET and the long-awaited announcement ended the rampant speculation. The Jags picked Walker who has been on the rise in recent weeks as he’s been killing it in the pre-draft workouts, running a 4.51 40-yard-dash which blew just about everyone away.

Walker finished with 37 total tackles and six sacks this past season for the nation-champion Georgia Bulldogs. He also added 7.5 tackles for loss. He is disruptive and incredibly athletic up front which is going to cause plenty of issues for opposing offensive lines and he’s almost a blur. He can find his way into the backfield as the ball is being snapped.

The Jaguars didn’t exactly knock this pick out of the park, in my opinion, but there were a few ways they could have gone and this was relatively risky.

So how would I grade this pick of the athletic end from Georgia? I’ll go with a B+. There weren’t really any clear top overall picks and Walker was a surprise riser in recent weeks, but the upside is there.

Grade: B+