Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was long considered to be the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, even though the Jacksonville Jaguars were keeping their cards close to the vest.
It wasn’t until the final days before the draft that Georgia’s Travon Walker emerged as the Jaguars’ preference. That was a decision that didn’t sit well with Hutchinson, who was instead picked second overall by the Detroit Lions.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Hutchinson said Thursday that the Jaguars’ choice “will stick with me forever.”
Hutchinson said he “thought I was going (No. 1 to Jacksonville) for about three months and then a week before the draft something changed.”
“I guess my arms were just not quite long enough, but that hit a week before the draft,” Hutchinson said. “I mean, we’ll see if that inch or couple inches was the difference.”
So far, Hutchinson has been the more impactful player with 5.5 sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Walker has 2.5 sacks and an interception.
But part of the Jaguars’ motivation for picking Walker was due to the lofty ceiling his size and athleticism offer. His 4.51-second 40-yard dash was more than two-tenths of a second faster than Hutchinson’s. And as Hutchinson alluded to, Walker’s arms measured in at 35.5 inches, more than three inches longer than Hutchinson’s.
The Lions have reason to feel good about their selection of Hutchinson, especially after he was named the Defensive Rookie of the Month for November. But it’ll take more than 12 weeks to determine whether or not the Jaguars made the wrong call by picking Walker.