We’re almost a week away from the NFL Draft, which means mock drafts will be hitting the web at an alarming rate soon. All of them will be affected by the decision the Jacksonville Jaguars make with the No. 1 pick.
At the moment, it seems the team isn’t sure who they will take to start the draft this year unlike they were last year with Trevor Lawrence. However, it seems like the two top candidates are Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson and Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker.
Count NFL Network’s Peter Schrager among those who believe the Jags will pick the latter prospect. In his second mock of the year, he slotted the Jags Walker with the first overall pick though he says the decision is far from concrete. However, the fact that a choice hasn’t been agreed upon made Schrager go with the UGA star because if they wanted Hutchinson, it feels like the Jags’ minds would be made up by now.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars – DL Travon Walker
I’m told by people in the know that the decision on this pick is far from made. With less than two weeks to go, the Jaguars are still building their board. The fact that it remains a debate makes me think Trent Baalke is leaning toward Walker.
This pick isn’t shocking for a Schrager mock draft. After all, he is the one who help bring attention to Trent Baalke’s love for players who showcase strong physical traits like Walker.
At the 2022 Scouting Combine, Walker stole the show after running a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash and registered a 123″ broad jump figure at 272 pounds. That seemingly got the attention of many scouts and some have come away from their evaluations thinking he could be a dominant edge defender in the NFL.
Walker shares some of the same physical traits we’ve seen out of Baalke’s selections in the past like Aldon Smith and DeForest Buckner. And while Walker’s production on the college level isn’t eye-popping, it doesn’t appear the Jags are alone on the belief that Walker will be a much more productive pro player.