How Georgia’s Travon Walker went from fringe first round to No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft

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The Jaguars had the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and in the week leading up to the event, they were rumored to be pulling an upset.

Many had thought Jacksonville would pick Michigan defenseman Aidan Hutchinson. But it became clear throughout the week that he would instead roll with Georgia defenseman Travon Walker.

Jacksonville made the election official Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Due to the rumors that were reported during draft week, Walker did not end up being a shocking choice. But few were calling him the potential No. 1 overall pick after Georgia won a national championship in January.

Walker rose to the top of the draft after rising in the months leading up to the draft. That’s how he was able to do that.

BENDER: Meet Travon Walker, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft

Why the Jaguars selected Travon Walker No. 1 overall

Walker became the No. 1 overall pick thanks in large part to his performance at the 2022 NFL Combine. He performed very well at that event, and it made the Jaguars fall in love with his athleticism and potential.

That’s not a big surprise. Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke has a history of drafting long, athletic defensive linemen dating back to his time as 49ers general manager from 2011-2016. That included drafting Aldon Smith, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in the first round.

It’s also worth noting that the top of the 2022 NFL Draft class was considered weak. This year’s crop lacks any true top-tier talent, so there was no obvious, consensus player as No. 1 overall.

That left the door wide open for a hyperathletic player to rise to the top of the class. Walker was able to do it.

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Travon Walker Combine Performance

Walker’s performance at the 2022 NFL Combine was spectacular. He checked in at 6-5 and 272 pounds and posted the best athletic testing numbers of the defensive line group.

Walker ran the fastest 40-yard dash during the combine. He also executed the three-cone drill in under seven seconds, which only two defensive ends did in the event. A look at his test numbers at each event.

Height Weight 40 times Vertical Large 3 cones Shuttle
6-5 272 4.51 35.5 inches 123 inches 6.89 sec 4.32 sec

Those numbers helped Walker win a relative athletic score (RAS) of 9.99 out of 10 possible. That means he is one of the most athletic defensive ends in NFL history.

Does that mean Walker will be successful at the NFL level? Not necessarily. But he gives him a significant edge, and that was something the top of the 2022 NFL Draft was missing.

How the combination impacted Travon Walker’s stock draft

The NFL Combine was the catalyst for Walker’s rise in the draft. Prior to the event, he was largely considered a mid to late first-round pick. ESPN’s Todd McShay listed him 16th overall in his February 16 mock draft, while ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. listed him 17th in his March 1 mock draft.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was the only notable analyst who raved about Walker. He cited Walker’s “size, athleticism and versatility” as reasons he could become a selection of the top five.

After Walker delivered at the combine, he moved up to No. 2 in Jeremiah’s mock draft on March 22. Similarly, he moved up both the Kiper and McShay mock drafts, rising to No. 6 on Kiper’s March 22 mock draft and No. 2 on McShay’s April 5 mock draft.

At the end of the draft process, Walker was the No. 1 overall pick in all three mock drafts. And unsurprisingly, the Jaguars made him the No. 1 overall pick.




Reference-www.sportingnews.com

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