The potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft was born with the Christian name of Yuri.
He played the trombone growing up.
He wasn’t considered the best player (or even the second- or third-best …) on his college defense, even if his defense was really good.
He hadn’t even started a college football game until last September.
Yes, it’s fair to say that this year’s draft has a little different feel to it than most years, starting right at the very top.
In a development that was unforeseeable as recently as January, Georgia EDGE Travon Walker (according to BetMGM) is now the betting favorite to be the first selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a mantle which Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson had held since about the conclusion of the 2022 NFL scouting combine.
The irony here is that Waker’s combine performance certainly was a massive reason why he’s the potential top pick. It just took us some time to arrive at this now very real possibility.
Prior to that, Alabama OT Evan Neal and North Carolina State OT Ikem Ekwonu each seemed to take turns as leading candidates for the top spot. Based on recent comments from Jaguars GM Trent Baalke, it appears Jacksonville has a final four of Waker, Hutchinson, Neal and Ekwonu.
Baalke appeared to be going out of his way to make the case for Walker and his massive upside last week, while simultaneously downplaying Hutchinson’s resumé somewhat.
“I think when you look at both those players, they’re both productive in their own way. (They were) used differently, totally different schemes, used differently within those schemes,” Baalke said. “… You’re looking at how they made their plays, how they were used, and then you have a vision for how you can use them. All of that plays a part, but traits are important, production is important. You weigh it all.”
Earlier Baalke sounded like a man who was at least hedging against potential public backlash for an unexpected pick at No. 1 when he said: “We worry about our…