Jaguars select Georgia DL Travon Walker with No. 1

The Jaguars started the 2022 NFL Draft with a surprise that's been mere weeks in the making. Jacksonville selected Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft Thursday night.

Walker entered the conversation for the top pick only recently and proved to be the winning candidate, beating out the likes of Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu for the honor of being the first player taken in the draft.

The expectation for Jacksonville changed as the pre-draft process progressed, with predictions of the Jaguars spending the top pick on a tackle (either Neal or Ekwonu, depending on a prognosticator's preference) shifting toward Hutchinson following Jacksonville's decision to franchise tag Cam Robinson for a second straight year. Hutchinson remained as the most likely choice until early April, with rumblings regarding Jacksonville's preference for Walker growing louder with each week.

Georgia's defense was littered with star talent in 2021, and Walker has become the first of the Bulldogs to learn where he'll play his NFL football.