Roughly a week before the start of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jaguars remain undecided on their top target for the No. 1 overall pick, according to NFL Media. Despite Michigan pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson being a popular projection atop the draft, coaches and executives around the league have pointed to Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke’s draft history as reason the Jaguars could bet on upside over past production at No. 1. Once again, per Peter Schrager, that leaves Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker as the team’s potential preference for the first pick.
“I’m told by people in the know that the decision on this pick is far from made,” Schrager wrote Tuesday. “With less than two weeks to go, the Jaguars are still building their board. The fact that it remains a debate (could mean) Baalke is leaning toward Walker.”
It’s not necessarily unusual for the team with the No. 1 pick to be weighing options in the weeks leading up to the draft. But the reality is Jacksonville’s top decision-makers, including Baalke and new coach Doug Pederson, likely have a preference one way or another. Besides Walker and Hutchinson, top offensive tackles Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu have also been speculated as potential targets, though the team using its franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson in free agency lessened their immediate need for help there.
If anything, the uncertainty surrounding the top pick speaks to the general unpredictability of this year’s class. Many of the top 25-30 prospects seen in mock drafts this offseason have been the same, but their order of selection has differed greatly.
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