The 2022 NFL draft begins Thursday and continues through Saturday (ABC/ESPN/ESPN App). The Jacksonville Jaguars have the first pick of the draft and are one of eight teams to have two picks in the first round, joining the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles.
Without a consensus quarterback, there are more divergent opinions about how the top 20 picks will go when talking to scouts, coaches and general managers. Only four times in the past 15 drafts has a quarterback not been the No. 1 pick — Myles Garrett to the Cleveland Browns in 2017, Jadeveon Clowney to the Texans in 2014, Eric Fisher to the Chiefs in 2013 and Jake Long to the Miami Dolphins in 2008.
We will track all 262 picks for Rounds 1-7, and you also can see all of the best available draft prospects.
The draft continues with Rounds 2-3 on Friday (7 p.m. ET) and concludes with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday (noon ET).
Here is the first round of picks, analyzed by our ESPN NFL Nation reporters.
Travon Walker, LB, Georgia | Highlights
Why they picked him: Walker’s draft stock shot up after the combine, but the Jacksonville Jaguars were already intrigued by the Georgia standout because of his versatility. He lined up at defensive end, defensive tackle and linebacker in 2021, and the Jaguars can move him around to get the best matchup. He’s athletic enough to drop into coverage, too, if the Jaguars want to get creative with him. It was notable Walker played his best football in the two College Football Playoff games; he’s a guy who ratchets things up when it matters most.
Biggest question: Walker had a career-high six sacks in 2021 after 3.5 total in his previous two seasons, so there is concern about a one-year surge. Walker also didn’t stand out as the best player on the Bulldogs’ defense – that was linebacker Nakobe Dean – so this pick is more about the Jaguars projecting what Walker can become. Every pick is made with that in mind to a degree, but the Jaguars passed up a player most draft analysts agree will make an immediate impact and be a perennial double-digit sack guy (Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson) for a player who has 9.5 career sacks.
Source: www.espn.com