The Jacksonville Jaguars have the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. They are not going to take a quarterback after selecting Trevor Lawrence first overall last year, and the oddsmakers seem to think they have zeroed in on Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson. Although Evan Neal was the odds-on favorite a couple weeks ago, we have seen the odds move in Hutchinson’s favor since the NFL Combine. If Hutchinson were to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, he would be the 21st defensive player to have the honor. Hutchinson would also be the third Michigan player selected first overall.
2022 NFL Draft
When: April 28-30, 2022
Where: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network
No. 1 Draft Pick Betting Odds
Aidan Hutchinson -250
Evan Neal +550
Ikem Ekwonu +750
Kayvon Thibodeaux +1500
Travon Walker +2000
Malik Willis +3500
Kenny Pickett +6000
Charles Cross +6000
Ahmad Gardner +7500
Kyle Hamilton +7500
All Other Players are +10000 or More
Aidan Hutchinson just had the best season of any Michigan defensive lineman in program history. Hutchinson broke the Wolverines’ single season sack record, and he was at his best in big games. He had three sacks in Michigan’s first win over Ohio State in the Jim Harbaugh era, and he also had three sacks against Penn State. He ended the season with 14 sacks.
Hutchinson posted superb numbers at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He ran a 4.74 40-yard dash at 6’7 and 260 pounds, and he showed superb mobility with a 4.15 20-yard shuttle and a 6.73 in the three-cone drill. He certainly seems to have what it takes to be an elite pass rusher at the next level, but a good chunk of the value in Hutchinson is gone at this point.
Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu are seen as the top offensive tackle prospects in this draft. Neal was seen as the likely No. 1 pick a couple weeks ago, but he made the decision to only be measured at the NFL Combine. That hurt his stock in the eyes of some teams, especially after Ekwonu put up strong numbers. Ekwonu ran a 4.93 40-yard dash at 6’4 and 310 pounds, and he was impressive in the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drill too.
Jacksonville appears unlikely to take an offensive tackle with the No. 1 pick though now that the Jaguars have franchise tagged Cam Robinson for the second straight year. They want to have an experienced left tackle protecting Trevor Lawrence’s blind side, so that lessens their chances of taking either Neal or Ekwonu.
There is a chance that the Jaguars could take another defensive end. Kayvon Thibodeaux was the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school, and he was seen as the favorite to be the top pick before the start of the college season. Thibodeaux is a physical freak too, and he is a year younger than Hutchinson. His stats weren’t too impressive last season, but the overall talent is there.
The best bet on the board is Malik Willis. Everyone is down on the quarterbacks in this year’s draft, and Jacksonville certainly won’t take a signal caller after drafting Lawrence last year. However, there is a growing consensus that Willis is the top QB in this draft. Kenny Pickett was his only real competition, and his hand measurements scared off a lot of teams.
More mock drafts have Willis being the second overall pick as Jared Goff is not the answer for the Detroit Lions. We have seen teams get enamored with quarterbacks in the recent past, and it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine a team deciding to offer Jacksonville a nice package to trade up and land Willis.
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