It’s the annual NFL Draft. This year’s draft comes to us from Las Vegas, Nevada, the gambling capital of the world. There is no clear-cut number one pick this season, so there’s a lot of intrigue surrounding the top selection. For the second straight season, the Jacksonville Jaguars own the top selection. One thing is for sure, unless the Jaguars trade the pick, a quarterback won’t be selected with the top pick, as the Jaguars selected quarterback Trevor Lawrence with last year’s top pick. Let’s take a look at some of the frontrunners for the top of this year’s draft and take a look at their NFL Draft Odds to be the top pick.

One of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the year isn’t even a game or a contest.

With the First Pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select…

• Aidan Hutchinson -200

The University of Michigan product is one of the best athletes in this year’s draft. Hutchinson’s stats at Michigan were worthy of the top selection in the draft. He’s a proven leader, has a motor that never stops, and with a little bit of work, could be one of the best pass rushers in the league. His size and speed make him stand out.

• Travon Walker +190

Walker was part of the vaunted Georgia Bulldogs defense this past season. Walker has a ton of upside, and rumor has it that the Jaguars are very intrigued with Walker. While the knock against him is that he tends to take a play or two off, his size, speed, and athleticism are second-to-none. We’ll see if the Jaguars really do like him better than Hutchinson, or if this is just one of the many “smokescreens” that teams use as the draft approaches. 

• Ikem Ekwonu +1200

Once again, we’re hearing that Jacksonville may take the offensive tackle out of North Carolina State. This would be a surprise, considering that Jacksonville has made it appear that they’re taking a defensive player. Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke has gone on record stating that they’re considering four players for the top pick, so the assumption is that Ekwonu is one of those four. Drafting a cornerstone left tackle to protect last year’s top pick, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, would make a ton of sense. 

• Evan Neal +1400

The size, agility, and power of the Alabama offensive tackle has many teams hoping that they have the opportunity to draft Neal. Neal played both tackle positions in college, so he could step right in and play either tackle position in the NFL. He has great footwork and is technically sound. He played in the best conference in college football, and he regularly saw the opposition’s top defensive lineman. 

New Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson is an offensive guy, so maybe he decided to go with an offensive player. If he does, he can’t go wrong by drafting Neal. Whether or not Neal is worthy of the top pick is up for debate, but most mock drafts don’t have him falling farther than the 8th selection. 

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