Major Shakeup in NFL Draft Odds (Travon Walker Surpasses Aidan Hutchinson as Favorite to Be No. 1 Pick)
By Reed Wallach
Welcome to NFL Draft week, where the rumor mill starts going into hyper drive.
After weeks of crawling up the odds board, Travon Walker has become the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft at WynnBET Sportsbook, surpassing fellow pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who has been the favorite since the Draft Combine. Walker is -200 while Hutchinson is now +180.
Here are the updated odds for the No. 1 pick:
2022 NFL Draft No. 1 Pick Odds
- Travon Walker: -200
- Aidan Hutchinson: +180
- Evan Neal: +1500
- Ickey Ekwonu: +1500
Travon Walker Becomes Betting Favorite to Go No. 1
It has been rumored over the past few weeks that Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke is in favor of selecting the Georgia pass rusher first overall, believing in his tools and upside to help be the foundation of the team's defensive line.
"If enough people are telling me Trent Baalke likes Travon Walker, I'm going with that."@PSchrags explains why he now has the Georgia edge rusher going No. 1 in his second mock draft. (via @gmfb) pic.twitter.com/JHhzVq5QBU
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 19, 2022
It's worth noting that Schrager wrote in his latest mock draft that it appears this pick is "far from made" and Baalke told the press that the pick is likely down to four players. Those four appear to be Walker, Hutchinson and the two offensive lineman: Evan Neal and Ickey Ekwonu.
Longshot No. 1 Pick
Other reports have linked Jaguars new head coach Doug Pederson to Ekwonu despite the team franchise tagging offensive lineman Cam Robinson this offseason. Albert Breer reported on Monday the logic behind a potential Ekwonu selection.
"And one common refrain, even with scuttlebutt I heard over the wekend that a Cam Robinson extension could be coming is that Pederson so values offensive linemen that even with a paycheck for a good-not-great player like Robinson - one ex co-worker of Pederson's said 'I'd think he'd want to keep building that up," Breer wrote.
"Jacksonville also has done a ton of work on the line group, and for what it's worth, I heard very early on Baalke likes Ekwonu."
While Walker has become the overwhelming favorite, this is a cautionary tale that this number has shifted so far that it is not worth a bet. With that in mind, it may be worth taking a look at Ekwonu as a long shot with the pick still being reportedly up in the air.