The No. 2 pick in the 2022 NFL draft belongs to the Detroit Lions, and there seems very little inclination by the Lions to try and trade up for the No. 1 pick. That means that the Jacksonville Jaguars control the player availability at No. 2 by what they do with the No. 1 pick.
In his NFL scouting combine wrap-up for FMIA, NBC Sports’ Peter King opined that he believes Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson will be the Jaguars’ choice for the top spot. In a subheading titled, “Aidan Hutchinson exits Indy as the odds-on favorite to be the top pick”, King notes,
I don’t believe Jags GM Trent Baalke and coach Doug Pederson will be unduly swayed by combine tests. But the tape says a lot about Hutchinson’s raw power and instincts and drive. His college production (30.5 tackles-for-loss plus sacks last season) has made some scouts compare him to former NFL edge player Jared Allen, who put up 136 sacks in 12 NFL season. Their on-field zeal is certainly comparable.
