For three months, Aidan Hutchinson has ruled the roost as the betting favorite to be the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. It made sense. Not only was he coming off a dominant season in which he recorded 14 sacks, propelled Michigan to the College Football Playoff, and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting — he also posted tremendous workout numbers at the Combine to prove he can sustain that breakout in the NFL.
But with three days to go before the first round kicks off in Las Vegas, the odds have shifted away from the former Wolverine and toward a lineman from the team that ended Hutchinson’s dream 2021 season. Georgia’s Travon Walker, currently at -150 odds, is the new betting favorite to be the first player selected in the 2022 Draft.
It’s a move that’s been building since February. Walker struggled to stand out on a loaded Bulldog roster, but his six sacks led the team’s defensive linemen. At 6-foot-5 and 272 pounds, he has the size and strength to win inside or along the edge. He also dusted off a 4.51-second 40-yard dash time that highlights the physics-bending play speed he’s capable of at the next level. Here he is showcasing that athleticism to chase down a wideout from 20 yards away and potentially save a touchdown in the national title game.
