Georgia’s Walker, Michigan’s Hutchinson go 1-2
ATLANTA — The Battery Atlanta was part of history Thursday, and this time it had nothing to do with the Braves.
Travon Walker, a junior defensive end from Georgia, was the first player selected in the NFL draft. Walker, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound graduate of Upsonlee High School in Thomaston, was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had the first pick for a second consecutive year.
“Absolutely, he’s deserving,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said from Las Vegas (the site of the draft) before the draft started Thursday. “I’ve seen more things than anybody else has in practice. … This guy is an elite athlete. We’ve known it all along, I’m just glad everybody else is getting to see it.”
Walker received the news amid a large group of family and friends gathered at the Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta to watch first round of the draft Thursday night. Walker awaited his call in a separate room along with his parents, agents from Elite Loyalty Sports, high school coach and closest friends. Afterward, the group joined Walker’s many well-wishers in a terrace area of the hotel to celebrate into the night while the Braves played the Chicago Cubs nearby in Truist Park.
Walker becomes the fifth Georgia football player in history to become the No. 1 pick in an NFL draft. He joins running backs Frank Sinkwich (1943) and Charley Trippi (1945), receiver Harry Babcock (1953) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (2009). That ties Notre Dame, Oklahoma and USC for the most No. 1′s in NFL history.
The Jaguars picked quarterback
Trevor Lawrence of Cartersville last year, giving the state of Georgia the past two No. 1 draft picks. But while Lawrence’s selection was long anticipated going into the 2021 draft, Walker was an extremely late riser up draft boards.
Even as late as last week, the Jaguars were expected to take either Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson or one of at least two offensive tackles — North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu or Alabama’s Evan
Neal — to provide protection for Lawrence. Instead, Jacksonville went with Walker, who blew away scouts with an incredible performance at the NFL combine in Indianapolis in February and continued to impress teams with private workouts and interviews in the two months since.
Walker’s video from games this past season wasn’t too bad either.
While some evaluators questioned Walker’s lack of overall production and playing time over the entirety of his three-year college career — he did not start until his junior year — he was a dominant at defensive end this past season on a defense that was considered among the greatest of the modern era.
Starting all 15 games, Walker collected 37 tackles, six sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, 36 quarterback pressures and two pass-breakups. Two of his sacks came in during the College Football Playoff, including a touchdown-saving run-down tackle of a wide receiver in the national championship game.
After running a 4.51-second 40-yard dash and getting measured as having 36-inch arms, 10¾-inch hands and an 84 1/4-inch wingspan at the combine, teams became increasingly infatuated with Walker’s professional prospects.
“I told his parents, ‘You’re son is one of one,” said Vince Taylor, Walker’s agent from Elite Loyalty Sports. “There’s nobody like him in college football with his combination of intangibles and height, weight, size and playing all over the line. … I told them, ‘our goal should be to be the No. 1 pick.’ That’s what my eyes told me, and my gut.”
Walker’s father, Stead Walker, is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, and his mother, Lasonia, is a hospital receptionist. He also has a brother and two sisters.
According to last year’s salary distribution, Walker’s first NFL contract likely will be worth close to $40 million, with as much as $25 million coming in signing bonus, which is guaranteed.
Detroit Lions take Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson with No. 2 pick
Sometimes, a plan perfectly comes together.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars opting to take Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker with the first pick of the NFL draft, the Detroit Lions were gifted the opportunity to add Michigan standout and Heisman Trophy runner-up Aidan Hutchinson with Thursday evening’s second selection.
Even though the Lions repeatedly told us all options were on the table with that No. 2 pick, positional value always pointed to edge rusher making the most sense at the spot, given the lack of an elite quarterback prospect and the team not having a need at offensive tackle.
The addition of Hutchinson arguably addresses Detroit’s biggest deficiency; a lack of a consistent pass rush.
The team has struggled to consistently affect opposing quarterbacks the past few years, ranking in the bottom-five in pressure rate each of the last three seasons.
Hutchinson joins a group that has some talented pieces, but plenty of question marks. Romeo Okwara, who led the team in sacks two years ago, will be attempting to return to form after suffering a torn Achilles in October. Meanwhile, brother Julian has also battled earlycareer injuries, which has prevented him from fully capitalizing on his abilities through his first two seasons. While the arrow is pointing up with the younger Okwara, he finished with just five sacks and 21 pressures last season.
And Charles Harris, who led the team with 7.5 sacks and 52 pressure prior to re-signing with the Lions this offseason, must prove his breakout campaign wasn’t an aberration after the former first-round pick struggled to produce his first four professional seasons.
Hutchinson, a southeast Michigan native, played high school football at Dearborn Divine Child, located just under 6 miles from the Lions practice facility. From Divine Child, he committed to UM, following in father Chris’ footsteps. A three-year starter for the Wolverines, Aidan missed most of the 2020 season with a broken ankle. He returned last season and quickly established himself as one of the top draft prospects, finishing the season with 14 sacks. He broke his the school’s single-season record previously held by his father with three sacks in a 42-27 victory over Ohio State.
At the scouting combine in March, Hutchinson further solidified his resume with an impressive display of athleticism. He posted elite measurables for his position in the 40-yard dash and vertical jump, while posting one of the best three-cone times of all-time for a defensive lineman, showcasing his agility.
In addition to his production, Hutchinson’s work ethic and leadership have been frequently praised by his teammates, coaches and outside observers.
His unimpeachable football character is the cherry on top for a Lions focused on establishing a culture grounded in those principles.
Detroit choose Hutchinson over other edge-rushing options, namely Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux and Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson. Other players perceived to be in the mix at No. 2 were defensive backs Sauce Gardner (Detroit King), Derek Stingley Jr. and
Kyle Hamilton, as well as quarterback Malik Willis.