The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Travon Walker, received a major scare recently when he was involved in a serious car crash in Athens, Georgia.
According to NFL.com, the Jacksonville Jaguars' top pick crashed into two parked cars at some point before the start of this year's draft. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport noted that even though it was a "serious car accident," Walker was able to escape injury. Not only did he walk away unharmed, but he also was not given a citation for the incident.
Although NFL Media categorized it as a serious accident, Walker downplayed the crash in an interview last week, calling it a "little fender bender."
Either way, the offseason has been a wild ride for Walker, who was viewed as a long shot to be taken with the top pick back in March.
The Jags are selecting Travon Walker No. 1 overall.
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) April 29, 2022
He opened +3500. Closed at -500. (via @BetRivers)
Although Walker had a solid college career, he was never named an All-American or even all-conference, which makes him the first No. 1 overall pick in NFL history to get taken in top spot without receiving at least one of those accolades, according to ESPN.
A big reason he was able to shoot up the draft board is because Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke seemed to fall in love with his athleticism over the course of draft season. Walker had an impressive NFL Scouting Combine that included running 4.51 second in the 40. In 2021, Walker started all 15 games at defensive tackle for a UGA team that eventually won the national championship.
Even though he was the top pick in the draft, Walker wasn't in Las Vegas for the event. The 21-year-old decided to celebrate with family and friends in Atlanta.
For more on Walker going to the Jaguars, including our draft grade for the pick, be sure to click here.
