Jacksonville Jaguars select DL Travon Walker with first pick in 2022 NFL Draft

The Jags used the top spot to upgrade their defence by selecting 21-year-old Walker of the national champion University of Georgia.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected defensive lineman Travon Walker with the first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File) (AP)

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected defensive lineman Travon Walker with the first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Having made quarterback Trevor Lawrence the first name off the board in last year’s draft, the franchise again had the first pick following a challenging 2021 season.

The Jags used the top spot to upgrade their defence by selecting 21-year-old Walker of the national champion University of Georgia.

The 6ft 5in defensive lineman remained at home rather than travelling to Las Vegas for the glitzy draft event and will be lining up in London later this year.

The Jags will play a home game at Wembley for the next three years, having played under the arch for seven straight seasons between 2013 and 2019 before lining up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year.

The second pick went to the Detroit Lions, who selected 6ft 6in defensive end Aidan Hutchinson from the University of Michigan.

Defensive picks dominated the early going, with the first offensive selection finally coming when the Carolina Panthers claimed offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu at number six.

Kenny Pickett was the first quarterback selected in this year’s draft, taken at the 20th spot by the Pittsburgh Steelers.