How much could Travon Walker make as the first overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft?
With the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Travon Walker out of the University of Georgia.
In what has been a dream year for the Thomaston, GA, product, the DE has now parlayed an NCAAF National Championship into being the top pick in the draft.
And with that, Walker has punched his golden ticket to being the highest-paid draft pick in the history of the NFL. With the salary for the No. 1 pick having ballooned in recent seasons, the small-town superathlete is about to a get a life-changing payday.
Per Front Office Sports, Walker's highest possible pact with the Jaguars could go up above $40 million for the first time in league history:
#1 Overall Pick Contract Value 💰
2012: $22.1 million
2013: $22.2 million
2014: $22.3 million
2015: $22.4 million
2016: $27.9 million
2017: $30.4 million
2018: $32.7 million
2019: $35.7 million
2020: $36.2 million
2021: $36.8 million
2022 projected: $41.4 million https://t.co/k68sm8gzKW
Some question if Travon Walker was the best choice for the 2022 NFL Draft No. 1 pick
Walker's name rose to the top of draft boards this past month. Very few pegged the Georgia DL as the top pick overall, and some even projected him to come off the board later than teammate Nakobe Dean.
As Peter Bukowski of the Locked on Packers podcast pointed out, Walker's numbers in the SEC didn't exactly jump off the page relative to even the No. 5 pick Kayvon Thibodeaux:
Kayvon Thibodeaux as a true freshman
9 sacks 14 TFLs
Travon Walker for his career
9.5 sacks 13 TFLs
EXPLAIN IT TO ME LIKE I'M FIVE
Travon Walker shook off a scare prior to the 2022 NFL Draft
Few would have ever guessed it after Roger Goodell (of course serenaded by a chorus of boos) announced the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, but Walker was in a car accident prior to the event in Las Vegas.
Ian Rapoport broke the details after the televised celebration from Walker and his family:
A big-time scare before the Draft: Georgia’s Travon Walker was in a serious car accident in Athens, GA before the draft, crashing into two parked cars, per me and Tom Pelissero. He emerged without injuries somehow. No citations. But a scare for sure.
A big-time scare before the Draft: #Georgia’s Travon Walker was in a serious car accident in Athens, GA before the draft, crashing into two parked cars, per me and @TomPelissero. He emerged without injuries somehow. No citations. But a scare for sure.
You wouldn't have known Walker was in a serious accident from his demeanor, but learning that you're going to be a multimillionaire tends to calm one's nerves perhaps.
While Jaguar fans weren't in consensus about his top overall selection, Jacksonville now has a top-line DE ahead of Roy Robertson-Harris, Dawuane Smoot, and Jeremiah Ledbetter on their depth chart.
Jacksonville has now selected an offensive player and a defensive player in consecutive years with the No. 1 pick.