The 2022 NFL Draft is just around the corner  and it is still completely open who will be selected first.

Munich – Last year, it was still a simple matter for experts to predict the first pick in the NFL Draft. The entire sports world agreed that the Jacksonville Jaguars would select Trevor Lawrence and that’s how it turned out.

This year, however, it is an open race as to who the Jaguars will take first. Few experts agree on their mock drafts, even and especially at position one.

Aidan Hutchinson: The flexible steam pile driver

Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan is probably, as of right now, the hottest candidate for the first pick. The Wolverines’ pass rusher impressed last season with 62 total tackles, 14 sacks and three forced fumbles in 14 games.

“Coaches who have played him say he’s even more dangerous and better in real life than he is on tape,” said college expert Bruce Feldman of “FOX,” who took Hutchinson first overall in his mock draft.

“He plays downright violent, but he’s also mobile and, most importantly, flexible in terms of the defensive scheme,” Feldman continued. “He meets every requirement to be a future Pro Bowler. He’s the safest pick you can make. He’s not quite J.J. Watt, but who is J.J. Watt? “

The comparison to the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is no coincidence, though, his now former head coach Jim Harbaugh also tossed that name around. “He’s a lot like the Watt brothers,” Harbaugh said in an interview on local Houston radio.

“He plays every play relentlessly, he wants to eat up his opponent on every play. He can play the edge rusher or stop the run,” Harbaugh raves about his former protege.

Kayvon Thibodeaux: The polarizing problem child

Different from Aidan Hutchinson comes Kayvon Thibobdeaux. With 49 tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles with the Oregon Ducks, he doesn’t come close to matching Hutchinson’s numbers with his stats, but has already delivered in his freshman year in 2019 (nine sacks).

“The biggest concern teams have is that he just completely dives in some games,” Feldman explained. “He’s got unbelievable physical attributes, and while he’s not as heavy as others, he doesn’t have the size of a Myles Garrett or Chase Young.”

What teams might really shy away from, however, is his stance on football. “There are teams that don’t think football is the most important thing in his life,” Feldman said.

This is where Thibodeaux comes across as particularly confident. “I can’t believe there are people who think I’m not the best player in the draft. That’s nonsense,” he said at the Combine. That didn’t go down well with everyone.

“These statements are not the problem,” the expert analyses, “however, it goes hand in hand with his disappearance in certain games. Teams wonder ‘Hey, how come you didn’t dominate against this bad opponent?’ I don’t want to say he’s a boom-or-bust guy, but he’s not a sure pick like Hutchinson,” Feldman ends his analysis.

That “FOX” pundit, by the way, sees Thibodeaux at number eight on the Atlanta Falcons.

Travon Walker: Don’t look at the stats!

When you want to get a layman’s or rookie’s picture of a player, the first thing you look at is the stats – and they are underwhelming for Travon Walker of the Georgia Bulldogs. The edge rusher only managed 19 tackles and six sacks. 96 players in the country had more sacks than him.

However, in his case, that means fewer than almost anyone else. “He’s a great example of why you shouldn’t just look at stats,” “ESPN” pundit Mel Kiper knows. “Even if he doesn’t have great production, he always shows up in the tapes you watch. “

There’s a reason Walker has become national champion as an undisputed regular for the Bulldogs. “He’s always where the football is,” enthuses Kiper. Walker was especially impressive at the Combine with a 40-yard time of 4.51 seconds and a standing broad jump of more than three metres.

“His length is nothing but special,” writes Lorenz Leinweber in Sports illustrated. “He uses his impossibly long arms to hold opponents away from him and then uses the power in his legs to push them in front of him,” he says, describing Walker’s style of play.

Who will be the first pick in the draft?

As mentioned at the beginning, no one can say for sure who will be the first pick in the upcoming draft. As of now, probably not even the Jaguars themselves, who will get to pick the pick on April 28 in Las Vegas.

Each of the three players mentioned has both the potential and the quality to become the coveted first overall pick.

The only thing that is certain is that all three will end up in the NFL and will be able to make their mark on their respective teams.