Recent 1st-Round NFL Draft Picks with the Most Untapped Potential Entering 2023 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

No. 1 Overall in 2022 Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars' decision to take Travon Walker with the first overall selection was never a one-year decision. It might take the length of Walker's rookie contract before we see what his ceiling is.

The Jags shocked the NFL draft community when they took Walker over the more productive Hutchinson and more heavily-hyped Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Walker's athletic testing gave him the second-highest relative athletic score of any defensive end prospect since 1987. At 6'5", 272 pounds, he has a rare blend of size and speed that stands out even among his athletically gifted peers.

That athleticism and explosive first step made him the first-round pick, but it hasn't translated to otherworldly production—yet. Walker notched just 3.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in his first year.

Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell is pleased with his progress and expects more in Year 2, though.

"You can see the growth," said Caldwell, per Ben Arthur of Fox Sports. "Last year was a learning year for him, learning how to pass rush. Now he's to the point to where he knows what he likes to do. I call it his superpower. I tell him all the time, 'Use your superpower.' He has it, and he's working on doing that."

If the Jags can help Walker develop into a nuanced pass-rusher with good technique he still has all the tools to be an unstoppable force.