Kayvon Thibodeaux, Aidan Hutchinson and Ikem Ekwonu all have spent at least some time as the betting favorite to be selected first overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
But with just a couple days ago until Jacksonville is on the clock, it suddenly became Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker.
The Jaguars are set to select first overall on Thursday, and for weeks it seemed like Hutchinson would be the guy to be taken in that spot – and he very well still might be. But the odds have shifted and now Walker is the betting favorite at most sportsbooks.
The change happened Sunday night into Monday, leading to speculation that word might have gotten out that the Jags plan to select Walker -- an idea that first gained steam about a week ago.
Appearing on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, FanDuel Sportsbook head oddsmaker John Sheeran explained why Walker became the favorite.
“When we initially launched this market back in March and added Travon Walker, he was 30-to-1 to be the No. 1 pick in the draft this year," Sheeran said. "As you said, Hutchinson has been the strong favorite since then. But overnight, we saw a real rush of what I would say is respected money for Travon Walker. And normally with these markets when you see a rush of money like this, it tends to tell an even bigger story than the bets themselves, so I would pay a lot of respect to the idea that Travon Walker will be the first pick on Thursday.”
Those comments seems to suggest that sharps -- or bettors who have an established history of hitting on their wagers -- were increasingly starting to bet on Walker. In our most recent mock draft, we still have Hutchinson going to the Jags, with Walker going a pick later to the Detroit Lions.
It still doesn’t feel like a sure thing that Walker will go first overall given how long that spot was claimed by Hutchinson, but if the betting trends are to be believed, then Walker might not be moving too far south to join his NFL team.
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