The Jaguars had the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and in the week leading up to the event, it was rumored that they would surprise.Many had thought that Jacksonville would take Michigan edge defender Aidan Hutchinson with the pick. But it became clear throughout the week that it would instead roll with Georgiaedge defender Travon Walker.Jacksonville made the choice official Thursday night in Las Vegas.Travon Walker is headed to the ! : 2022 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC NFL (@NFL) Because of the rumors that were reported during draft week, Walker didn't end up being a shocking pick. But few were calling him the potential No. 1 overall selection after Georgia won a national championship in January.Walker reached the Amida Brimah Jersey top of the draft board after making a climb in the months ahead of the draft. Here's how he was able to do that.BENDER: Walker became the No. 1 overall pick thanks largely to his performance in the 2022 NFL Combine. He performed very well at that event, and that caused the Jaguars to fall in love with his athletic traits and upside.That isn't much of a surprise. Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke has a history of choosing long, athletic defensive linemen dating to his time as 49ers GM from 2011-16. That included selecting Aldon Smith, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in the first round.It's also worth noting that the top of the 2022 NFL Draft cla s was considered to be weak. This year's crop lacks true blue-chip talent, so there was no obvious, consensus No. 1 overall player.That left the door open fora hyper-athletic player to rise to the top of the cla s. Walker was able to do it.MORE NFL DRAFT:|Walker's performance at the 2022 NFL Combine was nothing short of spectacular. He checked in at 6-5 and 272 pounds and was put up the best athletic testing numbers of the defensive line group.Walker ran the fastest 40-yard dash during the combine. He also ran the three-cone drill in under seven seconds, which only two defensive ends did at the event. Alook at his testing numbers in each event.HeightWeight40 timeVerticalBroad3-coneShuttle6-52724.5135.5 in.123 in.6.89 sec.4.32 sec.Those numbers helped Walker earn out of a po sible 10. That means he's one of the most athletic defensive ends in the history of the NFL.Does that mean Walker will find succe s at the NFL level? Not nece sarily. But it gives him significant upside, and that was something that the top of the 2022 NFL Draft was lacking.The NFL Combine was the catalyst for Walker's rise in draft stock. Before the event, he was largely considered a mid- to late first-round pick. ESPN's Todd McShay had him listed as the 16th overall pick in his while ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had him at 17th in his March 1 mock.NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah was the only notable analyst to be high on Walker. He cited Walker's "size, athleticism and versatility" as reasons that he could become .After Walker delivered at the combine, he climbed to No. 2 in . He similarly rose in the mock drafts of Kiper and McShay, rising to No. 6 in Kiper's March 22 mock draft andNo. 2 in McShay's April 5 mock draft.By the end of the draft proce s, Walker was in all three of their mock drafts. And as expected, the Jaguars made him the No. 1 overall pick. Related Articles Alize Johnson Jersey