Mel Kiper 2022 NFL Draft Big Board: Examining Final Rankings Before Round 1

The first overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft may not be the prospect that sits on top of Mel Kiper Jr.'s draft rankings.

The ESPN analyst listed Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson as his top prospect in the 2022 draft class, but there is a growing consensus that the Jacksonville Jaguars will go in a different direction at the same position. 

Georgia defensive end Travon Walker has generated steam across the draft community over the last week as Jacksonville's top selection.

Walker is the No. 1 overall pick in Kiper's final mock draft, in which Hutchinson lands at No. 2 with the Detroit Lions.

Walker carries the most significant disparity between mock draft position and overall ranking. The same can't be said about the top quarterbacks, who are projected to land right around their spots in Kiper's final draft analysis. 

Walker Ranked 9th Overall Prospect

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft has been harder to nail down than most of the recent drafts. 

There is no clear-cut top quarterback, and three different defensive ends have been the betting favorite to be the top selection, per Action Network. 

Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux departed the college football season in what appeared to be a two-man race to be the top selection. 

Jacksonville is reportedly not interested in choosing either pass-rusher Thursday night. Walker has become the target. Kiper outlined what the Jaguars' thought process might be when choosing Walker over Hutchinson. 

"This pick has been leaning in this direction for the past week. The Jaguars must prefer what Walker could be over what Aidan Hutchinson already is (and I think Hutchinson will get even better)," Kiper wrote in his last mock draft.

Walker is the ninth-best prospect in the draft class on Kiper's final draft rankings, which is a large disparity for someone expected to go first.

Walker could turn out to be a fantastic player for the Jaguars, but in terms of potential right now, Hutchinson carries a higher ranking. 

The Georgia pass-rusher played on one of the most talented defenses in college football history. That could be backed up by multiple Bulldogs landing in the first round on Thursday. Kiper projected defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt and safety Lewis Cine would be first-round picks. Linebacker Nakobe Dean could also find his way into the first 32 selections. 

There is a chance Walker and Hutchinson both have great careers, which we will not find out for a few years, but for now, the selection of Walker at No. 1 will be met with criticism. 

Little Separation Between Willis and Pickett

Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett are the two quarterbacks to watch in the first round. 

Kiper ranked Willis as his 17th overall prospect, and Pickett was one spot behind the Liberty signal-caller. 

The first quarterback chosen may not come until the middle of the first round. Kiper projected the New Orleans Saints could land Pickett at No. 19, and the Pittsburgh Steelers might take Willis at No. 20. 

Pittsburgh enters the draft as one of the teams with a clear quarterback need. It signed Mitch Trubisky in free agency, but it could do better with a first-round pick.

New Orleans owns two first-round selections, and it could go in the direction of a quarterback if it is not 100 percent confident in Jameis Winston. 

The Saints have Winston and Andy Dalton on their roster. Two improvements elsewhere could help them contend in 2022 and wait for a better quarterback crop to come out of college in 2023. 

The weak quarterback class is one of the biggest stories going into Thursday night. Kiper ranked Matt Corral at No. 32 and Desmond Ridder at No. 36 in his overall ranking. Sam Howell is all the way down at No. 68. 

The complexion of the quarterback class would change if a team like the Carolina Panthers or Atlanta Falcons surprised us with a top-10 selection, or if Pittsburgh or another team trades up into the top 10 or 15 picks. 

For now, the expectation is Willis and Pickett are surefire first-round picks and everyone else could hear their names called Thursday, but they should expect to wait until Friday.