Grades are in: Jaguars '22 draft

May 02, 2022 at 01:29 PM

John Oehser

Jaguars Senior Writer

JACKSONVILLE – The picks are in.

With the 2022 NFL Draft now well in the rearview, let's take a look at how analysts viewed the Jaguars' first draft with Head Coach Doug Pederson and second with Trent Baalke as general manager. The Jaguars' '22 draft class:

Georgia outside linebacker Travon Walker (Round 1, No. 1 overall), Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd (Round 2, No. 27 overall), Kentucky offensive lineman Luke Fortner (Round 3, No. 65 overall), Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma (Round 3, No. 70 overall), Mississippi running back Snoop Conner (Round 5, No. 154 overall), Ouachita Baptist cornerback Gregory Junior (Round 6, No. 197 overall) and Arkansas cornerback Montaric Brown (Round 7, No. 222 overall).

Here's a look at how analysts saw the Jaguars' class:

Ryan Gosling, Pro Football Network: B+. "Jacksonville started the first round by banking on the upside of Travon Walker and ended it with the proven experience of Devin Lloyd," Gosling wrote.
Bryant McFadden, CBS Sports: B+. "I have some concerns, but they got better. The Jaguars improved over the three-day process. Devin Lloyd, I love," McFadden said.
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B+. "The selection of Walker with the No. 1 overall pick will ultimately be judged based on whether he has a better career than the other top edge rushers in this year's draft," Reuter wrote.
Doug Farrar/Mark Schofield, USA Today: B+. "The Jacksonville Jaguars general manager put together a solid draft class," Farrar/Schofield wrote.
Nate Davis, USA Today: B. "Roll of the dice with the No. 1 pick, and the Jags opted for Travon Walker's potential ahead of Hutchinson's production. Time will tell. But you had to like GM Trent Baalke coming back into the bottom of Round 1 to snag LB Devin Lloyd 27th overall," Davis wrote.
Eric Edholm, Yahoo!Sports: B. "They feasted on high-character, high-floor prospects and physical tone setters who can help the locker room rebuild in Duval," Edholm wrote.
Luke Easterling, Draft Wire: B. "The Jags took at big risk at No. 1 overall with EDGE Travon Walker, but the athleticism and versatility could make him a dominant force, so it's hard to argue with the upside. Trading back into the first round to steal Lloyd was a move that Jags fans might remember for a long time in the best way, as he should have been a top-15 pick," Easterling wrote.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: B-. "Taking edge player Travon Walker with the first overall pick is a risk, but he's a good player. Can he be a great one?" Prisco wrote.
Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated: B-. "Trent Baalke's 2022 draft was focused on rebuilding a defense and gambling on positional versatility," Orr wrote.
Mark Maske, Washington Post: C+. "The Jaguars were right to take a pass rusher with the top choice. But there's room to wonder if they took the right one, in favoring the considerable potential of Travon Walker over Aidan Hutchinson's proven college production," Maske wrote.
Pro Football Focus: C+. "Lloyd was one of only four college players at the position who earned a 90.0-plus PFF grade in 2021. Chad Muma is good value at this point in the draft, and there's real merit in that approach," Pro Football Focus wrote.
Danny Kelly, the Ringer: C+. "Jacksonville took a home-run swing in selecting Georgia defensive end Travon Walker, who brings high-end athletic traits and a prototypical frame but never produced much in college," Kelly wrote.
Danny Kelly, the Ringer (on No. 1 overall selection/outside linebacker Travon Walker): B. "Walker does bring a solid floor as a tough, physical, versatile defensive lineman," Kelly wrote.
Danny Kelly, the Ringer (on No. 27 overall selection/linebacker Devin Lloyd): B-. "Lloyd should be an immediate impact player; Lloyd along with big-ticket free agent Foye Oluokun gives the Jags a brand-new linebacker duo for 2022," Kelly wrote.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports (on No. 1 overall selection/outside linebacker Travon Walker): B-. "They can pair him with Josh Allen, but I would have gone offensive lineman here," Prisco wrote.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports (on No. 27 overall selection/linebacker Devin Lloyd): B+. "They made a bold move to go get him. I love this. He's a playmaking linebacker who can do a lot of things," Prisco wrote.
Eric Edholm, Yahoo!Sports (on No. 1 overall selection/outside linebacker Travon Walker): C+. "Can Walker be a franchise pillar? That remains to be seen," Edholm wrote.
Eric Edholm, Yahoo!Sports (on No. 27 overall selection/linebacker Devin Lloyd): B-. "This is another building block for a Jaguars defense that needs new blood," Edholm wrote.