The Jaguar won the 6-foot, 272-pound athletic freak against Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson, who set a school record with 14 miscarriages in 2021 and finished second in the Heisman Trophy vote. General manager Trent Baalke had been leaning towards Walker for months and insisted that new coach Doug Pederson fully agreed with the former Bulldogs’s choice of No. 1. Critics argued that Hutchinson was the most refined product and pointed out the limited number of Walker colleges. He had 9 1/2 layoffs in three years in Athens, Georgia, including six during last season’s national championship. But Baalke and Panderson see a more flexible player in Walker, who took moments at the back of the defense, the defensive tackle and the outside defense in Georgia’s defense last fall. Its main points include more than bags. stops running, encounters fast receivers in the open field and captures passes leading to interceptions. “He is a freak athlete,” Georgia’s defense coordinator Will Massab told the Associated Press. “I swear to God that he could line up in the midfield and do well. I would take him to No. 1 and I will not even turn a blind eye “. The Jaguars did just that. Once a dream NBA star at Upson-Lee High School in Thomaston, Georgia, Walker eventually became involved in football and quickly became one of the most sought-after recruits in the talented Georgia. He signed with the Bulldogs and played college ball just over 100 miles from his hometown. He spent his time as a backup during his first two years in Georgia – he joined the Freshman All-SEC Championship team – and really started to flourish as a junior. He started all 15 games in 2021, finishing with 37 tackles, including 7 1/2 for defeat and two split passes. Muschamp first met Walker when he was 10 years old and now considers him one of the best guys he has ever coached. “There is not a single red flag,” Muschamp said. “It’s the real deal now.” Jacksonville is the fourth NFL franchise with No. 1 consecutive selections and hopes to be the first to nail both selections. Tampa Bay (1976-77, 1986-87), Cincinnati (1994-95) and Cleveland (1999-2000, 2017-18) failed both times. The Jaguars believe that General Trevor Lawrence, the top choice of slam-dunk a year ago, is on the verge of becoming a star and just needs more help around him. Jacksonville signed with Evan Engram and receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones to a free agency to help Lawrence. They also brought in Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff five times to help renew an offensive line that allowed Lawrence to be fired 32 times. Offensive tackles Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu and Evan Neal were considered No. 1, but improving the team’s rush proved to be a more pressing priority. The Jags still expect to use at least two of their 12 total options to boost Lawrence’s defense and possibly his host. However, for now, they have a defensive building block to pair with team-mate Josh Allen, hoping to immediately improve a defense that ranked 20th in the league in 2021, tied for 27th with 32 dismissals and almost gave up. 27 points a game.
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