Odds Say Travon Walker Will Be Top Pick In Wide-Open NFL Draft

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There's no clear-cut choice for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday. Whomever the Jacksonville Jaguars will select this year remains a mystery. That, of course, is a far cry from last year, when all the Earth and perhaps parts of Mars knew they would take quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Now, the consensus at OutKick is that the Jaguars will go with Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, as relayed by Armando Salguero. But that's not what the sportsbooks are saying. They're saying that if you're a betting man or woman, the smart money is on Georgia defensive end Travon Walker.

Travon Walker

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Travon Walker has a shot to go No. 1 in the NFL Draft. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

That's a bit of a surprise because last week everyone agreed with OutKick, including the sportsbooks. "Walker, who was not even listed when some sportsbooks set the odds on which player would be the No. 1 pick, surged passed Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson late Sunday and now sits atop oddsboards at books across the country," wrote Dave Purdum of ESPN. "Hutchinson had been the outright favorite since early March." This is true. If you were going to place money who will go No. 1, you would place it on Hutchison. As of Monday, PointsBet listed Walker as a -200 to go No. 1, with Hutchison at +160. Meanwhile, FanDuel has Walker at -200, with Hutchison at +250. Granted, some of this is undoubtedly related to recent reports that Jaguars GM Trent Baalke is all about Walker. "Ultimately, at the end of the day, Baalke gets the final call, which is why Walker is currently the overall favorite go No. 1," a PointsBet spokesman told ESPN on Monday. Of course, reports on what the Jaguars do could just be one gigantic smokescreen, too. But if so, the sportsbooks are falling for it. New PointsBet Sportsbook users can make their first bets risk-free up to $2,000. If the bet loses, PointsBet will refund you in site credit. New users can lock in this offer NOW by clicking this link.