The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions have the first two picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. When faced with a choice between potential and ceiling vs a more stable floor with upside, they chose Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker over Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Of course, the Lions were quick to turn in their card with Hutchinson’s name on it.
Hutchinson and Walker’s careers, now in their third NFL season, have taken very different paths. That being said, Walker had 10 sacks last season (five in the last four games), and after having his greatest game of his career in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts (three sacks, seven quarterback pressures), he now has five this season.
Jacksonville earned their first win of the season against the Colts, but it’s easy to see them as a potential seller between now and the Nov. 5 trade deadline. It’s unknown how aggressive the selling will be, but if the price is appropriate, unexpected players may emerge.
Lions cheat Jaguars in trade request for Travon Walker.
Within the context of “the dream trade deadline,” ESPN’s Ben Solak proposed the following trade, which would result in the Lions landing Walker.
Lions acquire: Edge Travon Walker.
Jaguars receive: 2025 fourth-round selection, 2026 fourth-round selection.
“The Jaguars earned their first win of the season on Sunday and may still be subtracting when the trade deadline arrives. Walker, the top overall pick in 2022, has two big games this season and three blanks otherwise. He hasn’t quite gotten it out with the Jaguars, but he’s done enough (five sacks this season) to warrant a solid pick or two in exchange.
“I know how the Lions would employ him: a huge base end slamming against the run and forcing the pocket opposite Aidan Hutchinson (who, by the way, was selected one round after Walker in the ’22 draft). That was the idea for Marcus Davenport, who was sidelined for the season with a torn triceps in Week 3. John Cominsky, who was expected to be a major rotational player, is also out for the season (knee). The Lions’ defensive end is worryingly thin.”
Walker almost made our list of edge rushers the Lions may aggressively trade for to replace Marcus Davenport, but it was difficult to justify the idea from Jacksonville’s perspective. It’s safe to argue that if the Jaguars were willing to trade Walker, they’d want (and could receive) more than two fourth-round picks in return.
But if it could be done, even with an offer slightly higher than Solak’s offering, the Lions would immediately have one of the league’s top edge rusher duos until further notice. Even if it is only a remote possibility, the prospect of acquiring Walker is intriguing.
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