As Kayvon Thibodeaux is sinking, Travon Walker is doing more than just floating.
Six months ago, Thibodeaux was viewed as the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Then Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson put together the better season and surpassed Oregon’s Thibodeaux as the top edge rusher and likely No. 1 pick in a light-quarterback draft class. It happens., by Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker, who recently became the betting favorite to be the No. 2 overall pick ahead of offensive tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal, safety Kyle Hamilton and Thibodeaux.
“Walker’s tape is freaky,” one NFL scouting source said. “I would probably take him over Hutchinson because he has more upside. Aidan is going to be a really good player for many, many years because he is a grinder. Walker is similar, but he’s a better athlete who is bigger, faster and stronger, and still coming into his own.”
But the buzz around the 6-foot-5, 272-pound Walker started to pick up right before the NFL combine and exploded after he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds — the fastest time ever for a player weighing more than 270 pounds. The rest of his dazzling athletic display included a 35.5-inch vertical leap, a 10-foot 3-inch broad jump, a 6.89-second three-cone drill and a 4.32-second 20-yard shuttle.“I think it’s more a case of Thibodeaux slipping than Walker rising,” the scouting source said.
The two scouting knocks on Thibodeaux prior to Oregon’s Pro Day last week were that he looks “stiff” and gives inconsistent effort — worsened by his impromptu decision to pull out of combine drills after running the 40-yard dash and bench pressing 27 reps. Because Thibodeaux has been on the radar since leading the nation in fourth-quarter sacks with seven as a true freshman in 2019, there might be some over-analysis of flaws happening.
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