Shock as top NFL Draft pick in ‘serious’ car crash

There’s plenty of intrigue and uncertainty around which players teams will pick at the top of Round 1 — from both fans and officials alike.Watch Live Coverage of The 2022 NFL Draft with ESPN on Kayo. 29 April - 1 May. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday one front-office executive said: “This is the craziest Draft I’ve seen in 30 years.”That’s exactly how it started. Defensive rusher Travon Walker was picked at No. 1 just one hour after a betting market plunge on the Jaguars picking him with the top selection. The Georgia University product was described as a “rare” talent by NFL commentators on ESPN. American football icon Booger McFarland said “My goodness” when asked to describe what the physical beast will add to the Jaguars’ defence. However, just minutes later it was revealed Walker had recently been involved in a car crash that the Jaguars were aware of. NFL insider Ian Papaport first revealed the shocking news on Twitter.“A big-time scare before the Draft: #Georgia’s Travon Walker was in a serious car accident in Athens, GA before the draft, crashing into two parked cars. “He emerged without injuries somehow. No citations. But a scare for sure.”Walker was asked about the incident after being picked and said it occured nearly two weeks prior to the draft.“It wasn’t anything serious. It was just a fender bender,” he said. “There aren’t really any details to give.”Minutes later Detroit wasted no time by picking defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. That was followed by the first big surprise of the night with cornerback Derek Stingley being picked by the Houston Texans.Stingley has battled an ongoing Lisfranc injury for more than two years, but his raw explosive talent made him too irresistible for the Texans to say no to.The next headline moment came when the Saints made an aggressive move to trade with Washington for the No. 11 pick in order to take wide receiver Chris Olave.It triggered a flurry of trades. Rapaport revealed one hour before the start of the draft that the Jaguars had held onto their secret for several days, having made the decision privately earlier this week to settle on Walker as their guy. “They are set. This does not seem to be a decision that was difficult for them,” he said. “The people I speak to, most of them believe it’s going to be Trayvon Walker. “This is the first time in a few years we don’t know for sure. But they are set.”NFL Draft 2022 order, resultsRound 11) Jacksonville Jaguars — Travon Walker2) Detroit Lions — Aidan Hutchinson3) Houston Texans — Derek Stingley4) New York Jets — Ahmad Gardner5) New York Giants — Kayvon Thibodeaux6) Carolina Panthers — Ickey Ekwonu7) New York Giants (from Chicago Bears) — Evan Neal8) Atlanta Falcons — Drake London9) Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos) — Charles Cross10) New York Jets (from Seattle Seahawks) — Garrett Wilson11) New Orleans Saints — Chris Olave12) Detroit Lions — Jameson Williams13) Houston Texans (from Cleveland Browns)14) Baltimore Ravens15) Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami Dolphins)16) New Orleans Saints (from Indianapolis Colts through Philadelphia Eagles)17) Los Angeles Chargers18) Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans Saints)19) New Orleans Saints (from Philadelphia Eagles)20) Pittsburgh Steelers21) New England Patriots22) Green Bay Packers (from Las Vegas Raiders)23) Arizona Cardinals24) Dallas Cowboys25) Buffalo Bills26) Tennessee Titans27) Tampa Bay Buccaneers28) Green Bay Packers29) Kansas City Chiefs (from San Francisco 49ers through Miami Dolphins)30) Kansas City Chiefs31) Cincinnati Bengals32) Detroit Lions (from Los Angeles Rams)For the full draft order for rounds 2-7, tap here.Teams without a first-round pickChicago Bears (first pick: 39)Cleveland Browns (first pick: 44)Denver Broncos (first pick: 64)Indianapolis Colts (first pick: 42)Las Vegas Raiders (first pick: 86)Los Angeles Rams (first pick: 104)Miami Dolphins (first pick: 102)San Francisco 49ers (first pick: 61)Coach slams ‘fake’ reportEvan Neal’s personal coach slammed a report that claimed the offensive tackle had a “medical issue” just days before he was projected to go in the top 10 of the 2022 NFL Draft.“FAKE NEWS!” offensive line coach Duke Manyweather tweeted this week, in response to a report that said some teams “medically flunked” the Alabama product, who could be a target of the New York Giants at pick number five or seven overall.“Neal WAS NOT a medical re-check and was medically cleared at combine. Dude hasn’t missed a workout since the national Championship!”Manyweather went on to tweet a number of videos showing Neal dominating Georgia defensive end Travon Walker — another top draft prospect who’s now the favourite to go No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars — in the national title game.Pro Football Talk confirmed Neal was not asked to return to Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine’s medical re-check. Neal missed only one game in college, and that was due to Covid.On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said “a handful of teams” had raised knee and hip issues about Neal, and that “a good number of clubs” are considering him to be a notable medical risk.Neal is one of three offensive tackles, along with Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross, widely predicted to go in the top 10.New York Post Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au