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The Jaguars designated tackle Cam Robinson with the franchise tag, signed guard Brandon Scherff to a three-year deal in free agency and are high on second-year, second-round tackle Walker Little, who could beat out Jawaan Taylor to start at right tackle. Even if we can't rule out Evan Neal or Ikem Ekwonu, it's likely that the Jags will go in a different direction from one of the top two offensive tackles here.

Hutchinson is the top-ranked prospect on my top 100 big board and set Michigan's single-season sack record (14) in 2021. His 10-yard split (1.62) was better than his 40-yard dash time (4.74) at the combine, but he posted elite agility numbers. Not only did he lead all defensive ends this year in the three-cone (6.73) and 20-yard shuttle (4.15), but his three-cone time trails only Bruce Irvin (6.70 in '12) all-time among defensive ends. He's as safe as it gets due to his combination of leadership, athleticism, nonstop motor, polish and production.

The Jaguars' free agency moves suggest they won't be drafting an offensive lineman with the top pick, and Hutchinson is the clear-cut best edge rusher in the class. This pairing makes all the sense.

Hutchinson remains the big favorite to go first. He'd be a quality addition to the pass rush, as well as to the locker room. But there has been chatter that Georgia's Travon Walker remains in the mix here. It would be a stunning rise, but it also would fit the traits-y, toolsy type of pass rusher GM Trent Baalke often seeks. We're holding with Hutch for now, but Walker might be a real possibility.

The Jaguars already have allocated a lot of resources to their offensive line this offseason. They franchise-tagged left tackle Cam Robinson and signed guard Brandon Scherff to a three-year, $52.5 million deal. So while I thought about an offensive tackle here and might have gone that way a month ago, it has to be Hutchinson. He had 66 pressures in 2021, and he can be a culture-setter for Jacksonville for years to come.

The high-motor pass rusher with freakish athleticism and refined technique is an ideal complement to Josh Allen on the edge.

The Jaguars have made some pretty interesting moves this offseason, to say the least. They decided to franchise tag left tackle Cam Robinson yet again, which is a curious decision given the tackle talent at the top of this year's class. They were aggressive in bringing on new receivers for Trevor Lawrence even if they did overpay. Then they signed Brandon Scherff to shore up the interior of this offensive line.

I believe all these moves point to a defensive player with the top overall pick and many believe the best defensive player in this class to be Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson is the odds-on favorite for the No. 1 overall pick as he brings good overall athleticism, outstanding power, and refined technique off the edge.

Greg Auman: The fundamental question is whether you're better served helping Trevor Lawrence or his defense. The Jaguars have invested in Cam Robinson as a left tackle and have a three-year starter at right tackle in Jawaan Taylor, so we focus on the defense. Hutchinson will be their third first-round pick used on an edge rusher in four drafts, following Josh Allen in 2019 and K'Lavon Chaisson in 2020. Hutchinson had 14 sacks last fall for Michigan, so you'll have a defensive counterpart to Lawrence, someone who comes in with the highest expectations, a headliner for a revamped Jaguars defense under new coordinator Mike Caldwell.

Dane Brugler: If the draft happened today, this is the direction I think the Jaguars would go. At the combine, most teams believed the Jaguars would draft either Hutchinson or an offensive lineman, likely Ikem Ekwonu, here at No. 1. But with the recent moves by Jacksonville, most notably the Brandon Scherff signing, Hutchinson has emerged as the clear favorite.

But don't count out Georgia's Travon Walker as a realistic possibility here. Talking to sources around the league, they believe the toolsy Georgia defensive lineman has the rare traits that Trent Baalke will strongly consider at No. 1.

Hutchinson is currently the betting favorite (-280, per DraftKings Sportsbook) to go No. 1 overall to the Jaguars in the 2022 NFL Draft, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Hutchinson is PFF's and the media consensus' top-ranked player entering the draft. He also led all defensive players in college football in PFF grade (94.5) during his College Football Playoff run with the Wolverines this past season.

The 6-foot-7, 260-pounder simply checks every box across the board -- his production, intangibles and athleticism are all at elite levels. He cleared the 95th percentile in both the short shuttle (4.15s) and three-cone (6.71s) drills at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine and earned the highest composite score among 41 different key performance indicators that Michigan strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert tests among any Wolverine over the past two seasons.

Hutchinson projects as a high-floor edge talent who should very quickly make an impact as a double-digit sack artist and plus run defender playing opposite of Josh Allen in Mike Caldwell's defense. Expect him to lead a much-needed culture shift as a core leader in Jacksonville early on in his career.