Mel Kiper, Todd McShay reach consensus on landing spot for Aidan Hutchinson

Early in the mock draft process, Mel Kiper and Todd McShay disagreed on who the No. 1 pick should be. Now less than a month before the draft, things have changed — and the two reached a consensus on the top pick.

The two decided the Jacksonville Jaguars are the perfect landing spot for former Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson. That’s a stark contrast from early on when McShay said Evan Neal should go No. 1 and Kiper even listed Ikem Ekwonu in the top spot, as well.

Now, they’re changing their tune to agree.

“First of all, you are set at offensive tackle even if it’s just for one year,” McShay said on “First Draft” with Kiper and Field Yates. “So that, in my opinion, takes Evan Neal — the offensive tackle from Alabama — and Ikem Ekwonu from NC State out of the picture. With Hutchinson, you’re getting the player, you’re getting the production. You’re getting the sacks, the tackles for loss, the run defense and you’re getting a cornerstone type of leader. And I think if you’re Jacksonville, you’re looking for that kind of impact player and a player that you can build around moving forward, Mel.

“So, to me, Hutchinson [is] probably the easiest pick here in the top 10. I don’t know how much of a discussion that we even need to have at this No. 1 spot for the Jacksonville Jaguars.”

Mel Kiper Jr. on why Aidan Hutchinson should be the No. 1 pick

Kiper has been steadfast in keeping Hutchinson in the top spot, and he added another ripple to his argument. He pointed to Josh Allen’s development at EDGE as a reason he could provide a one-two punch with Hutchinson in the future.

“Josh Allen ended up becoming a pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars and he’s shown flashes, he’s done a really good job at times of getting after the quarterback,” Kiper said. “He actually had a great game against Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. That was a career game for him where was doing everything, being so disruptive. So I think if Josh Allen can maintain the level of consistency, stay healthy for 16 games.

“Aidan Hutchinson brings an attitude and energy to this football team in an AFC where you’ve got to get after the quarterbacks. That’s the bottom line. … Hutchinson, [I] talked to the kid. I’ll tell you what, Todd and Field, you just want to go through a wall when you got a guy like that who makes everybody around him better. Aidan Hutchinson could be that guy. I think it’s pretty much an easy consensus that he should be the pick at No. 1.”