Falcons draft edge rusher Jalon Walker: How he fits, draft grade and scouting intel
The Atlanta Falcons have added one of the top defensive line prospects in this class, selecting Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker with the No. 15 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
A one-year starter at Georgia, Walker brings a versatile play-style to the Falcons, having taken snaps at inside linebacker, outside linebacker and edge rusher. The 21-year-old said he was at his best 'being a chess piece' in a team's defense.
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Walker led Georgia in almost every pass-rush metric in 2024, including sacks (6 1/2), tackles for loss (11), pressures (34) and pass-rush win percentage (17.2), all while ranking just seventh on the team in pass-rush snaps. The effort earned Walker first-team All-America honors, second-team All-SEC and the Butkus Award, which is given to the best linebacker in college football.
As a pass rusher, the 6-foot-1, 243-pound Walker is a bit undersized and struggles against larger linemen at the point of attack. However, Walker has flashed great athleticism in space with incredible range and physicality. The speed at which he plays, coupled with his skills on the edge, make him a very interesting prospect for defenses.
Walker ranked No. 5 in Dane Brugler's top 300 big board. Here's what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
'As a blitzer or wide rusher, Walker can be stonewalled at times, but his arc speed and length can be weaponized as a pass rusher. He is a tremendous space athlete and covers a ton of ground with his fluid change of direction. He plays with the range and physicality to work through the trash and make plays near the line of scrimmage, although offenses know how to occupy his eyes and get him out of position in coverage. Overall, Walker doesn't have elite size for edge work, but he is at his best using his long, sleek athleticism to explode downhill and close at the top of his rush to affect the quarterback. There is projection involved with his evaluation, but his pass-rush upside and overall versatility make him one of the best talents in the class.'
What an anonymous coach had to say about Walker in Bruce Feldman's mock draft:
'He has a lot of position flex — they dropped him (into coverage), rushed him, blitzed him. He's super twitchy and has an array of pass rush moves. He killed our (starting offensive tackle), and that kid is a really talented player who's also gonna play in the NFL.'
Jalon Walker tore up last night‼️#GoDawgs | @JalonWlaker pic.twitter.com/XKEWqkSsS9
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) October 20, 2024
Come back later for more analysis of Walker.
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