The Atlanta Falcons selected Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with the 15th overall choice in the 2025 NFL draft. FLOWERY BRANCH, GA— The Atlanta Falcons selected Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with the 15th overall choice in the 2025 NFL draft.
Walker may have just been a one-year starter for Kirby Smart, but his overall impact and playmaking skills make him perhaps the best edge rusher/linebacker in this year’s class, excluding Abdul Carter. Despite his smaller frame in comparison to other edge rushers, Walker’s potential is just what he demonstrated at Georgia: the ability to regularly put a quarterback under pressure.
Walker led Georgia’s defense in nearly every pass-rushing statistic, including total pressures and pass rush victory percentage. That’s all well and good, but what’s most intriguing about this statistic is that Walker only had the seventh-most pass-rush snaps on the squad. Nonetheless, he was continually looking for ways to get to the quarterback, whether by design or by effort.
Let’s discover more about the new member of the Falcons’ defense.
Weight: 243 pounds.
Age: 21
School: University of Georgia.
2024 Stats: 11 starts, 60 total tackles (10.5 for a loss), 6.5 sacks, 2 passes defended.
Honors: 2024 third-team All-American; 2024 second-team All-SEC; 2024 Butkus Award winner.
How he fits in with the Falcons: Consider him an edge rusher. Call him a linebacker. Consider him a hybrid of the two. Whatever you call him, make sure you use the word “versatile” to describe his play, because that is exactly what it is. Walker is the type of player that defensive coordinators would want to shuffle about the front seven while devising inventive rush concepts for. This explains why the Falcons want him, given what they’ve done with Kaden Elliss in the past. Walker appreciates himself in this capacity. stating that he is most effective when employed as a chess piece. For the Falcons, continuing to unlock his potential in this fashion — as a hybrid, chess piece — could pay rewards in terms of what the team can do defensively. Dane Brugler, The Athletic: “As a blitzer or wide rusher, Walker can be stonewalled at times, but his arc speed and length can be used as a pass rusher. He is a great space athlete who can cover a lot of ground with his swift change of direction. He has the range and physicality to work through the trash and make plays at the line of scrimmage, but offenses know how to distract his attention and move him out of position in coverage.Overall, Walker lacks outstanding edge size, but he excels at using his long, sleek quickness to accelerate downhill and close at the top of his rush to disrupt the quarterback.” Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network: “Walker is a compact, powerful defender with length and explosiveness.” He played both on and off the ball in Georgia’s defensive scheme, although he is most effective on the edge. As a pass rusher, he can win by sheer speed, power, and an explosive counter move. He can also be employed as a weapon to spy on the quarterback. He can replicate the quarterback’s movement before closing the gap quickly. He dominated in the Bulldogs’ first meeting with Texas in the 2024 season. He has a strong edge against the run. When he’s loaded off the ball, he takes a little longer to key/diagnose, but he can attack and take on blocks or scrape over the top for tackles.”
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