Jalon Walker was a standout linebacker/edge rusher for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he displayed his versatility and athleticism in the SEC and the biggest stages. Walker received the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in his final season in college and is now ready to take his talent to the NFL level through the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jalon Walker’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 245 pounds
- Position: Linebacker/EDGE
- School: Georgia
- Current Year: Junior
Walker’s Scouting Report
Walker attended Salisbury High School in North Carolina and was rated as a five-star prospect by 247Sports. In the 2022 high school recruiting class, he was ranked as the No. 3 linebacker, the No. 2 prospect in North Carolina, and the No. 26 prospect nationally.
As a freshman, Walker primarily contributed as a reserve linebacker and participated on special teams in all 15 games. He went on to win a College Football Playoff National Championship with Georgia in a 65-7 victory over TCU.
In 2023 as a sophomore, Walker stepped in more as a rotational linebacker. Through 14 games he went on to register five sacks, six tackles for loss, and 20 total tackles.
Walker exploded for a dominant 2024 season, winning the Butkus Award. He led the Bulldogs in tackles for loss with 11 and sacks with 6.5. Walker also totaled 60 tackles, good for fourth-best on his team. Additionally, he finished the season with 23 total pressures and 13 QB hurries
Strengths
- Twitchy athlete who explodes out of cuts. Is able to juke out offensive linemen, especially when given a head start from the second level.
- Extremely impactful blitzer. When he picks up a full head of steam, he’s too explosive for offensive linemen to counter him.
- Fast get-off, change of direction, and acceleration as a pass rusher and in space.
- Tremendous physicality as a pass rusher. Takes on blockers with intensity and ferocity to win reps.
- Fluid athlete in space with the ability to easily open up in coverage and transition to attack the football.
Weaknesses
- Average length negatively impacts his consistency as a pass rusher. If he’s unable to win with his athleticism, longer offensive tackles can shut him down.
- Undeveloped pass-rush move set. He relies too heavily on his speed and athletic tools to beat offensive linemen.
- Production at times is dependent on blitzing from the second level. Is at times less successful as a stand-up rusher at the line of scrimmage.
- Below-average eyes as an off-ball linebacker. Displays hesitation when attacking ball carriers in the run game.
- Unimpactful player in coverage due to poor instincts and reactiveness.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Walker’s projection to the NFL is extremely unique. He has the build and athletic tools of an inside linebacker but found success at Georgia by being deployed primarily as a blitzing pass rusher.
A prospect as athletic as Walker will likely find a successful role in the NFL, but it begs the question of why he wasn’t a full-time pass rusher or a full-time middle linebacker. Because of the lack of a specified role, Walker didn’t fully develop the instincts to be a great off-ball linebacker and didn’t fully develop the hand usage to be a consistently dominant pass rusher.
In the right defensive system with a creative, forward-thinking defensive coordinator, Walker will flourish. For example, Haason Reddick was originally misused early in his career and his success came when he wasn’t being pigeonholed. Walker’s best usage in the NFL, just like Reddick, will be primarily as a pass rusher if he’s able to learn more rush moves.
That being said, Walker is worthy of a mid-to-late first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft because of his athletic traits. His stock will be dependent on how specific teams project his role in the NFL and where other pass rushers in the class are selected. Because of the EDGE talent in this draft, Walker could see a slight slide to the end of the first round.