Charles McDonald: Jalon Walker isn’t the most prototypical pass rusher out there, but he can do some damage in an aggressive role.
Walker blitzed from all over the Georgia defense, but he didn’t play a traditional role that has a clean translation to the NFL necessarily. When he played off-ball, he was primarily used as a spy or a blitzer to hawk down quarterbacks.
He had plenty of reps off the edge, where he still has work to do in terms of developing moves, but his speed, physicality and effort will play well in aggressive schemes.
Nate Tice: He’s one of my favorite players in the draft.
Walker plays as an off-ball linebacker and an edge defender on the line of scrimmage in Georgia’s rush packages. He plays a little bit of everywhere, so much so he calls himself an “HLB” which stands for “hybrid linebacker.”
As an off-ball linebacker, Walker is a strong tackler and good athlete who is consistently diagnosing plays quickly. He can run, chase and has no issues taking on and shedding climbing offensive linemen, and has the athleticism to be a plus-player in coverage. He can be a bit slow when having to turn and diagnosis, something that would get cleaned up with more time at the spot.
Walker is also a talented and productive pass rusher, and shows off his bend, strength and quickness when getting after the QB. He plays with his hair on fire and can hang as an off-ball linebacker who can stay on the field for all three downs and be a positive player against the run and pass, with the pass-rush ability being a giant cherry on top.
He won’t be an ideal fit for every team, but Walker is just a guy I would want in my front seven. His competitive style is infectious and he has the ability to fill up the box score in different ways, with leadership to boot. He reminds me a lot of Clay Matthews.
