How Does Jalon Walker Fit With Falcons?

The Georgia Bulldogs having players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft has become a formality in the Kirby Smart Era. Whether it is a three-year or first-year starter, players know when they play meaningful snaps at the University of Georgia, they have a great chance to play at the next level. After a dominant 2024 campaign, Jalon Walker was taken by the Atlanta Falconswith the 15th overall pick. 

With Walker, the hometown Falcons get a player with an impressive 6-foot-2, 245 pound frame who moves like a cat. Walker is a versatile linebacker who can make an impact from anywhere in the box. For most linebackers, they typically specialize as pass rushers or specialize in providing run support. Jalon Walker can do it all. While he is greatly revered as a pass rusher off the edge, he can also wreak havoc lining up as an inside linebacker and fit runs at an elite level. Walker also is effective in pass coverage and has supreme discipline that allows him to constantly be in position to make the right play. 

Walker’s shining moment came against the first meeting between the Bulldogs and
Texas Longhorns during the 2024 season. Walker contributed three sacks in the first round as well as a fumble recovery that led to a touchdown. One of the most impressive players from Walker came after spying Arch Manning at quarterback and bee-lining to the speedy quarterback for a sack and preventing a first down. 

His attributes and ability to perform in big games led him to winning the 2024 Butkus Award (nation’s best linebacker) and was honored as a third-team all American in the same year. In his three-year tenure at Georgia, Walker tallied 12.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.

Last year, the Falcons had the second fewest sacks in the league. With losing their defensive captain in Gradt Jarrett, there is a penetration need that Walker can provide. Though they added ex-Bulldog Leonard Floyd, the uncertainty of Matthew Judon's future leaves room for a presence on the edge. With new defensive cordinator Jeff Ullbrich, expect to see Walker play every linebacker spot on the field at any given time. And of course, the Falcons end the stigma that they don't draft UGA players in the first round.

The Falcons need a player who they can plug-and-play at any linebacker position. The addition of Walker will allow them to put him at any position in the box and have him make an impact. Versatility is a trait the NFL will always be in favor of, and Jalon Walker is the Swiss-army knife that the Panthers hope to build around and keep on the field for many years to come.