Falcons' Jalon Walker Has Been 'Absolutely Awesome'

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons first-round pick Jalon Walker is a chess piece with experience playing various spots in the front seven. The Falcons want to capitalize on his versatility -- but they don't want that to be his identity.

"I would just equate it to, you may go to a restaurant at night, you might go out and have yourself a good time, but where's home?" Falcons outside linebacker Jacquies Smith told Atlanta Falcons on SI before OTAs. "So, I got to get where home's at, you know what I mean?

"We're just basically trying to give him a home that he can always go back and lean on. When adversity hits, when things get tough, where's home going to be able to be at?"

The Falcons have built Walker's proverbial home at outside linebacker, using him as an edge presence on their defensive line. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said he wants Walker to get "position mastery," so Atlanta plans on using the former Georgia standout on the edge on first and second downs.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Atlanta can move Walker to inside linebacker and "do a couple of things there as well," but the team hasn't reached that part of the process.

From the start of rookie minicamp May 9 through Walker's first two weeks in Flowery Branch, Falcons inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud only saw the 6' 2", 243-pound Walker during defensive team meetings. Walker has worked solely with Smith thus far.

Atlanta wants to lay a foundation for Walker -- one where he can consistently grow and produce -- but ultimately plans to integrate him elsewhere once he masters his current home.

"Give him a home, lay a foundation, to be able to start off somewhere and then kind of build upon that foundation," Smith said. "Obviously, we know there's other things he can do within the defense. It'll be our job to kind of put him in spots where he can be able to excel.

"But you want him to come in and bring it and build a foundation for him, and that's basically what we're trying to do."

Ruud scouted Walker leading into the draft, when the Falcons chose him 15th overall, but Atlanta ultimately settled on putting Walker at outside linebacker. Walker played 311 snaps at off-ball linebacker and 249 snaps on the defensive line in 2024 at Georgia, according to Pro Football Focus.

The flashes Walker provided -- he had 6.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 34 total pressures -- when he played on the line of scrimmage excited the Falcons' coaching staff. They've also excited veteran inside linebacker Kaden Elliss.

"Man, he's explosive," Elliss said during OTAs. "Every time coach pulls up one of his clips from individual, it's like, 'Dang, he's explosive.' Darn it, that man's get off is nice. I'm excited about him."

Walker parlayed his explosiveness and versatility into an accolade-filled 2024 season, headlined by the Butkus Award given annually to the nation's top linebacker -- even with size and length deficiencies.

At the NFL combine, Walker measured 6' 1" and 243 pounds with 32-inch arms. Among all edge defenders since 1999, he slots into the second percentile in height and sixth percentile in weight and arm length, according to MockDraftable.

Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith said the team is willing to be adaptable with its physical profiles for players if they have compensating factors. Atlanta believes Walker, with his athleticism and versatility, has enough unique qualities to overcome his lack of traditional size.

The most popular comparison for Walker is Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons. The Falcons, however, have leaned more toward Walker's stylistic similarities to San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Bryce Huff, who played under Ulbrich from 2021-23 with the New York Jets. The 6' 3", 255-pound Huff had 10 sacks in 2023.

Of the 17 defenders who recorded 10 or more sacks in 2024, five weighed 250 pounds or less, including one of Ulbrich's Jets rushers, Will McDonalv IV. The Falcons believe Walker can be the nest to punch above his weight -- literally.

"Obviously, to generate power, I always say you got to have explosiveness and speed to do that. He possesses some explosive traits to be able to generate power and be able to have explosive, strong hands," Jacquies Smith said. "I think a lot of people will get caught up in the size things and all that.

"But we've seen small guys who may be considered undersized. I don't really think you can consider anybody undersized. I think it's just the way you deploy these guys, man, to be able to show their natural skill set and talent and be productive."

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Walker's interactions with Fontenot continue to reinforce the Falcons' optimism in the 21-year-old. Through conversations in Fontenot's office, Atlanta firmly believes Walker has a comprehensive understanding of the team's defensive mission.

And, on a more future-focused level, that Walker has "future captain" makeup.

"He has those captain-like traits," Morris said during minicamp. "When you first meet him, you get that feel, you get that vibe from him. He'll be one of those guys -- you never want to put too much on a player, particularly a young player -- but he'll be one of those guys you can tell is going to lead us in the future."

Walker's emotional intelligence stems from his upbringing. The Salisbury, North Carolina, native is the son of a coach. Morris said Walker's serious demeanor runs in the family and was noticeable when his brother and parents first stepped foot in the Falcons' facility April 25.

Before Walker arrived at Georgia in 2022, Morris said it's evident Walker was well-coached. Three years in Athens, where Morris said Walker received "some of the best coaching in the world," only elevated Walker's football intelligence.

It also helped Walker realize the standard for success, which he's tried carrying to the NFL. Falcons outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, who played at Georgia from 2013-15 and is now entering his 10th professional season, said he could tell Walker was a Bulldog by the way he practiced in the team's first OTA session May 27.

Walker ran to the ball. He hustled. From the first day, he went hard. And perhaps most notably, Walker reminded Floyd, who has 48 sacks and a Super Bowl ring over the past five years, of himself.

The Falcons haven't yet unleashed Walker in a highly competitive atmosphere. Rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp involve a jersey and helmet, but no shoulder pads. Some players wear sweatpants. It's more about learning what to do, Morris said, than being physical.

But Walker has impressed nonetheless.

"Jalon Walker has been absolutely awesome," Morris said during OTAs. "To watch his urgency and how he practices, his attention to detail. He knows how to practice at a very high level. He wants to get better and better every single day, and he seems like he does. He's an instant coach.

"He's like grits, man. You just tell him something, and he does it the first time every single time. He goes out and is able to get that stuff done. So that stuff has been absolutely amazing and awesome with him. I look forward, really, with all those guys, but particularly him. He's very easy to coach."

Morris said Walker, with his "outgoing demeanor," has leaned more towards All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III as a leader. Bates has been a captain each of the past two years and is widely respected in the team's locker room.

The Falcons raved about Walker's character and personality the night they drafted him. Atlanta felt it not only added a potential solution to its pass rush woes but also elevated its ethos.

And Walker, through his first month and a half in Flowery Branch, has delivered.

"He's been in here showing us exactly what he's shown us in his college tape," Morris said during minicamp. "The human, the character, the person, the player, the all-in mentality."

The immediate question after the Falcons drafted Walker centered around where he'd play. Versatility is a blessing until it's a curse. Pressure falls on Atlanta's coaching staff to maximize Walker, who has the on-field skill set and off-field presence to develop into an organizational staple.

The Falcons recognize that -- and by giving Walker an early home, they believe he's on the right path to fulfilling the expectations that come with it all. Being a coach's kid. Being a first-round draft pick. Being the first Bulldog ever selected in the first two rounds by Georgia's NFL team.

There's weight on Walker's shoulders. Atlanta hopes he sleeps it off each night in his new, tailor-made, Jacquies Smith-centric home.