ATHENS — College football and NFL draft analysts can’t stop raving about Georgia’s championship defense, from its speed to its power to its ferocity. Travon Walker might be the unit’s crown jewel.
Walker is an athletic marvel for his size. At 6-foot-5, 272 pounds, he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. Throw in 35 ½-inch arms and a ferocious play style, and you end up with a premier prospect.
Perhaps even that is selling Walker short. His attributes are so rare he’s borderline mythical, an individual whose physical capabilities seem illogical. Yet Walker is commonly projected as the third pass rusher off the board behind Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. The perceived gap is closing.
“I’ve always kind of been one of those guys that’s underrated, but it’s all right,” Walker said. “I like it that way. I set my own standard and work as hard as I can to be the best I can.”
Walker is commonly considered the best prospect on the country’s best defense. His testing numbers validated the traits that pop on film. He’s by all accounts a mature individual and leader.
“A freak of nature, that’s the best way I can describe it,” Bulldogs linebacker Channing Tindall said of Walker. “You see he ran a 4.51. He’s powerful as I don’t know what. Goofy dude. He can play on the edge and inside like a tackle. He can do it all. A lot of versatility.”
“I've always kind of been one of those guys that's underrated, but it's all right. I like it that way. I set my own standard and work as hard as I can to be the best I can."
In Pro Football Focus’ latest mock draft, Walker went No. 3 overall to the Texans, whose coach Lovie Smith attended Georgia’s Pro Day on Wednesday. NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein also recently projected Walker at No. 3, showing just how valued the player is after lighting it up in Indianapolis.
There wasn’t much more Walker could show at Georgia’s Pro Day. He did linebacker drills, again displaying his speed, quick feet and versatility. He spoke with interested teams. Coach Kirby Smart praised Walker and explained why the prospect had only 9.5 career sacks at Georgia despite his unique qualities.
“He didn’t just line up and rush on the edge,” Smart said. “There are several NFL scouts that say, ‘Hey, you just line him up at outside ‘backer and let him set an edge; he’s going to be tremendous at that.’ He’s really strong, he’s really fast. But that’s not what we asked him to do. We asked him to do a lot of different things. His value comes in workouts. He’s a freak. He’s got a lot of length. He’s an incredible athlete, and he’s going to be a high draft pick.”
Walker had dinner with the Jaguars, owners of the No. 1 overall selection, on Tuesday evening at a steakhouse in downtown Athens. He’s also met with the Eagles, Patriots, Giants and, yes, Falcons.
If he makes it to No. 8 overall – which looks less likely than it did a month ago – Walker and the defensive-deprived Falcons seem like a beautiful match. The Falcons met with Walker at the combine and at Pro Day. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees was in Athens on Wednesday, undoubtedly envisioning how Walker could move around in his defense.
Much is often made of the Falcons straying away from Bulldogs in the draft, a circumstance obviously related to how the board has fallen over the years and not a disinterest in keeping local talent nearby. The Falcons last selected a Georgia product in 2011 (linebacker Akeem Dent).
Walker could present the perfect chance to buck the trend, but it’s not because he was a Bulldog. It doesn’t matter if Walker went to Georgia, Washington, Illinois or McNeese State. He’s one of the Falcons’ best potential options for improving a laughably poor pass rush.
A Thomaston native, Walker would give the Falcons their most talented edge rusher since John Abraham, an athletic specimen with the upside to become one of the truly elite quarterback hunters in the NFL. Walker also feels his ability to drop in coverage is a significant piece of his resume.
“I can do anything a coach needs me to do,” he said. “If he needs me to drop in coverage, put my hands down and rush. I can be one of those guys who helps contribute to winning a championship in the league.”
With Tom Brady back in Tampa Bay, and perhaps Deshaun Watson landing with another division rival, the Falcons will continue getting torched up and down the field until they can consistently produce pressure. In the increasingly offensive-oriented NFL, the best hope defenses have is constant pressure.
Right now, the Falcons rank among the worst-equipped teams at doing such. Statistically, the abysmal sack production has gotten even worse this offseason. The Falcons released the underwhelming Dante Fowler, who nonetheless led them with 4.5 sacks in 2021. Linebacker Foye Oluokun, who led the NFL in tackles and was tied for second most on the team with two sacks, signed with Jacksonville.
With a tight salary-cap situation, the Falcons’ only options are bargain-bin free agents and the draft. The defensive front won’t be a quick fix, but selecting Walker could be a good start.
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