Jalon Walker, Georgia: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Walker was a four-star linebacker/edge recruit from Salisbury High School in Salisbury, N.C. in the class of 2022

The Georgia Bulldogs plan to give Jalon Walker more snaps playing off the ball this year, but the junior might already be a good enough edge rusher to warrant a top 60 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Walker is undersized for a pass rushing role, but he’s an exceptional athlete.

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Jalon Walker, LB/Edge Georgia: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior off-ball/outside linebacker from Salisbury, N.C.

Background: Walker was a four-star linebacker/edge recruit from Salisbury High School in Salisbury, N.C. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 46 recruit (five-star) according to 247Sports, No. 94 for Rivals (four-star), and No. 53 for On3.com (four-star). ESPN ranked him 39th (four-star) in the nation with an 87 grade out of 100. Walker was the Central Carolina Conference Defensive Player of the Year during his junior and senior seasons and was the Big 22 Player of the Year, which is given to the best player in the Charlotte area. He took snaps at tight end, linebacker, and on the edge during his high school career. Walker was the 2020 Gatorade Football Player of the Year in North Carolina when he amassed 97 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He won a Class 2AA State Championship with Salisbury and was an All-Conference and All-County selection three times. Walker was invited to the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game. He also competed in basketball and track and field in high school. Walker ran an 11.94 100-meter dash as a junior and long jumped 19-9 as a sophomore.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2023 spring practice with surgery for a torn labrum

Awards: 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team

Pros: Special teams snaps on the kick return, kick coverage, and punt return units, rarely penalized, snaps at OLB and off-ball LB, explodes off the line, challenges tackles up the arc, quick footwork, crosses tackle’s face to attack B-gap, uses arm length well, some knockback and power in arms, quick hands, throws feints, long-arm move, chop, cross-chop, rip move, swim move, inside club-swim, swipe-swim on outside track, occasional speed to power reps with good hand placement, sinks to get low and duck under tackles, flashes of excellent lower body bend, nice reps as a QB spy, pursuit upside, speed to carry RBs out of the backfield, upside as a zone dropper, bailed from a wide-9 look at snap and stayed even with the slot receiver in downfield coverage vs. Missouri (2023), motor runs hot, hustled to block for teammate Nazir Stackhouse on int return vs. Missouri (2023)

Cons: Never played 250 defensive snaps in a season, position change leads to some projecting, undersized edge rusher, struggle to play through the frames of offensive linemen, long-arm and bull rush stall, lack of power leads to him being engulfed by tackles during rush, heavy hands and well-placed punches end his rush, doesn’t unlock hips and bend at the arc’s peak often enough, slides or falls sometimes when attempting to flatten rush at top of the arc, driven up and around the pocket by stronger linemen, doesn’t offer anything against double teams, tossed around by chip blocks, tunnel vision on the QB from off-ball LB role

Overview: Walker has special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, and punt return units and even blocked a punt vs. Kent State in 2022 that resulted in a safety. He primarily aligned as a wide-9 rusher in a two-point stance in 2023 but will see more snaps as an off-ball linebacker in 2024. Walker also played the role of quarterback spy in 2023, and that role will carry over to 2024. When lined up as an edge rusher, the junior explodes off the line with the burst and speed to challenge offensive tackles up the arc. He’s agile with quick feet that help him cross the tackle’s face to attack the B-gap. Walker doesn’t have elite arm length, but he uses his length well to access the chests of offensive linemen. Despite his undersized frame, his hands pack knockback and display good power. Walker throws feints with his quick hands and incorporates them into most of his pass rush moves. His rush plan includes long-arm moves, chops, cross-chops, rips, swims, club-swims into the B-gap, and swipe-swims on the outside track. He also has some flashes of speed to power that feature the pop in his hands and excellent hand placement. Walker has a diverse set of moves, but he heavily relies on cross-chops and regular chops since his size limits him to primarily rushing vertically from his wide-9 alignment. He gets low to duck under tackles and has eye-popping flashes of lower body bend to flatten his rush angle and punch into the pocket. How these skills will translate into his newer role with the Bulldogs or to the NFL remains up in the air. It’s undeniable that Walker is talented, but he has never played 250 or more defensive snaps in a season and is clearly undersized for a full-time pass rushing role. The North Carolina native struggles to play through the frames of offensive linemen. His long-arm and bull rush stall frequently, and his frame and lack of power lead to him being engulfed by large tackles. Offensive linemen with heavy hands or well-placed punches end Walker’s rush quickly. The former SEC All-Freshman Team selection doesn’t use his bend as frequently as he should, and sometimes he slides or falls while attempting to flatten his rush angle. On the bright side, Walker has already put together impressive reps as an off-ball linebacker. His hustle, pursuit range, and speed make him an ideal quarterback spy. He also has the speed to carry running backs out of the backfield in coverage or to bail from a wide-9 alignment and gain significant depth while dropping to cover the slot. He needs to sharpen his awareness and instincts in coverage, but the athletic traits are there to fulfill the role. Right now, Walker still gets tunnel vision on the quarterback when aligned as an off-ball linebacker. His ability to fit gaps against the run from an off-ball role remains a mystery entering 2024.

Overall, Walker is an exceptional athlete who already has a good arsenal of pass rush moves to dig into despite still being very inexperienced. He has the athletic traits to contribute in zone coverage but is still developing his feel for the role. Walker’s limited size might push him into more of a blitzing off-ball linebacker role in 2024. There are a lot of unanswered questions about his profile.

Role & Scheme Fit: Designated pass rusher or developmental weakside linebacker

Round Grade: Late Second to Early Third Round

Size: 6'2", 245 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 05-18-24