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0:242025 NFL Draft Grades: Falcons Select Jalon Walker No. 15
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3:25Atlanta Falcons take Jalon Walker in 1st round of NFL Draft | Junkyard Dawgcast
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3:12Georgia poised to have another big NFL draft class | Junkyard Dawgcast
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0:502025 NFL Draft Top LBs: No. 3 Jalon Walker (Georgia)
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9:48Georgia LB Jalon Walker Joins CBS Sports HQ
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1:252022 Rankings Hit: Jalon Walker | The 105
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0:542025 NFL Draft Grades: Patriots Select Jared Wilson No. 95
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0:492025 NFL Draft Grades: Bengals Select Dylan Fairchild No. 81
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0:422025 NFL Draft Grades: Lions Select Tate Ratledge No. 57
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6:39What to make of commitment date changes for 2 Georgia targets | Junkyard Dawgcast
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0:302025 NFL Draft Grades: Ravens Select Malaki Starks No. 27
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0:252025 NFL Draft Grades: 49ers Select Mykel Williams No. 11
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2:04Georgia adds 3 players from the transfer portal | Junkyard Dawgcast
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0:48Georgia adds multiple transfers during the spring transfer portal cycle
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0:52Edge Beau Atkinson visiting Ohio State, Georgia this week
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1:02QB Jaden Rashada set to visit North Carolina
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0:542025 NFL Draft Top Safeties: No. 2 Malaki Starks (Georgia)
Draft Scouting Report
Rating: 90.60 (All-Pro potential)
Pro Comparison: Kyle Van Noy
Summary
Jalon Walker is a versatile linebacker/EDGE hybrid with good closing speed and the ability to function as a quarterback spy. He’s effective at climbing and defeating blocks with authority and excels at attacking the edge, using a low center of gravity and surprising power to handle larger offensive tackles. Despite being undersized, he’s aggressive and fearless when taking on blocks, whether as an edge rusher or inside blitzer. His athleticism is solid but not elite, with average burst and change of direction limiting his range. Coverage experience is limited, and while his instincts and movement skills suggest he can handle zone assignments, his ball skills are untested and remain a question mark. Tackling is a strength, with few misses on tape. Walker’s energy can waver as an off-ball linebacker, occasionally reacting slowly to what he sees. While he lacks a standout elite trait, his combination of size, length, and hybrid role experience will appeal to teams seeking a versatile defender.
About
- 2024: Butkus Award (nation's best LB); third Georgia player in past eight years to take home honor (Nakobe Dean in 2021 and Roquan Smith in 2017)
- 2024: First-team All-SEC
Strengths
- Serious versatility to play off-ball LB and EDGE
- Defeats blocks well against the run
- Has plenty of power, some pass-rush moves as outside rusher
Weaknesses
- Reasonable athlete but doesn't fly to the football on outside runs
- May be a tick too small to routinely win against large NFL OTs as rusher
- Minimal ball skills + average in coverage
Top Jalon Walker News
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Falcons' Jalon Walker: Chosen by Falcons 15th overall
The Falcons selected Walker in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 15th overall.
Walker (6-foot-1, 243 pounds) might be seen as a tweener between off-ball linebacker and a pass rusher from the edge, but the general belief is that the Georgia product can thrive in either or both capacities. Particularly with more unorthodox formations popping up across the league every year, there should be ways to get Walker in prime playmaking position even if it takes some novel approaches to get it done. It remains to be seen whether the Falcons cross-train Walker between the inside and outside linebacker positions, but that might be the plan given that they have some stopgap players at both positions as it is. Walker might therefore be at some risk of playing as a swing backup during his rookie year, but he should claim a three-down role in the Atlanta defense by 2026 at the latest.
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Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-1, 243 lbs |
| Birthplace: Salisbury, NC |
| Class: Junior |
