Jaguars need a new plan for Travon Walker
The Jaguars made a bold decision when they selected Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker with the first pick of the 2022 draft. It was a risk, but a justifiable one the more Walker and his potential were examined.
Walker was a multiyear starter for one of the top defenses in college football. He destroyed the NFL scouting combine, running a 4.51 40-yard dash at 270 pounds. His lack of production certainly made his projection to the NFL murky, but his tape showed a player who can make an impact early from a variety of positions.
The Jaguars are missing what made Walker such a key part of Georgia’s defense. Yes, he made some plays off the edge where the Jaguars have been playing him for the majority of his rookie season, but he can do a whole lot more — and would probably be more effective.
Basic stats don’t tell the whole story as Walker has been more disruptive than his Pro Football Reference page might suggest. But 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss is undoubtedly underwhelming for the first overall draft pick. That failure mostly falls on the Jaguars for how he’s being deployed.
Travon Walker, pictured sacking Detroit’s Jared Goff, isn’t producing eye-popping statistics in his rookie season. (Lon Horwedel/USA TODAY Sports)
What made Walker such a unique draft prospect is that he’s one of the rare 270-pound guys who can play on the interior with force. Usually defensive ends get blown off the ball when they’re forced to play against guards and centers. That’s not the case for Walker. His strength and physicality at the point of attack opened up multiple options for Georgia’s defense. Even Jordan Davis benefitted from Walker’s presence by freeing up one-on-one blocks against college offensive guards. Alignment wise, Walker can be used very similarly to how the Seattle Seahawks used Michael Bennett: keep offenses on their toes by putting this highly skilled athlete all over the field.
The Jaguars are using him as just a standup edge defender, which is where he was the least effective at Georgia — particularly as a pass rusher. According to Pro Football Focus, Walker has 18 snaps at defensive tackle compared to over 600 on the edge of the Jaguars’ defense. That’s a bad plan. It’s not taking advantage of Walker’s best trait: being able to detonate offensive lines from myriad alignments.
Walker was always going to be a project for whatever team drafted him, but the Jaguars are still delaying his development by not using him where he can create the most damage based on his skills. An athlete of Walker’s caliber is a strong bet to eventually become a solid edge rusher, but he has the potential to be an All-Pro if the Jaguars can be more creative with how they use him.
It can’t be worse than what they’re doing now. Nobody is making an impact out there.
Jalen Carter is the future of NFL defensive linemen
It’s crazy to say this, but anyone who has followed the Georgia Bulldogs knows this to be true: their all-time great, national championship-winning defense didn’t even lose its best player for the 2022 season. Five Georgia defenders were selected in the first round of the draft, but the most dominant player it had on that defense is still at Georgia and still cracking heads.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter looked like the most talented defender for Georgia last year and has continued that reign of dominance this season.
Carter certified his legendary status in college football during a sack in the SEC championship game when he celebrated with one arm while literally carrying LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels in the other. This is who Carter has been all season, and he has a chance to somehow be even better in the NFL than he has been at Georgia.
Georgia’s defense is great, but it doesn’t always play the same style as NFL teams. Along the defensive line especially, Georgia plays a more patient style, letting its five-stars sit, eat up gaps and suffocate offenses one play at a time. Carter excels at this facet of defensive line play, but his true value will probably be unlocked in the NFL. There are pro teams that take a more conservative approach to how their defensive line plays, but a lot more teams are willing to let their defensive tackles be upfield penetrators to chase negative plays in the backfield.
That’s where Carter is going to make his bread in the NFL. Carter’s athleticism, aggression and array of pass-rush moves makes him the ideal three-technique in the NFL. Let him sit right between the guard and tackle, and let him pin his ears back. It’s hard to find the total package that Carter has, which is why he’ll end up being one of the top picks in the 2023 draft.
Carter has the tools to be an impact, Pro Bowl level defensive tackle from the first day he steps onto an NFL field — and the NFL might be a better fit for his talents than college.
