Falcons selected Georgia LB Jalon Walker with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Walker (6’1/243) hails from a football family, with his father being a former D2 All-American and well-regarded High School football coach and his brother being a DB at Georgia State. He led the Bulldogs with 5.0 sacks with 26 pressures despite serving as a rotational player who logged just 126 pass rush reps. Walker finally got a chance to start last year and made the most of his opportunity as a hybrid linebacker/edge, producing 60 tackles while leading the Dawgs with 10.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and a 17.2 percent pass rush win percentage. The Third Team AP All-American was also adorned with the coveted Butkus Award given to the nation’s top linebacker. A twitchy athlete with sudden explosiveness and enough power to crack and stonewall pulling linemen, Walker hones in on his prey like a lion in the Serengeti. However, he’s also a cerebral, savvy player who takes good pursuit lines and is always in the right position. On the pass rush, he posted incredible 45%+ win percentages with his overarm move, inside counter, and a ferocious bull rush. The big issue with Walker is his tweener proportions make him ill-suited for full-time edge work, and off-ball linebackers don’t have the same devastating effect on opposing game plans. Regardless, Walker is a premium talent whose versatility and high football character make him a safe and projectable talent.