We are just over a month away from the 2025 NFL Draft and all of the draft experts are beginning to hone their mock drafts. One of the most prominent out there is NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah. Each year, he puts out a handful of mocks and he's gotten quite good.
According to NFLMockDraftDatabase, the overwhelming favorite for the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 5 overall pick is Mason Graham from Michigan. Jeremiah went a different route, however. Instead of picking the Wolverines star, he projected another defensive standout, Georgia's Jalon Walker.
The Jaguars already have a solid pass-rushing duo in-house but you can't have too many in today's NFL.
"Walker would form a dynamic trio with Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, with the latter kicking inside on passing downs to give all three players the chance to rush the passer at the same time," Jeremiah explained. "Walker could play off-ball linebacker on early downs and then rush off the edge when it's time to hunt the quarterback."
If the Jaguars use the No. 5 pick on Walker, it could set their defensive line above all others in the NFL. Is there another unit with three players selected in the top seven of their respective drafts? Hines-Allen was the No. 7 pick in 2019 Travon Walker was the top pick in 2022. Of course, this would be the same if the team went for Graham.
Walker comes from one of the modern NFL factories in Georgia. As a Bulldog, Walker amassed a total of 89 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and two recovered fumbles across three seasons. He broke out in 2024 and took home the Butkus Award, given annually to the top linebacker in college football.
In his breakout season, Walker took home First-Team All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association, Second-Team All-American honors from Walker Camp, and Third-Team All-American honors from the AP.
He's well worth a top-10 pick and can certainly be a justifiable top-five pick for the Jaguars.
Jalon Walker is that Lamar Jackson stopper type linebacker/edge hybrid
Roquan Smith, Fred Warner, peak Devin White, Lavonte David, etc…
He will disrupt the QB in the pass rush, he will be a top tier QB spy, and he will shut the run down.pic.twitter.com/g8c1zNun4Y
— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) January 17, 2025
Athlon Sports draft analyst Luke Easterling profiled Walker's game:
"There's some boom-or-bust potential with Walker, but NFL teams are likely to bank on his impressive blend of size, athleticism, physicality and versatility, and with good reason. Walker's physical profile and flashes of brilliance from the 2024 season prove there's sky-high upside for him, regardless of where he lines up at the next level, and he should only get better once he's able to get more reps and sink his teeth into a consistent role."
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com thinks Walker is similar to another former Georgia star, Nolan Smith:
"Some see Walker as a 'tweener' while others view him as a 'hybrid.' Either way, Walker can go. His career snap count is split between edge and linebacker, and his leadership is famous in the Georgia building. He's still working to fine-tune his instincts and efficiency as an off-ball linebacker but has the take-on and closing burst to become a productive pro at that spot.
"He's tough but small as an early down edge rusher, but his athletic talent and suddenness to attack both edges makes him a menace for tackles. The most valuable usage for Walker is likely to come as an early down linebacker who can rush off the edge or match up across the line as a blitzer on passing downs."
Last Word on Sports' Zaeem Aamir echoed that sentiment:
"Walker can become an absolute elite Edge in the NFL. His traits are exciting and he was impactful when he was lined up on the ball at Georgia. With him, it's about projection, but he's not as raw as you'd think. ... Walker is powerful and long. His explosiveness will translate very well and his sneaky bend will disrupt opposing offenses."
The33rdTeam's Kyle Crabb believes that he can be "the next great defensive chess piece."
Related: Trevor Lawrence's Ex-Teammate Sends Strong Warning After Surprise Release
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 12:15 PM.