The Jacksonville Jaguars showed how much they like Travon Walker when they wasted no time picking up his fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Sure, the first overall selection in 2022 hasn't been nearly as dominant as fellow pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson but has still come into his own.
In fact, it's easy to picture Walker making a massive leap with a new defensive staff in place, and nobody should bat an eye if he ends up having a breakout season in 2025. This has unsurprisingly led Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman of PFF to dub him the team's biggest X-Factor for 2025.
Chadwick and Wasserman discussed every NFL team's X-Factor for 2025 and picked Walker for Jacksonville, pointing out that he's done enough the past two years to make you think that he'll keep improving next season.
"One defender who will be expected to make a leap is Travon Walker," Chadwick and Wasserman wrote. "The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft started to show some life in Year 3, earning a 68.2 PFF overall grade after posting a 56.6 mark across his first two years. Walker's 10.5 sacks were the 11th most among all edge defenders, while his 56 pressures tied for the 18th most. This will be a massive season for him to prove whether he can become a superstar like his draft position warrants. "
Depending on who you ask, Walker may or may not have lived up to expectations just yet, but the truth is that he's shown notable progress since 2022. Sure, you want more from the top pick in the draft, but he's hardly been a slouch. Under Anthony Campanile, the Thomaston, Georgia native will play with his hand on the ground for the second straight year after playing standup linebacker in his first two seasons.
On top of that, Walker is back at his natural weight. When you add it all up, it's easy to see him make a leap next season.
Travon Walker is ready to help the Jaguars in any way he can
The Jacksonville Jaguars are flying under the radar ahead of the regular season. If they ultimately manage to exceed expectations, Travon Walker will surely have played a role. The fourth-year pass rusher would surely love to end with double-digit sacks for the third season in a row, but will gladly help his team however he can.
Walker met with the local media after Day 4 of OTAs and said that he wants to be a complete player and contribute as much as possible.
"I mean, everybody wants to get double-digit sacks, but for me, I just want to be a total, complete football player," Walker said. "I want to be able to stop the run, because we can't rush the pass without stopping the run, and once we do that, then that allows us to get out of the quarterbacks. But I mean, like I said, I just want to come out here and be the best overall player that I could be."
Of course, Walker isn't the team's only pass rusher. Josh Hines-Allen is still around, and the Jags just signed Emmanuel Ogbah to round out their rotation. With Arik Armstead switching back inside after mostly playing on the edge last year, Jacksonville's front four is in a position to wreak havoc next season.
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