Travon Walker
Getty
Travon Walker of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
When the Jacksonville Jaguars made Travon Walker the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, it was less about what he was on draft day and more about what he could become.
At 6-foot-5, 272 pounds, Walker was the prototype every defensive coordinator dreams about. While he has had stretches where he looked like a young player still learning the nuances of the game, his upside has been obvious. He’s versatile, solid against the run, can slide across multiple alignments and still flash the kind of traits you don’t often find outside of the Top 5 picks.
The Green Bay Packers’ move to swing big for Micah Parsons has completely altered the outlook in the NFC North, and it puts more pressure on the Detroit Lions to answer with their own counterpunch.
Parsons isn’t just another pass-rusher—he’s a game-wrecker. For the Lions, going after Walker would be one way to add to a pass rush already featuring one of the league’s best in Aidan Hutchinson.
More on the NFL Career of Travon Walker
Travon Walker
GettyTravon Walker of the Jacksonville Jaguars should be a trade target for the Detroit Lions.
Walker finished with 3.5 sacks, 49 tackles (five for loss), two passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception in 15 games (14 starts) as a rookie, and he only has gotten better from there.
Year 2, Walker stacked some solid performances together, closing the season with 10.0 sacks while posting at least a half-sack in 11 of 17 games. He also added 52 total tackles, 19 QB hits and 10 TFLs in 2023, cementing a solid second-year jump.
In 2024, he amassed 10.5 more sacks, 61 total tackles and 15 QB hits—back-to-back double-digit sack seasons that pushed him to 24.0 QB takedowns over three years. Jacksonville rewarded his trajectory this spring by exercising his fifth-year option, keeping team control through 2026 (projected at $14.75 million for next year).
So, would the Jags be willing to part with Walker? Ed Kracz of Sports Illustrated named Walker as a player his sources said the Philadelphia Eagles might be eyeing, so Detroit should try to add its name to that list.
Why the Detroit Lions Should Try to Trade for Edge Travon Walker
Even with Hutchinson trending back from last year’s leg surgery, edge remains a lingering need. That, coupled with the fact that Green Bay raised the bar in the NFC North with the Parsons addition, adding another beast on the D-line feels more pertinent than ever.
Walker’s length and closing speed would also be definite assets to the Lions D-line. Contract-wise, Detroit can absorb his 2025 cap hit ($11.9 million) and then choose between an extension or the already-exercised option for 2026.
Here’s a trade proposal we think is realistic enough to bring Walker to Detroit:
Lions receive EDGE Travon Walker, sixth-round pick
Jaguars receive Detroit’s 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 third-rounder that escalates to a second if Walker hits 10 sacks or Detroit reaches the NFC title game.
Detroit would need to give up a first-rounder to get him, particularly looking at the trade landscape around the league for pass rushers who aren’t Parsons.
Bears edge Montez Sweat fetched a second as a pending free agent at the 2023 deadline, and Brian Burns cost a Day-2 pick plus a mega-extension in 2024. Walker is younger than both were, already has consecutive 10-sack seasons and comes with two affordable years before any franchise-tag talk.
For Detroit, adding an ascending bookend opposite Hutchinson in a division that just added Parsons would provide a huge boost. GM Brad Holmes should at least look into it.