After weeks of climbing reputable mock draft boards, Georgia defensive end Travon Walker officially joined the retooling Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, in Las Vegas, as the first-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The decision was met with skepticism from analysts and fans. But in the days leading up to the draft, it became clear that Jags general manager Trent Baalke wanted Walker, steadfast in his belief that the selection wasn't any sort of reach.
Now, Baalke will need Walker to justify the pick, which has been viewed as a gamble to outsiders. Although the 21-year-old played for a top-rated defense with the Bulldogs -- they allowed just 9.5 points and 253.9 yards per game -- at no point during the 2021 season was Walker their best player. He wasn't a slam-drunk pick -- like Trevor Lawrence was last year -- and CBS Sports NFL columnist Pete Prisco didn't agree with Jacksonville's strategy.
"Very risky. He's a five-technique. He's not a defensive end," Prisco explained to the Maggie and Perloff show on Friday. "They keep talking about, 'Oh, he's a defensive end, pass-rusher.' No, he's not. At Georgia, he wasn't a defensive end or pass-rusher, and he probably won't be for [the Jags]. He's going to be a down-player, most of the time... I think he can do it, and I think he's athletic enough. But where are the pass-rush skills?
"I don't see movement. I don't see moves. I mean, he's an explosive, athletic player. He's a good football player. He's tough, and he'll knock people down. But I don't see a great edge-rusher... I would've taken [Alabama tackle] Evan Neal... It's never a bad thing to have big people... Protect this quarterback... They've done a lot of things to help the quarterback this year, and I would've continued to do it."
Walker, listed at 6-foot-5 and 272 pounds, was the fourth-ranked defensive end and 12th overall prospect on the Pro Football Focus big board. In three years with the powerhouse Bulldogs, he recorded 65 total tackles (34 solo) with 9.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 36 hurries across 30 games. In the national championship against rival Alabama this past January, Walker had a career-high seven pressures, displaying his strength on the line.
Jacksonville, which finished 3-14 in 2021, needs to improve at several critical positions. Last season, they ranked dead last in the league in average points scored (14.9), 27th in yards (305.4), and tied for 31st in giveaways (29). Their defense wasn't any better, as they ranked 28th in points (26.9), 20th in yards (353.1), and last in takeaways (9). Walker became just the second player from Georgia to be drafted first overall (Matthew Stafford, 2009).
The entire NFL Draft conversation between Prisco and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.