Not only will Josh Allen have an important season on his hands when it comes to reaching double-digit sacks, but many are excited to see how he works with rookie pass-rusher Travon Walker. Just as they did in 2019 with Allen, the Jags decided to spend a first-round selection on Walker in April and now they will have two former Southeastern conference standouts combining forces in North Florida.
While the pads haven’t gone on, Walker has impressed in terms of the size and power he’s been able to display. That left many fans and reporters excited to see what’s next in training camp for the former Georgia Bulldog who has tremendous upside.
As for Allen, he seems to already believe in Walker. He told Jamal St. Cyr of News4Jax that he believes the 2022 No. 1 overall pick can be a double-digit sack player once he learns the defense.
“Travon is a double-digit sack guy but he is a rookie, you know what I’m saying, and he has to adjust to the environment of the NFL,” Allen said.
“ […] Once he gets comfortable into this defense and knows the calls in and out and can just play and not think, I Travon is going to be a freak. I can’t wait to see what he does in training camp.”
Walker was mostly a defensive lineman with the Georgia Bulldogs, so he has a lot to learn in terms of rushing from the edge despite doing it occasionally in college. Jags coach Doug Pederson has been on record for saying the team wants to let the versatile Walker focus on one position for the time being, so it seems a good plan is in place to develop the rookie.
It won’t be an easy task for Walker to hit the 10-sack mark out of the gate, but at the same time, it’s not impossible. Allen did it as a rookie (accumulating 10.5 sacks), although he had former Pro Bowlers playing alongside him in Calais Campbell, Marcell Dareus, and Yannick Ngakoue. However, no Jags player has hit that mark since.
While it may not be as a rookie, Walker at least has the physical ability to be a double-digit sack player routinely when it all comes together. He has elite athleticism and the work ethic to get better by the day. That said, Allen is not wrong to be confident in Walker, though time will tell if he’s right.
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