The Jacksonville Jaguars were in a situation where it would’ve been extremely difficult to trade the top pick and ended up taking a player to bolster their pass-rush. That player was Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker, who will now spend a majority of his snaps on the edge.
As the No. 1 pick in the draft, Walker should start in 2022 in all probability, especially when considering how much the Jags struggled defensively last season. They ranked 23rd against the run, 16th against the pass, and 20th overall and it was hard for them to stop many of their opponents. However, Walker is a key in all of that changing.
With him being the top pick of April’s draft many will be watching his sack total throughout his career. That will especially be the case when considering the 2022 draft class was loaded with first-round talents to compare his figures to as four other edge rushers were taken in the same round. Those players were Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Jermaine Johnson, and George Karlaftis, all of whom could be starters, too.
When looking at the Jags’ roster, Walker may not be counted on to be the Jags’ top pass-rusher immediately. That could be the task of fourth-year player Josh Allen instead, who has been to a Pro Bowl and has 20.5 career sacks.
That said, some aren’t expecting double-digit sacks from Walker as a rookie like ESPN’s Mike Clay, who projected Walker to get just over seven sacks. Additionally, he’s somewhat new to the outside linebacker position, so there could be a transition period for the former Georgia Bulldog. Then again, when considering Walker’s physical talent, he shouldn’t be counted out to hit the 10-sack mark, either.
That said, we want to hear from our viewers on this topic. How many sacks do you all believe Walker will garner as a rookie. Could he do what Josh Allen did and hit double-digits as a rookie, or will his total be less? Let us know in the poll below.
