NFL Draft Profile: Travon Walker, Defensive Lineman, Georgia Bulldogs
#44
Pos: DL
Ht: 6050
Wt: 272
Hands: 1068
Arms: 3548
Wingspan: 8428
40: 4.51
3-Cone: 6.89
Shuttle: 4.32
Vertical: 35.5
Broad Jump: 1003
DOB: 12/18/00
Eligible: 2022
Thomaston, GA
Upson-Lee
Travon Walker
Georgia Bulldogs
One-Liners
Very long defensive end who physically overwhelms blockers. Slow hands make his pass rush moves predictable.
Pros
Lining up as a five-technique on base downs, Walker has the positional versatility to kick all the way out to a seven or reduce inside and rush from a three-tech alignment. His length is nothing short of special, utilizing it to outreach blockers and creating knockback. From there, Walker possesses the leg drive and motor to drive opponents back. In the run game, he is able to impact linemen with his hands, twisting them and enforcing his will. By extending, he stacks and sheds with a push-pull move. Athleticism is apparent when moving laterally, staying square and displaying range while maintaining extension. Walker times the snap well and shows a quick get to avoid cut blocks. His length makes him a threat to bat down passes. Not stiff, displaying balance and nimbleness when transitioning out of a spin move. Despite his height, Walker keeps his pads low.
Cons
Walker lacks decisiveness and counter moves as a pass rusher, making him a one-trick pony at this point. Slow hands make his moves predictable. When he is unable to extend quickly enough, linemen latch and seal him off on the edge. Walker needs to process faster when controlling gaps, missing too many opportunities for tackles. He has only played in a rotational role up to this point in his career.
Summary
Very long defensive end who possesses the ability to outreach and control opponents at the point of attack. Walker is a more than capable power rusher, creating knockback and driving his legs. He needs to develop a counter move as he is a one-trick pony. Below average processing speed prevents him from making more splash plays. Walker projects as a developmental 3-4 defensive end or five-technique who can move around on the line. He has traits in length and athleticism that are highly coveted and should help him have an impact in a rotation as a rookie. With more technical refinement and urgency, Walker can be a quality starting-caliber player.
Background:
Raised in Thomaston, Georgia. Five-star recruit according to 247Sports. Played defensive line, tight end and running back in high school. Played basketball in high school. Sport Management major. Contributed on kick coverage units.
Grades
1st Round
Quote
“He’s alike a swiss-army-knife. You can use him in any scheme or pretty much anything you need him to do. He can drop, he can cover, he’s a freak athlete. It’s pretty evident from pro day and combine, you know you can see for yourself with your own eyes, that kid is not human.” - Jordan Davis on Travon Walker
“Well, it’s what they ask you to do a lot of times. He didn't just line up and rush on the edge. There’s several NFL scouts that say, hey you just line him up at outside backer and let him set an edge, he’s going to be tremendous at that. He’s really strong, he’s really fast. But that’s not what we asked him to do. We asked him to do a lot of different things. His value comes, like you said, in workouts. He’s a freak. He’s got a lot of length. He’s an incredible athlete and he’s going to be a high draft pick.” - Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart on Travon Walker
