Falcon Report

Top Georgia Draft Prospect Lights Up While Talking Potential Falcons Future

Projected 2025 first-round pick and Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker spoke very highly about the possibility of joining the Atlanta Falcons.

Dave Holcomb

Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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A match made in heaven may be developing for the Atlanta Falcons at No. 15 overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Most Falcons fans would love nothing more than to satisfy a defensive need with a local product, perhaps from the Georgia Bulldogs defense.

The organization shouldn't care where the defensive prospect comes from as long as he can play. But if the team can score fan favor while filling a long-time defensive need, then even better.

Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher Jalon Walker fits the bill for both the team and fan base. As it turns out, he might love playing for the Falcons too.

“It would be great," Walker answered to a question at Georgia's Pro Day about playing for the Falcons, via 11 Alive News' Maria Martin. "The relationship I’ve built with them from the combine and the conversations that we had, not just only on the football side of it, I’d love to stay in contact with those coaches and their staff.

"They are great and wonderful people. I just appreciate them making the process great and nice for me.”

Walker smiled at the beginning of his answer as well when Martin discussed the possibility of making a "very versatile defense come to life."

“His plan is visionary plan," Walker said of new Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. "I’m with a visionary plan because it’s part of life and how you want to be successful. Whatever he’s with, I’m with. I appreciate the opportunity.”

Martin also tweeted a video of Walker talking to Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot.

Walker has been one of several different defensive prospects connected to the Falcons, who own the No. 15 overall in the first round, this spring. ESPN's Jordan Reid projected Walker to the Falcons at No. 15 on March 4 because of the immediate impact he could make with the pass rush.

"Atlanta finished 31st in the NFL in sacks (31) and hasn't had a player reach double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley Jr. in 2016," Reid wrote. "Walker can provide the Falcons with quick pass-rush help. He finished with 6.5 sacks this season, and his 17.1% pressure rate was fifth in the FBS.

"He's a bit of a tweener at 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds, but the Falcons need a chaos creator behind the line of scrimmage. Walker can be used in multiple ways as an aggressive edge defender who frequently changes alignment."

Based on Walker's Falcons answers on March 12, Ulbrich and the rest of the team's staff see the Georgia product being able to make that kind of impact too.

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Dave Holcomb
DAVE HOLCOMB

Dave is a staff writer at Falcon Report. He also writes at Yardbarker, Southern Pigskin, Cox Media, and Rotowire. Follow him on Twitter @dmholcomb.