LB Mykal Walker: Falcons' Best-Kept Secret?
Last season, the Atlanta Falcons' linebackers were the most productive position group on the team, with Foye Oluokun leading the entire NFL in tackles with 192, and Deion Jones racking up a stout 137.
However, Oluokun is off to Jacksonville, and Jones appears to be on his way out, as well. As a result, the Falcons added several linebackers this off-season, including free agents Rashaan Evans and Nick Kwiatkoski, and second-round draft pick Troy Andersen.
With all of the new acquisitions, third-year pro Mykal Walker is flying under the radar as the Falcons work towards training camp. Walker, who played in every game last season with two starts, totaled 35 tackles across his sophomore campaign.
The highlight of Walker's season came in Week 14 against the Carolina Panthers, when he took his first career interception 66 yards to the endzone for what proved to be the difference in a 29-21 Falcons victory.
With high-end flashes in the rearview mirror and plenty of snaps on the table in the season ahead, Walker is Atlanta's best-kept secret, according to Bleacher Report.
The Falcons have taken steps to overhaul the unit both in free agency and the draft, signing Rashaan Evans and Nick Kwiatkoski and drafting Montana State's Troy Andersen on Day 2 of the 2022 draft. But the player who could be set to make the biggest impact for the team at the position this season is holdover Mykal Walker.
Walker has eight starts and 80 total stops over two years in Atlanta, and while he's not as experienced as Evans and Kwiatkoski, his range is better. There's a very real possibility that Walker opens the season as a three-down linebacker for a defense that will spend a lot of time on the field. - Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport
Walker has had an impressive offseason thus far, both in terms of physical and mental development. Inside linebackers coach Frank Bush believes Walker has the ability to shine with increased opportunities in 2022.
"Mykal has had a really good spring. He came back in tremendous shape," Bush said. "There's a certain level of maturity that has shown up in the building this year. He physically looks the part, and he's embracing the role of trying to be the guy who can be on the field all the time.
"He has done a great job and has had a really good spring. We have high expectations for him and, so far, he has lived up to them."
The next two months will be big for Walker's future, as the Fresno State alum will be given a chance to compete for the starting job alongside Evans with Kwiatkoski and Andersen. His familiarity with defensive coordinator Dean Pees' defense likely gives him an advantage, though the battle will likely run through the preseason.
With training camp less than two weeks away and the season starting shortly thereafter, Walker's chance to stake his claim as a long-term solution at linebacker for Atlanta's defense is quickly approaching. Now, it's up to the 24-year-old to capitalize on the opportunity and turn in a breakout campaign, ensuring he's no longer a secret to the rest of the league.
