2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: LB Quay Walker, Georgia

We take a look at another linebacker from the Georgia all-world defense who has an intriguing mix of skills and promise.

Author:
Nick Falato
Updated:
Feb 22, 2022 10:00 AM EST
Original:
Feb 21, 2022

In this story:

Georgia Bulldogs

Quay Walker, LB

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 240 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Georgia

A former four-star recruit out of Crisp County High School in Cordele, Georgia, Walker was the sixth-ranked Georgian recruit and the second OLB in the 2018 cycle.

Walker waited his turn to shine on a talented Georgia defense that won the National Championship in 2021- his only year as a starter.

Notables

Walker only played more than 335 snaps in one of his four seasons. He had 65 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 25 pressures, and three passes defended during his senior season. Walker recorded 6 of those 25 pressures in the national title game against Alabama.

He finished his college career with 137 tackles, 11 for a loss, five sacks, 39 pressures, and three passes defended. Walker and Bulldogs teammate RB James Cook backed out of the Reese’s Senior Bowl after accepting invites to the event.

Strengths

Ideal linebacker size, weight, length and athletic ability
Linebackers who weigh 240-pounds shouldn’t have his movement skills
Great foot-speed, lateral quickness, and change of direction to scrape over the top of trash
Fluid, smooth, mover in space
Does a solid overall job working through trash in front of him
Excellent in pursuit downhill, quick trigger
Quick to shed and keep OL away with length
Has pop in his hands and violence in his shed
Physical upon contact, great competitive toughness
Wide tackle radius, good tackling mechanics (he can get wild when pursuing laterally)
Sure tackler who can deliver bone-jarring hits or safe tackles depending on the context
Can be over aggressive, but does well to see through zone stretch plays and take advantageous angles of pursuit to the ball carrier
Good overall run defender; can penetrate and slip around blocks, can stack & shed, and is violently willing to get his nose dirty
Has the traits to be excellent in coverage
Had some nice plays in man coverage against tight ends up the seam
Dangerous as a blitzing linebacker
Has quick accelerating ability, and takes advantageous paths around much less athletic offensive lineman
One of the main communicators pre-snap for the Bulldogs’ defense
Versatile enough to play any LB position
Three down potential with sideline to sideline range

Want to check out more NFL Draft profiles by Nick Falato?

Click here to see those already posted.

Gallery

1 Images

Can Improve

Plays with a high center of gravity
He over pursues in a wild manner at times when he’s not boxing
Can be over aggressive against the run
The over-aggressive nature led to Walker being out of position when diagnosing wrongly
Not a bad processor, but the quick trigger gets him in trouble
Wasn’t consistent with his eyes in coverage (this can be fixed)
One year of starting experience

Summary

Overall, Quay Walker isn’t discussed as much as some of his teammates, but I hope the Giants can find a way to snag him with one of their third-round selections. Not only does he have ideal size/speed attributes, but he also is a consistent tackler with the ability to affect the run, pass, and harass the quarterback.

Walker is a high upside player whose floor isn’t too low; yes, he can be a bit overly aggressive at times, and he’s not very experienced, but he could be a steal in the draft if he slips. The way the NFL values second-level defenders with size/AA, I wouldn’t be shocked if Quay Walker goes well before many anticipate.

GRADE: 6.3