How the Jaguars' Brass Evaluates Travon Walker's Rookie Season
Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher Travon Walker entered 2022 with different expectations than most No. 1 overall picks.
The top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Walker was expected by most -- including the Jaguars themselves -- to be a long-term pick, just like any other draft pick. But Walker was selected with the knowledge of knowing he was a raw pass-rusher due to his role at Georgia, leading to a position switch as a rookie.
Despite all of that, Walker's rookie year ended with the outside linebacker making more plays than he had at any other point of the season; a sign of momentum the Jaguars will look to see continue into 2023 as he gets more reps on the edge.
"Everything that we saw in him in the draft process, we’re so thankful that we drafted him, he’s a part of our football team," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Monday.
"I just met with him a few minutes ago, and he’s excited for this offseason. He’s excited for his future. He understands he can get better and he can help us in different ways. He wants to take that next step in a leadership role, and I think that’s important for him to do."
Walker flashed at times during his first 2.5 months, but it wasn't until the final stretch of the season where he played his best football. He proved instrumental in two wins over the Tennessee Titans, especially in Week 18.
“I think Travon, like all these rookies, it was a season of growth. You’re always looking at young players, and usually that step between year one and year two is the biggest jump that these guys have as players, but I think he did a lot of nice things," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said on Tuesday.
"Like I talked to him a week ago, that stat number that everybody has in their mind of sacks is, in a lot of ways, very overvalued. There’s a lot of ways to influence a game, and I think Travon, you saw him do it, whether it be the run or the pass, he had an impact this year, and it’s only going to get better from here.”
Ultimately, Walker finished his rookie season with 3.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one interception, two pass deflections, 49 tackles, and 43 pressures.
Walker's 43 pressures ranked fourth among all rookie edge rushers, per Pro Football Focus.
"That’s the next step, to be a dominant edge rusher and even an interior rusher. We just find ways to utilize his strengths, and when he comes back, he’ll be ready to go and eager to get back out on the field," Pederson said.
Walker played inside at times as a rookie, also playing more as a three-point stance lineman during the latter half of the season, and expressed a desire earlier this week to return to the same role in 2023.
"I definitely want to still play my same role. It was a growing year. This year was basically just getting a feel for things. There’s plenty more to come. I will definitely still be rushing the passer for sure, just at a different level next year," Walker said this week.
"I always knew I could be a dominant player without question. It’s just a fact of me knowing the ins and outs of football. You really have to know the game of football once you are playing against such savvy guys and a lot of these veterans."
