Report: Jaguars Agree to Deal With No. 1 Pick Travon Walker
The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't have to wait long to get No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker under contract.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jaguars and Walker have reached an agreement on the Georgia product's rookie deal, which is a standard four-year deal with a fifth-year option.
Walker's fully guaranteed deal is set to come out to $37.37 million over four seasons, with $24.3 million in signing bonus.
Walker was drafted No. 1 by the Jaguars on April 28, making him the first non-quarterback taken at No. 1 since Myles Garrett in 2017 and just the fourth defensive end selected at No. 1 since Mario Williams in 2006. In that span, the only other players who were No. 1 picks were offensive tackles Jake Long (2008) and Eric Fisher (2013).
"He played all the way up and down the line of scrimmage, anywhere from a zero technique all the way to a seven technique," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said after picking Walker. "Played in the two point off the edge, which he's going to be used a lot in our scheme. That versatility, ability to stop the run, rush the passer, there's a lot of work to do, but there's a lot of talent to work with."
"Yeah, really just to echo Trent's remarks, too, just his athleticism, his length, his ability to bend the corner. The thing that you see with this guy is his versatility. He played all up and down the defensive line at Georgia," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said.
"Just a tremendous kid. He's going to be great for the locker room. Really, I think, for us, too, just getting him in here, getting him going as soon as we can, and I think getting him in one position and letting him really get good at one position, and that's where we feel he's really going to make the most impact for us."
Walker had a successful first season at Georgia, earning Freshman All-SEC honors in 2019 as he was named a co-winner of Georgia's Defensive Newcomer of the Year award. In 12 games, Walker finished with 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and one pass deflection while also contributing on kickoff coverage units.
In 2020, Walker played in nine games and recorded 1.0 sack, 2.0 tackles for loss, one interception, and one forced fumble. Walker then had a career season in 2021, starting all 15 games as Georgia finished the year as National Champions. During Georgia's title run, Walker recorded 6.0 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, two pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and a team-high 36 quarterback hurries.
Walker then had arguably the best combine performance of any defensive player in 2021, measuring at 6-foot-5 and 272 pounds but still running a 4.51 40-yard dash (98th percentile), a 36-inch vertical jump (80th percentile), 123-inch broad jump (87th percentile), 6.89-second three-cone (93rd percentile), and a 4.32 20-yard shuttle (76th percentile).
“I’d just have to say, for me, it’s not about living up to the expectations because it’s something that I’ve been doing ever since I was a little kid," Walker said at his introductory press conference. "I just feel that once I get the opportunity, I just maximize the opportunity that I have and do my best at it. I can’t worry about what everybody else has to say.”
