But Walker finished seventh on the Georgia defensive front in pressure rate, which is mighty odd for someone getting -550 to be drafted in the top five. Robinson ranks somewhere between Eddie Lacy and Derrick Henry on the Alabama battering ram scale. Yikes. Kirby Smart isnt exactly stupid when it comes to defense if he was putting Walker in all those places, Walker was going to have to succeed. There was Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson, a dominant pass rusher who won the Lombardi Award for top college lineman. As for Walker, not everyone was as high on him as the Jaguars must have been. "Its a whole new level of achievement. Of course, Walker has players on his own team that he can learn from. Its a different deal, and a different set of defenses. This is a guy who played very consistent football all year long. Anyway, we all know that Hutchinson can play. Walker was mostly a three-point stance player at Georgia, where he was. He ran a 4.51-second 40 yard dash and had a mind-boggling 3-cone of 6.89 seconds. Because at University of Georgia, we play a lot of different defenses, and so therefore you can be scattered all out on the field from playing a five technique, a four I on the front, you play a three. Only one of them Myles Garrett recorded more than 5.5 sacks during their rookie season (Garrett had 7). If a lineman holds too often in the AAC, heaven knows what he will do if forced to start as a rookie. Here is what they're getting. 'Really, you just like the get off. . A former five-star recruit from Upson Lee High School in Thomaston, Georgia, Walker was the second-ranked . Mathis is the Colts' all-time sack leader with 123. Instagram: Back to Walker as an inside disruptor, where he gets the Von Miller long-arm move going to the great dismay of Alabamas left guard. Georgia Bulldogs ER Travon Walker Photo: USA Today Sports Images NFL Draft - Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson finished second in the nation with 70 pass pressures in 2021. Therein is the rub of this draft business. Those are the conversations Mike and I have had, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after Caldwell was hired to run Jacksonvilles defense. Jaguars send wide receiver Laviska Shenault to Carolina Panthers, Jaguars announce 10 cuts, including wide receiver Laquon Treadwell ahead of Tuesday's deadline, Jaguars' Pederson gets set for tough decisions after loss to Falcons, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. With Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Lewis Cine on the defensive side, players such as Travon Walker go unnoticed sometimes. Then again, before envisioning Walker rushing inside as part of some NASCAR package like Pedersons defense employed during his Philadelphia Eagles tenure, the Jaguars were quick to declare that the first priority will be establishing a primary position defensive end. Then there was Evan Neal, a generational offensive lineman who could provide immediate relief to any team's front seven to protect the quarterback. Thats great in the abstract, especially in todays NFL, but you want to see a guy winning from all of those gaps if youre putting him there. Willis and Howell are both gifted runners who can be forgiven for holding the ball too long now and then, but a double-digit sack rate is not "now and then.". He also earned an impressive BackCAST grade. Do you have a blog? Even though he was right, Kiper was not so happy with the pick when speaking to Sportscenter's Scott Van Peltafter the draft,citing Walker's lack of production at the college level. Join our linker program. As I've aged, I tend to order leaner meats (and, sadly, salads instead of sandwiches). He's a 330-pounder who blasts defenders in the open field, and he just turned 21 two weeks ago, so the upside is there. "Theres no pressure at all. The skinny. DOB 2000-12-18 ( 22.1) Height 6' 5". Walker was asked to do a lot of things that mitigate the alleged lack of production. Thats one reason eyebrows were raised when comparing Walker to Hutchinson and even Thibodeaux. I thought this discussion was limited to Power 5 conferences. It's interesting that despite Ridley how little we hear about daily fantasy, which combines all the worst aspects of both fantasy football and sports gambling in an obnoxious environment that directly channels profits into NFL ownership, because it carries an enormous risk to both corrupt player performance and for management to manipulate players directly in order to maximize back-channels because the front end is assured. Slide over to the outside and Tulsa draft board-riser Tyler Smith was charged with just eight blown blocks in 860 snaps for a 0.9% blown block rate, which ranked sixth in the nation at left tackle. NCAA football is better-attended than pro football and is on the same order in terms of annual revenue. While he may be excited to get started with the Jaguars, the team does not have a good history of developing defensive first round picks and keeping them. There was a moment even more telling about the Georgia program than when former walk-on Stetson Bennett threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to 3-star freshman A.D. Mitchell. GRADE: A-. When Lloyd and Josh Allen are moving in from the edge, imagine packages in which Walker then kicks inside. Utah's Mika Tafua, the Pac-12 sack leader, tied Hutchinson with 70 pressures and led the nation with 55 hurries, 11 more than Hutchinson. Its a game weve been playing ever since we were 7 years old, so its no pressure to just continue what Ivebeen doing my whole life.. Coming into the 2022 NFL draft, one of the primary questions was whether the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to take the sure thing in Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, or the athletic projection in Georgia multi-gap defender Travon Walker. Caldwell and his staff can line Lloyd up as an off-ball run defender and pass defender, and move him down to the front to provide edge pressure. The manual doesn't clarify what to do if it's a pass. Walker had six sacks last season; Robert Beal led the team with 6.5,. Former Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker on the field after being presented a National Championship ring in the first half of Georgia's spring NCAA college football game, Saturday, April. Touchdown Wire's Laurie Fitzpatrick highlights the top throws made by the NFL's rookie quarterbacks in their first preseasons. His stance. There are a lot of things that go into production, Baalke said of that issue. And while Liberty is a weak program, so were most of their opponents. Pete Carroll and John Schneider knew they had to change their draft philosophy in 2022, and they explained it at the scouting combine. Six teammates (!!!) It takes buy-in from players. He's accounted for three total pressures, one sack and two "stops," according to the football analytics website. When you have a player with athletic traits like this, you want to see those traits turned into production. Things happen, he said. The comments below have not been moderated, By North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell finished second, enduring 48 sacks. Willis is the guy to fret about. They finished first and second in the nation in sack rate at 11.3% (Willis) and 10.7% (Howell). I get the talent, I see the versatility, I see the quickness outside,' Kiper said. It's OK to want to draft a running back! Which is usually reflected in total rush yards anyway. . In straining and being connected a team. He has the best offense in the country and a defense good enough that he doesnt actually have to score. Hanson had the Cardinals taking him at 23rd, Kiper and McShay had the Cowboys picking him at 24th and 27th respectively, while Reuter didn't have a team taking him until the second round. 'I'm talking 9.5 career sacks, 13 career tackles for a loss, 1 career forced fumble. Another example this time against Texas, where Walker doesnt really have an answer to getting doubled on an inside stunt. Travon Walker: 10.1% win rate, 34 pressures. All rights reserved. Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@ajc.com. As a young man, my BMT% at Subway was very high. Pressures are an unofficial stat (some sources list Hutchinson with 74) that can be hard/expensive to come by, but they are pressures: an easy concept for everyone from fans to general managers to understand and accept as a useful data point. But, this selection might be a blessing in disguise, because despite feeling the pressure of being picked first overall, he goes to a team with no tradition of winning or championships. That number, which comes from the Sports Info Solutions Datahub, should not surprise you. 1 | SC with SVP - YouTube. Another interesting wrinkle is the down-without-contact rule in NCAA -- you can fall down and auto-sack yourself in a way you can't under NFL rules. The Jacksonville Jaguars exited Friday's game still looking for their first preseason win after a 24-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Turns out his hunch was right, while the Jaguars protected their intentions like a state secret. If he can develop well, then Jacksonville could build him into something great - a potential cornerstone of the future for a franchise that needs one now more than ever. Contrast Olave with Williams on a yards-per-target basis and there would be little question that Williams is the better overall deep threat, setting aside his January ACL tear. Exclusive Premium Content For Subscribers. We all know itshouldbe abbreviated (BT+MT)/A. Travon Walker's draft stock has soared in recent weeks, and the Georgia defensive standout has emerged as the consensus favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He's an awesome edge rusher, and awesome edge rushers produce lots of pressures. But Kirby Smart said all season this was a player-led team. 1 pick overall in the NFL draft on. Thibodeax played just 10 games due to an early-season injury and an opt-out of the Alamo Bowl, which proved he hates football/teammates/America or something. A high sack rate is an easy-to-spot red flag for a quarterback prospect. When you look at the whole picture, it becomes easier to see why Baalke and his staff were so eager to bet on what Travon Walker already is, and may become over time. Obviously, you dont make the decision in the middle of October or early October. Travon Walker is 6-5 (196 cm) tall. Even with numbers as impressive as that, there wasn't a single Georgia defensive player that finished in the top 100 for sacks in all of college football. But Walker is excited that he's a Jaguar, telling reporters, 'I was hoping (he'd get picked by) the Jaguars from the the get go.'. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 1 / 10 And it's OK to prefer Walker. Mercer and NMSU each getting 1 and Georgia getting 0 is a weird stat to square. Kyren Williams was high on many early media draft boards before a slow 40 at just 194 pounds. Yury Travon Walker ( TREY-von; born December 18, 2000) is an American football outside linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). Theres a lot of things that go into production. Youll also see this too often when hes defending in space. Various metrics keep telling us that Allgeier has the potential to be productive in the NFL. 1 overall in consecutive years since Russell Maryland and Steve Emtman in 1991 and 1992. Joe Schoen, Duke Tobin and the Combine Decoder Ring, XFL Week 2 Review: Battlehawks Rally vs. Sea Dragons, Will Anderson's Pressure Principles: Combine Preview, In NFC South, Only Atlanta Falcons Are Set at QB, Justin Herbert Leads Pac-12 Alumni Awards, XFL Week 2 Preview: Houston and Arlington Battle for Texas, Hurts and Mahomes: From Big 12 to Super Bowl, Orlando Brown, Daniel Jones, and the Tag of Destiny, Sirianni Leads Aggressiveness Index for 2022, Tom Brady Goes Out as Michigan's Best NFL Player, Eagles, 49ers Shine in Football Outsiders Awards, Joe Burrow, A.J. Though he's used to tough camp battles during his time with the Georgia Bulldogs, the NFL is different. "Once Im on that field Im in go mode. 3 defensive tackle in the country for the 2019 class, per 247 Sports. Name: Travon Walker Position: Defensive lineman School: Georgia Ht/Wt: 6-5, 272 40-yard dash: 4.51 seconds Bench: Did not bench Vertical: 35.5 inches Broad: 123 inches 3-cone: 6.89 seconds 20-yard shuttle: 4.32 seconds Meet the Prospect: Travon Walker View photos of NFL prospect Travon Walker. We want to be able to put our players in position to make plays and present a picture to the offense where maybe you dont know where a blitz is coming from. By Jordan D. Hill Apr 28, 7:21 PM. What was he doing back there that resulted in 39 sacks? Im in the NFL. Allgeier doesn't blow me away on film: he's a big snowplow with little acceleration who gets into trouble when moving parallel to the line of scrimmage. It was all the work we put in in the off-season, getting to know each other, all the connection pieces, just everything weve done just this off-season, its been like no other that Ive had, linebacker Nakobe Dean said. Travon Walker was first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of nowhere, he impressed in the Hall of Fame Game, but can the defensive lineman silence the doubters. Another Myles Garrett? "Those are the things we felt like in the pre-draft process that we were kind of spot on with him with the people we talked to, and weve just been excited with him and looking forward to the regular season with him this whole training camp.. In reply to A post-fumble completion for by Travis. Is Walker ready for this? Obviously they weren't really interested in order of operations. Walker aligned 43 percent of the time as a left edge, 27 percent as a right edge, 22 percent of the time from 4i-2i on either side and 7 percent as a nose tackle. Where Walker wins in ways that Hutchinson doesnt and might not be able to at the next level is as a multi-gap disruptor. There are a few different wrinkles in the sack rules. Versatility (5/5) Travon Walker isnt a perfect player there is no such thing but there are clear and obvious paths to his NFL success. Asked #Jaguars OLB Travon Walker about what Arden Key has brought to the table for him. Im human.. When analyzing the first edition mock drafts of five draft analysts, those being NFL.com's Chad Reuter, Sports Illustrated's Kevin Hanson, The Athletic's Dane Brugler, and ESPN's Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, they all had either Neal or Hutchinson going first overall. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. About an hour before the Jacksonville Jaguars ended the suspense and selected Georgia defensive end Travon Walker with the No. $15.00 + $5.00 shipping. but Smith is not at all like Travon Walker. Kirby Smarts team-building philosophy wasnt best shown on Kelee Ringos game-sealing interception. Since 1990, there have been seven defensive linemen selected with the top pick. Training camp has gone well for Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Travon Walker, the first-overall pick in April's draft. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 27. C.J. If he can work on disengaging here, he will be even scarier. But ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. knows who will be blocking for the mystery QB, based on his latest first-round mock for the 2023 . We feel very comfortable about his production run and pass with a lot of upside.. So, when we talk about Walkers production, we have to understand the schematic context before we go around calling him some sort of potential bust. But its just the game of football. Per ESPN Stats & Info, new Jaguars DE Travon Walker is the first player selected first overall in the common draft era (since 1967) that never made an All-Conference or All-American team in college. Well, he only blew two blocks, so he's probably not inconsistent. How many sacks does Travon Walker have? And its really a good thing that you can do all of that, play defensive end at University of Georgia. Travon Walker vs Aidan Hutchinson edge pressure rate: - TW: 9% - AH: 18% < pass-rush win rate on 3rd & 4+: - TW: 11% - AH: 24% < % of pressures that were unblocked/cleanup: - TW: 49% - AH: 25% < 3-cone: - TW: 6.89 - AH: 6.73 < same 10 time arm: - TW: 35 1/2 < - AH: 32 1/8 Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 26, 2022 Jaguars OLB Travon Walker has made strides in his rookie year Walker started his rookie season with a bang, registering an interception and a sack against the Washington Commander in the. Tafua has some NFL-caliber traits, including deft moves and an ability to time the snap count. I know the argument to separate them but it doesn't really matter in the end much because, the most EPA lost to sacks was Willis than Howellbut they made up for it on runs. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Walker is a 275-pound tank of an outside linebacker who did well against the run as a . He's taken little things that help him with his game in an attempt to prepare himself for the long journey ahead of him in the NFL. Former Cowboys DE Taco Charlton throws NFL draft shade back at Jerry Jones after owner's joke, one of the best defenses in college football history, when they drafted defensive end Taco Charlton, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 'The golden rule of scouting was we don't draft production, we draft traits. However, it's the insane testing performances that quantified Walker's on-tape athleticism that has seen . Im definitely prepared for it, he said. At the end of the 2021 college football season, there were at least two players projected to go first overall. He played college football at Georgia, winning the 2022 National Championship with them prior to being selected first overall by the Jaguars in the 2022 NFL Draft . He can win around the edge with quickness and convert explosion to power at contact to push linemen backwards. Walkers monster workout at the combine included an uncanny 4.51-second 40-yard dash time for a man measuring 6-5, 272 pounds. Its a longer season, so you have to take things like that into account," he said. Hearing about your fantasy team is lower even that hearing about your gambling bad beats -- which is like hearing an alcoholic describe in detail the flavor and texture of their vomit. "I love his athleticism, who he is as a person, hard worker," Pederson said. There were other times when Walker, at end, was directed to contain the running back hug him in Georgia parlance and in some cases, he was able to break off that role and blow up quick passing plays after that responsibility had changed through deployment. Tafua has an unimposing size/athleticism profile and is coming off sports hernia surgery. And as always, its crucial to watch a player and understand what hes asked to do before you start speculating about his bust potential. The No. Unfortunately, he struggles to disengage when tasked with going against double teams. So youre really doing everything, to just expand your resume. Those who are aware of general manager Trent Baalkes history know that hes more than fine betting on athletic projects, and in the end, thats what happened. Walker is an impressive rusher, with a quick get-off, great change-of-direction skills, and violent and active hands at contact. Interesting. Travon Walker was born on December 18, 2000. Frankly, Walker's Vernon Gholston/Dion Jordan toolsy bust potential is just too great for me to swallow high in the first round of a draft class loaded with excellent defensive prospects. He finished the season with eight total pressures. In reply to Another interesting wrinkle by Travis. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 2 on the FO 40. "I know I can get it done . Its a process, but he checked the boxes as we went through the process. Obviously traits lead to production and production is often reflective of a guy with traits. Utah's Mika Tafua, the Pac-12 sack leader, tied Hutchinson with 70 pressures and led the nation with 55 hurries, 11 more than Hutchinson. It was more eventful out at the Jaguars ' training camp practice No. Left tackle Dan Moore was credited with allowing 34 pressures this season by PFF, sixth most in the NFL. 20:51 GMT 12 Aug 2022. We know you are here for the FREE analytics, not the ads. That number, which comes from the Sports Info Solutions Datahub, should not surprise you. Now, Walker must navigate through his rookie season, starting as part ofa defense that will depend on him throughout the year. Dean had a moment similar to Walkers. Its part of being the overall pick, right? What would the Steelers or Rams defenses do to him? I shall call it BMT% because it's incrementally less clunky and I don't have to get persnickety about order of operations. A crowd of media members were waiting to talk with the former No. The NCAA doesn't owe the NFL anything. In Kirby Smarts defense, everybody gets to drive for a little while. Which standouts are still on the board entering Day 2? This will be the last time we pick first overall! Pederson bellowed. Anyone who takes Smith in the first round had better be able to redshirt him in 2022. "Blown blocks" are much more subjective than pressures or hurries. . From Pederson's perspective, Walker has taken his opportunity and has handled the pressure very well. He only rushed the passer 261 times to Hutchinson's 404, hence a much lower pressure total. Jordan Addison, Kenny Pickett's favorite target at Pitt, finished second with 29 deep receptions; we'll hear more from Addison in the 2023 draft. 1/10/22 - Indianapolis - Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Travon Walker (44) pressures Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the first quarter at the 2022 College Football. One last thought: there's just no reason why we should have to turn to a premium stat service for a quarterback's sack totals in the early 2020s. We all know he's a raw traits guy, but just how raw are we talking about? Weight: 275 lbs. Mobile quarterbacks might not know what to do with that. This caused a lot more overall disruption to an offensive line, and allowed linemen to contain an area while other defenders blitzed, but it didnt always put those players in the best positions to get to the quarterback. Willis got sacked five times against Army. Size and speed are easy enough to quantify. But a lowest-in-the-nation blown block rate certainly isn't a bad thing. It's reassuring to see statistical splits match up roughly with scouting observations. This gives Walker time to develop his skills in an environment that doesn't demand immediate success. "Hes one of those guys whos giving me information, and its for me to take the information that hes giving me and try to use it.," Walker said of Allen. "My life revolves around the game of football, so its all the same lifestyle," he said. Malik Willis had 146/1227/13 rushing this year, rather than 197/878/13, if you exclude sacks. Walker had a pushing-an-official problem but otherwise was a good three-down playmaker. 1. The Jaguars continued through training camp, finishing up Day 5 as they look forward to full pads on Sunday. Incidentally: How on earth did Bryce Young take 39 sacks? Will Walker become the next Bruce Smith? The signs in training camp and the signals being sent out by Jacksonville are that of positive change and good development. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) throws a pass while under pressure from Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker (44) during the first half of an NCAA college football game,. Instead of those two, the honor - or burden - of going first overall went to Georgia defensive end Travon Walker. Walker had six sacks last season; Robert Beal led the team with 6.5, and linebacker Nakobe Dean was the only other player on that defense with more than six sacks (6.0).
Kpop Bullying Scandal 2022,
Monroe County Georgia Elections,
Elgin Texas High School Football Coach,
Articles T
