Georgia football: 3 reasons Travon Walker is the best No.1 pick for the Jaguars

Travon Walker is versatile but knows how to do his job

Versatile is one of the easiest ways to define Georgia football edge rusher Travon Walker’s game. He is quick off the snap, but he also can get through offensive linemen and make plays.

Last year during the Dawgs’ national championship run, he played in all 15 games recording 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery and 32 quarterback hurries.

Those quarterback pressures led the Dawgs in 2021, which is a big stat because that shows how much Walker got near the quarterback. So many people are like his production doesn’t match Aiden Hutchinson’s, and while that is true, breaking down Walker’s stats shows that he was able to put some pressure on quarterbacks often.

Throughout his three years at Georgia, Walker played in 36 games. He recorded 65 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, four pass deflections and 55 quarterback pressures.

Walker can put his hand in the dirt like a traditional edge rusher, but he can stand up with his speed. The possibilities with him are unlimited because Walker got great coaching.

Hutchinson had one other defensive player that helped him, but Walker had four or five. The former 5-star didn’t need astronomical stats to be considered a top draft pick.

Walker knows he doesn’t need 25 sacks to be considered one of the best edge rushers. He does his job by being there to pressure quarterbacks for the linebackers or another defensive lineman to grab. Sometimes putting the pressure on a quarterback is enough to cause a mistake.

He had seven quarterback pressures in the national championship game, which helped the Dawgs force enough mistakes out of Bryce Young to win. He had four pressures and a sack in the semifinal game against Michigan.

So some want to know if Walker can handle the lead role — the answer is yes. However, the NFL isn’t about one superstar defender either because they are full of the best talent out of college football.

These defenses work together to make plays, and Walker knows how to do that. He is a team player who can help when needed and step up to make a big play himself too.

That ability is why he should be No.1 overall. Regardless of Hutchinsons’ sack numbers, the way Walker presents himself on the field is far more impressive.