The Atlanta Falcons have been a thorn in the side of Georgia football fans for a long time now. Most UGA fans are also fans of the Falcons, and everyone knows how historic of a run UGA has been on in recent years, but that has made the Falcons struggles that much more difficult to handle.
One of the biggest issues Georgia fans have had with the Falcons is their refusal to draft former Georgia players. And after watching the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl this season with a roster full of Bulldogs, that only increased the displeasure from Georgia fans.
Those negative feelings however will no longer exist as the Falcons just selected Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with the 15th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 @NFLDraft, the @AtlantaFalcons select Jalon Walker. @NewEraCap
— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2025
📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/0PInDa1ep2
Jalon Walker Georgia career in review
Walker came to Georgia as part of the Bulldogs' impressive 2022 recruiting class where he was a five-star recruit and the No. 3 linebacker in the country, according to 247Sports.
Walker got off to a slow start in his career as he did not play much as a true freshman, but that began to change as he entered his sophmore season in 2023. During this season he only tallied 20 tackles, but 25 percent of those tackles were sacks as he recorded five on the year.
Walker finally found his stride in 2024 where he totaled 61 tackles including a whopping 6.5 sacks. This includes an impressive three sack performance at Texas when Georgia upset the No. 1 team in the country.
And to cap off Walker's impressive junior season, he won the Butkus Award which goes to the nation's top linebacker.
What does Jalon Walker bring to the Atlanta Falcons?
Walker brings an elite work ethic to the NFL, one that will be hard for anyone to match. He also brings versatility that is so hard to come by as he can play the traditional linebacker position as well as being able to play EDGE as well.
Walker finds a lot of success by using his speed and athleticism to close the gap and stop ball carriers dead in their tracks. He does have some work to do as an off-ball linebacker still, but his instincts and aggressive mindset will allow him to find immediate success in the NFL.
Time will tell how well Walker does in Atlanta, but it's safe to say that Georgia fans will go to sleep very happy tonight.