2025 NFL Scouting Report: Jalon Walker

Jalon Walker, 6-2/245
Outside Linebacker
Georgia

Jalon Walker Scouting Report

By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous pass rusher
Burst off the ball
Speed to close
Fast to fire upfield
Excellent blitzer
Tough
Plays hard
Good motor
Burst off the ball
Good move to the inside
Willing run defender
Run and chase run defender
Has a burst to close

Weaknesses:

Lacks length
Short armed guy
Small, undersized
Instincts aren’t great
Better blitzer than rusher

Prospect Summary:

Under head coach Kirby Smart, Georgia has been a factory for NFL front seven talent. Year after year, they have sent talented defensive tackles, edge rushers, and linebackers to the pro ranks. This year, Walker will keep that tradition alive as he is one of the hybrid edge rush/blitz linebackers that have thrived in Smart’s scheme. Previous players who have been used in similar ways include Azeez Ojulari and Nakobe Dean. In 2023, Walker rotated into the game and totaled 20 tackles with five sacks and a forced fumble. In 2024, Walker had 6.5 sacks with 61 tackles, two passes batted, and two fumble recoveries.

As a pass rusher, Walker is a mixed bag. He has some good traits that lead to him getting to the quarterback, but also some significant limitations for the NFL. On the negative side, Walker lacks length and has short arms. That leads to him having issues getting off blocks when offensive tackles get their hands on him. There is nothing that Walker can do about his size, so he is going to have play well around it. Walker is more effective when he blitzes compared to when he lines up as a pass rusher, so that is a little concerning for the NFL as pro teams are adept at identifying blitzers. On the plus side, as a pass rusher, Walker plays really hard and tough. He has some a burst off the ball with speed to get around the corner. He has a serious ability to close when he runs free. Walker has a good motor and doesn’t quit on plays with a relentless attitude.

As a run defender, Walker plays hard and uses his speed and motor to track down ball carriers. He is a good pursuit run defender who charges hard with some strength as a tackler. As a pro, he could have issues with defending runs coming downhill straight at him. Walker’s size and length make him a Sam linebacker as he lacks the size to be lining up directly over offensive tackles as a base end in potential run downs. Walker can only serve as an edge rusher in obvious passing situations. Thus, he has some scheme limitations.

In the 2025 NFL Draft, Walker has the potential to go as high as the middle of the first round.

Prospect Comparison:

Azeez Ojulari/Noah Spence. Spence (6-2, 251) and Walker are almost identical in size with some skill set limitations. Spence was a high second-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2016, but he was a bust. Walker is more explosive and twitched up than Ojulari, but Ojulari is a little bigger and stronger than Walker. In the NFL, Walker could be a similar style pro to Ojulari if he pans out. If Walker does not translate, he would be a pro similar to Spence.