Latest ESPN Mock Draft has Atlanta Falcons Upgrading Defense

The Atlanta Falcons have plenty of work to do defensively, and they may turn to a local star in Georgia's Jalon Walker to help.

ESPN projects the Atlanta Falcons to select Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker in the 2025 NFL Draft. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' season is over. At 8-9, the Falcons have gone seven consecutive seasons without both a winning record and playoff appearance.

And so, Atlanta has turned its attention toward the offseason, where it several has questions to answer and positions to fill.

The Falcons have plenty to do in free agency before reaching the 2025 NFL Draft, but it's never too early to start looking ahead at who Atlanta may select with the No. 15 overall pick -- especially when the result pens a local standout.

In his latest mock draft, ESPN's Jordan Reid sent Georgia edge rusher and linebacker Jalon Walker to the Falcons in the first round.

"Trading for Matthew Judon in the preseason did little to resolve the Falcons' pass rushing woes," Reid wrote. "Atlanta's 34.1% pass rush win rate was the sixth worst in the NFL, and its lead edge rusher -- Arnold Ebiketie -- is set to hit free agency after the 2025 season. The Falcons haven't had a defender reach double-digit sacks since 2016 (Vic Beasley Jr.).

"But Walker is a versatile defender who can bring pressure off the edge (17.1% pressure percentage and 6.5 sacks) and play off-ball linebacker."

The Falcons finished the season second-to-last in sacks league wide with 31, but 21 of those came in the final six games, which ranked third best.

Still, Walker, who led Georgia with 10.5 tackles for loss this season, would add a much-needed element. At 6'2", 245 pounds, Walker is explosive, rangy and capable of making game-changing plays as both an inside linebacker and edge rusher.

Walker had 61 tackles this season while playing more snaps at inside linebacker than rushing the passer, but he still recorded 34 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said the organization has a philosophy that starts up front, meaning pass rush will always be a priority, regardless of how well the team produces.

"If you can get after the quarterback, you can play really good defense, and that's always going to be a priority for us," Morris said Monday. "How we go about acquiring that and how we want to do it is always going to be something we're going to sit down and explore and talk about and find ways to be creative to do those things.

"But the better you can make those moments, the better you can make those things, the better you can be."

The 2025 NFL Draft runs April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.