Jaguars’ Trent Baalke Excited for Travon Walker’s Fit in Ryan Nielson’s Defense

The former No. 1 pick should find himself right at home in Ryan Nielsen's defense.

In the NFL Draft, potential is everything. It’s the driving force behind why teams draft the players they do and where. That might not be more true for anyone than the Jaguars’ very own Travon Walker.

Walker was a NFL Draft phenom, scoring a 9.99 RAS out of the possible 10.0, ranking him as one of the most athletic edge rushers ever. This came with some concern, however, as he was very raw as a pass-rusher coming out and would need time to develop his repertoire.

We saw a glimpse of Walker’s potential this past season as the former Georgia Bulldog’s production skyrocketed from the 36 pressures, 3.5 sacks during his rookie season to the 59 pressures and 10 sacks we saw in 2023.

I’ve often compared Walker to Rashan Gary and I think it's an applicable comparison. They both came out of the draft as raw prospects with incredible athleticism from blue-blood collegiate programs. It took Gary awhile before becoming the elite pass-rusher he is today. By comparison, Walker is ahead of schedule.

With a defensive line guru coming to Jacksonville in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, Walker’s elite potential could soon be realized. If the Jaguars are able to find more defensive line help, maybe even doubly so.

Trent Baalke is excited for the union between Ryan Nielsen and Travon Walker, “I think Ryan [Nielsen] has proven over time, especially with the front, he’s done an excellent job with those guys developing them. Moving them around in varying positions along the front to work matchups and stuff like that. I think you’re going to see a lot of that as we move forward.”

When asked about Walker’s potential, Baalke spoke that it was his elite athleticism that enamored Baalke so much in the 2022 NFL Draft.

“I think he’s just scratching the surface. With the way he works and the way he competes, I think his ceiling is very, very high and what we thought it was when we drafted him obviously with the first pick in the draft.” said Baalke

Travon Walker and Josh Allen accounted for the most sacks (27.5) of any duo in the NFL this past season and both are expected to return. While it’s hard to repeat such a feat, we should see an even better Travon Walker in 2024 as he enters his third season in the league.

To end the season, Walker went on a tear, collecting 6.5 sacks in his final 7 games, in addition to 29 pressures in the same time frame. If he can start 2024 the same way he ended 2023, the rest of the AFC South should be on high alert.

It should, no doubt, help that his new defensive coordinator is a proven defensive line savant, who doubled the Atlanta Falcons sack total in just a single season. For a player of Walker’s talent, the sky really is the limit.