Georgia’s Travon Walker got to hear his name first in the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday.
That’s a function of an incredible one-year gain for the 6-foot-5, 275-pound edge rusher. Walker dropped 15 pounds to become a starter in the Bulldogs’ national championship defense in 2021. He impressed at the NFL Combine. Now, he’s the betting favorite to be the Jacksonville Jaguars’ No. 1 pick.
Walker, who teamed up with USAA before the draft, might not be able to explain the hype. But he doesn’t back down.
“I don’t get into all that mock draft stuff,” Walker told Sporting News. “I know I’m capable of being one of those guys who could be the best. I’m a hard worker and I’m going to try to beat everybody. Of course, I’m not going to say that nobody is better than him.” I.”
Walker, a five-star recruit from Upson-Lee High School in Thomaston, Ga., recalled being moved to middle linebacker in high school because teams didn’t run to his side of the field.
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It underwent a similar transformation in Georgia. After two seasons off the bench, Walker dropped 15 pounds and had a breakout season with the Bulldogs as a running back who could still play inside. He had 33.5 tackles, six sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss.
“I had to focus on myself and what was best for my team,” Walker said. “I did everything in my power to transition my body to improve the game and help me transition into the starting role in college football.”
Still, Walker’s promotion to a possible No. 1 pick wasn’t in many mock NFL Drafts. After all, Georgia had All-American players at every level of its defense in defensive tackle Jordan Davis, linebacker Nakobe Dean and safety Lewis Cine. Those three made most of the headlines during the Bulldogs’ national championship run, but Walker said the fact that “there were no big egos who wanted to be the star player” was what made it work. Dean, Davis and maybe Cine will also be first-round picks.
So what separates Walker now? A complete performance at the 2022 NFL Combine did not hurt. Walker finished second in the three-cone exercise with a time of 6.89, bested only by Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson. He ran a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash and a 4.32 in the 20-yard shuttlecock. Walker kept his cool on the surface, but admitted to being dazzled during the interview process.
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“I met with Bill Belichick and the coaches that I’ve always seen on TV and heard about being great,” Walker said. “He cherished those moments.”
“I wasn’t trying to compete with anyone but myself,” Walker said of the combine. “I take it as a practice moment. No matter how long I practice, it becomes natural.”
Walker also has the ability to be an edge rusher with the ability to turn into a defensive tackle. While that’s a plus, Walker thinks he’ll have more of an impact as a front running back at the next level.
“I’ll definitely feel more comfortable as a defensive end on the edge,” Walker said. “That’s the position I’ve always played. Everybody thinks just because they’ve seen me play inside on third down I was a defensive tackle. I’ve never been a defensive tackle. I only played there because on third down you can have more outside linebackers on the rim.
Will that be enough to get him past other runners like Hutchinson and Kayvon Thiboeaux from Oregon? That has turned into an interesting piece of drama heading into the first round on Thursday. Georgia could have as many as eight defensive players selected in this year’s draft, which is the best recruiting tool for the program. Walker said his teammates don’t care too much about it, but admitted, “We’re all counting down the days until draft night.”
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Walker would be the fifth Georgia player to be selected No. 1 and the first since Matthew Stafford in 2009. It has been part of a dream year for Walker and a reminder that anything can happen in a draft cycle.
“It’s definitely something to be thankful for,” Walker said. “For a long time, ever since I’ve been in Georgia, we’ve heard that Georgia is getting all these five-star and four-star recruits and they’re going to waste. Now you finally realize that once you stick to the course and things go your way What’s planned, great things happen. With all the talent we have in this draft, especially on the defensive end, it’s something to me that I’ll never forget. It’s something that will go down in the history books at Georgia, and that means a lot. for me because I’m from the state of Georgia.
Walker partnered with USAA, the official partner of the NFL Salute to Service, ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, which highlights players with a military education. Walker’s father, Yury, served in the Marine Corps. “He was the one who shaped me into who I am today, he moved over to the football side. The association with USAA will be great for me.”
Discipline, sacrifice and leadership are military qualities that I have inherited from my father, who served in the @USMC. thanks to @USAA for allowing me to honor him and all of our military service before beginning my @NFL race with next week #NFLDraft #SaludoAlService #USAA pic.twitter.com/TY9v2MAbcI
—Travon Walker (@44Ytw) April 22, 2022
Reference-www.sportingnews.com