Jalon Walker Puts the “Dawg” in Bulldog

First Round Mock NFL Draft Analyst Rajvir Bal is projecting Georgia’s defender Jalon Walker to have a BIG NFL career.

Get to know the name Jalon Walker, Georgia’s talented defender.

He’s a junior linebacker for the Bulldogs who plays off the edge and he drops into pass coverage. That versatility offers an interesting film evaluation.

As it stands, a number of other draft platforms have Walker as a first-round talent in the 2025 NFL Draft. CBS, USA Today, The Athletic, Pro Football Network, Pro Football Focus, Yahoo, Draftwire, SI, 33rd Team, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, and SB Nation have all mocked Walker as a day one prospect (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

How am I seeing him?

On this one ⎯I’m singing with the choir.

Background

Walker was a 5-star recruit out of high school in North Carolina where he played football (tight-end, outside linebacker and edge), basketball and he participated in track and field (247Sports).

He enrolled at Georgia in early 2022.

Here’s a look at his production.

2023: 

20 tackles (14 solo), 5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble

2024: 

55 tackles (33 solo), 5.5 sacks and 1 pass defended

Walker is in the 55th percentile for height and the 70th percentile for weight (NFLDraftBuzz.com).

#11 Jalon Walker 6-foot-2, 245 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s Fall 2025 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 38.8% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of December 5, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film reviewed: Texas, Clemson, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Strengths

Walker is the definition of a “height weight speed player”. This refers to players who have impressive athletic stature along with impressive athletic traits. He also has it going on between his ears. High football IQ. In the Texas game I have linked, Walker makes an especially smart play at the 6:02 minute mark involving Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. Instead of attempting to sack Ewers, and potentially allowing him to scramble out, he sits and waits for Ewers to step up or to be sacked by another teammate. Additionally, I saw multiple instances of him being able to identify gaps in the blocking and he exploited them. Walker takes great angles to the ballcarrier and flies around the field. He is always busting his rear end to make a play on the football or to make an impact on the play, which is why I refer to him as a “dawg” in the title. His high intensity and willingness are traits that NFL General Managers will covet.

Weaknesses

Despite being a pretty big guy, Walker doesn’t exactly ‘lay the wood’ on people. He’s not a huge hitter, and that concerns me about his strength at the next level. When rushing the edge, sometimes he struggles to get off blocks and can get hung up on huge pass protectors.

NFL Crystal Ball

Philadelphia Eagles

Baltimore Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pro Comp: Chargers’ Linebacker Khalil Mack.

Mack has made a huge impact in the NFL playing in 162 games and counting after being selected No. 5 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Raiders. He’s additionally played for the Bears and as of the date of this article, he’s put up 106.0 career sacks.

Final Thoughts

I’m excited to watch Walker’s future unfold in the NFL.

He is a one of a kind player for sure.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.