With a little less than a month until the 2022 NFL Draft, prospects are busy meeting with a flurry of franchises. No prospect may be busier than Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Quay Walker this month. He is scheduled to visit 13 teams in 19 days.
NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero tweeted that the Jacksonville Jaguars were the first team on his tour as he met with them on Friday.
It’s a busy month for NFL Draft prospects, and few will be busier than Georgia LB Quay Walker, who visited the #Jaguars on Friday — the first of 13 team visits over 19 days, per source. Walker is in the conversation to be the first linebacker drafted.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 3, 2022
As mentioned, NFL draft experts believe Walker is in the conversation to be the first linebacker taken. He helped Georgia win its first national championship since 1980 this year when the Bulldogs beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 back in January. Walker posted 63 combined tackles, two pass deflections, and 1.5 sacks last season.
Here is what NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein had to say when he scouted him.
Walker had to wait his turn at Georgia, but he has become a well-schooled, instinctive linebacker ready for the NFL game. He has good size and clear eyes from the second level, with a talent for recognizing play design. He plays disciplined, team-oriented football but is unlikely to become a top-level playmaker as a pro. His chase speed and body control are just average when ranging to tackle or covering in space. Walker is dependable and consistent and projects as a good backup with eventual starter potential at inside linebacker.
Jacksonville could use some help at the linebacker position because it released Myles Jack after signing former Atlanta Falcon Foyesade Oluokun. And with former Tampa Bay Bucs assistant Mike Caldwell now serving as the defensive coordinator, many believe the Jags will look to get prospects who can duplicate the play of Devin White and Lavonte David.
Walker is viewed as a second-round prospect at the moment and NFL Mock Draft Database has him ranked as the draft’s 50th best prospect. That means he could be in play for the Jags’ second-round pick and they would be lucky if he’s around for their third-round pick.