The Jacksonville Jaguars surprised a lot of people in and around the league when they decided to use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft to select Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker. The Walker pick struck many as unusual as he has only recorded 9.5 sacks in his college career.
However, general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson are of a different opinion. Shortly after the pick was announced, they met with the media to explain the decision to select Walker and what he can bring to the Jacksonville franchise.
Baalke and Pederson said they both liked Walker’s versatility and his ability to play anywhere along the defensive line.
“He played all the way up and down the line of scrimmage, anywhere from a zero technique all the way to a seven technique,” Baalke said about him. “Played in the two point off the edge, which he’s going to be used a lot in our scheme. That versatility, ability to stop the run, rush the passer, there’s a lot of work to do, but there’s a lot of talent to work with.”
Pederson added that he feels like Walker will be a great locker room guy, too. He said he learned pretty quickly that he has great character after talking to him directly.
Reporters also gave Baalke a chance to respond to critics about Walker’s lack of production. He said he can’t make excuses for any player and that all they can do is watch the film.
“There’s a lot of things that go into production,” he said. “It’s not at the end of the day how many sacks they tally or how many pressures they have. There’s a run element to the game, too. So there’s a lot of ways to look at production, and we feel very comfortable about his production run and pass with a lot of upside. But again, he’s got to come in like these young guys do, they’ve got to come in and earn it.”