The Jaguars began the Doug Pederson era with a road date against the Commanders (-3). Over the long run, thanks to the steady hand of Pederson, and bright young players like the last two No. 1 overall picks in Trevor Lawrence (2021) and Travon Walker (2022), Jacksonville could have a bright future ahead.
In his NFL debut, Walker showed off his tantalizing potential as a pass rusher (one QB hit, one sack) and in coverage. You read that right.
On an early fourth-quarter play, with the Jaguars holding on to a tenuous 15-14 lead, Commanders’ quarterback Carson Wentz tried to dump off a pass to his running back. Unfortunately, Walker was lying in wait to make a very athletic interception:
No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker picks off Carson Wentz.pic.twitter.com/qCEX2F53Nr
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 11, 2022
Oh my goodness. Now that’s a really cool play for anyone to make, let alone a top draft pick. Mind you, Walker also weighs a listed 276 pounds and made that pick like a linebacker. So, yeah, it’s pretty impressive.
Unfortunately for Walker and the Jaguars, they would end up losing 28-22 to Washington. But if Walker’s making plays like this in his debut, it should only be a matter of time before he starts potentially elevating the play of his teammates in wins.