Tag: Quay Walker

12 prospects who should dominate the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine

These talented prospects should put their athleticism on full display in this year’s NFL Scouting Combine

As the 2022 NFL draft draws closer, the rookie evaluation process is in full swing.

Prospects are going to do anything they can to impress NFL decision-makers, and this year’s Scouting Combine will be one of the biggest opportunities for them to do so.

In prior years, we’ve had prospects make names for themselves at the event, showing off impressive athleticism. So who will be the ones to make that happen this year?

Here are 12 players who could enhance their draft stock with big performances in Indianapolis this week:

Previewing Georgia Bulldogs at the 2022 NFL combine

More UGA players have been invited to the NFL combine than Georgia Tech, Auburn, Florida, Missouri and South Carolina combined.

Fourteen Georgia Bulldogs have been invited to the 2022 NFL combine. Georgia is expected to set a new school record for the most players selected in an NFL draft. These Bulldogs were the backbone of Georgia’s national championship-winning team.

Bulldogs fans should not forget that more Georgia players are invited to the NFL scouting combine than Georgia Tech, Auburn, Florida, Missouri, and South Carolina combined.

In the 2021 NFL draft, Georgia had a school-record nine players selected. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs may break the record for a second consecutive season.

Let’s take a look at four Georgia Bulldogs that are expected to test strongly and which player has the most to prove:

Texans should consider Georgia linebacker Quay Walker in Round 2 of 2022 NFL draft

The Houston Texans will be a good spot to take impactful talent in Round 2, and Georgia LB Quay Walker ought to be part of the plan.

The Houston Texans’ 4-13 record earned them favorable draft positioning, not just in Round 1 with the No. 3 overall pick, but throughout the entire 2022 NFL draft.

It also helped that Houston’s general manager wasn’t also their coach and traded future top-50 picks to cover for poor talent development along the offensive line.

No matter what the Texans do at No. 3 overall, whether it is take a dynamic safety, a dominant edge rusher, or a proven tackle, No. 37 overall in Round 2 is another chance for Houston to add a key piece to their defense.

According to Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network, who released his top-50 prospects ahead of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, the 40th-best prospect is Georgia linebacker Quay Walker, and he would be right where the Texans are picking in the second round.

Walker is an enormous off-ball linebacker (6-4, 240) with a nice blend of speed and physicality. In coverage, he is fluid and plenty fast enough to match up with tight ends and running backs. In zone coverage, he doesn’t have great anticipation, but once he diagnoses what’s happening, he closes quickly. When he rushes off the edge, he doesn’t have much of a plan — but his speed/effort is outstanding. He is a violent run defender; he attacks blockers, thuds off them and makes plays. He has exceptional burst and range on plays to the perimeter. Overall, Walker is a size/speed, run-and-hit linebacker with his best football still ahead of him.

Houston already has a decent coverage linebacker in Garret Wallow. Adding Walker would give the Texans a younger, more athletic linebacker tandem — a contrast to the downhill thumping duo they had a couple seasons ago in Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham.

New coach Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2 scheme excelled in Chicago with the help of Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. The Texans need to find similarly athletic linebackers to help Smith’s scheme take another step in 2022.

11 Georgia Bulldogs make PFF’s top-150 prospects for 2022 NFL draft

ELEVEN Georgia players make PFF’s top-150.

Georgia set a school record in the 2021 NFL draft when it had nine players selected. This year, Georgia is looking to shatter that number with as many as 15 players.

PFF recently released its big board of the top-150 prospects for the upcoming 2022 NFL draft, and the list included 11 Georgia Bulldogs, including nine in the top 100.

In a recent mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay, four Bulldog defenders were selected in the first round. If this happens, it will be just the third time one school produced four defensive first round picks, joining Miami in 2004 and Florida State in 2006.

Here’s a look at the 11 Georgia Bulldogs who made PFF’s top-150.

2022 NFL draft: Georgia front seven should appeal to Chargers

Great defenses start in the front seven, and to say that the Georgia Bulldogs had playmakers in the front seven would be an understatement

Anyone who watched the Georgia Bulldogs this past season knows that their defense carried them en route to becoming national champions.

Great defenses start in the front seven, and to say that the Bulldogs had playmakers in the front seven would be an understatement. The defensive line and linebacking corps were composed of some of the best athletes.

Now, the majority of those players who made up the group are headed to the NFL, where they should draw the attention of the Chargers, a team in significant desire of reinforcements to aid a horrid run defense from 2021.

Starting upfront in the trenches, the hulking 6-foot-6 and 340 pound Jordan Davis was a major proponent of the No. 1 defense in the nation that allowed just 229.7 yards per game during the regular season.

A handful for opposing offensive linemen, Davis is mightily powerful with long arms to defeat blockers, has the mobility to work through gaps, and the anchor to occupy double teams to allow his fellow teammates to roam freely.

Davis doesn’t offer a lot from a pass-rush standpoint, and there are questions about his stamina, as he played fewer than half of Georgia’s defensive snaps but would be a force against the run right away.

While Davis drew most of the national buzz, the man who lined up next to him was just as, if not more impactful in his own right. That player is Devonte Wyatt.

At 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, Wyatt plays with the first-step quickness, leverage, lateral agility, flexibility, and play strength at the point of attack to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. In addition, he has the versatility to line up anywhere from the zero-to-five technique.

After a solid showing at the Senior Bowl and once he tests at the Combine, Wyatt should stamp himself as a first-rounder. According to Bruce Feldman, Wyatt’s most impressive testing number is a 4.87 40. He also vertical jumped 31 inches and broad jumped 9-3.

Overshadowed by Davis and Wyatt was Travon Walker, who might have the highest upside out of the trio at the next level.

Walker is a 6-foot-5 and 275-pounder who is big, long, and powerful, which he uses to his advantage to control the point of attack and set edges and bench press blockers into the backfield and stop ball carriers in their tracks.

While his pass-rush sequence is still a work in progress, the tools are there. Walker can wreak havoc with his quickness and flexibility coupled with his length and violent hands to get home.

Further, Walker is versatile and can play off the edge or on the interior, something Brandon Staley utilizes with Joey Bosa to create mismatches.

The linebacker position is something that the Chargers could look to upgrade, as Kyzir White’s future with the team remains at large. Drue Tranquill still draws injury concerns. Kenneth Murray is coming off an underwhelming sophomore season.

While adding Georgia’s top linebacker Nakobe Dean, arguably the fastest player at his position in this class, is certainly not out of the picture, addressing the group beyond the first round is the more likely and reasonable route.

Quay Walker and Channing Tindall are two names to remember. Walker has the instincts and physicality that show up in the run game, with good zone coverage skills. Meanwhile, Tindall’s game is all about speed and high energy, which shows up when coming downhill and in space.

All in all, the Chargers would greatly benefit from one or two of these players who helped guide the Bulldogs to hoisting the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 74 Quay Walker

Georgia LB Quay Walker is up next in Unpacking Future Packers, a countdown previewing the 2022 NFL draft for Packers Wire.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The 2021 Georgia Bulldogs had one of the best defensive units in college football history. It was a defense that gave up just 10.2 points per game. 

After dominating the competition on the field, the Bulldogs defense will dominate the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.

It’s a unit that will likely have eight players get drafted inside the Top 100 picks in the upcoming draft.

Quay Walker is one of those players. The Georgia linebacker checks in at No. 74 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.

A Georgia native, Walker arrived on campus as a four-star recruit. During his first year on campus, Walker earned the team’s Special Teams Newcomer of the Year award.

In 2019, Walker recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The following season he recorded two tackles for loss and one sack. 

This past season marked Walker’s first year as a starter and he responded by recording 65 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three pass deflections. 

Walker has a unique blend of quickness and size. He’s built like an old-school linebacker (6-4, 245 pounds), but moves like a modern-day linebacker.

Walker was part of a linebacker corps that will have three players get selected in the NFL Draft. Nakobe Dean, Channing Tindall and Walker all run like deer. It will be interesting to see how Walker tests at the combine and Georgia’s pro day.  

“It’s rare to see linebackers listed at 6’4″, 240 pounds who run and change directions like he does,” Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network, said. “Aside from Walker, only Damone Clark and a couple of others have the same ability in this class. With his frame, Walker has great length and range, which he can use to traverse the field and seal off big plays. But he also has the strength to come up and fill gaps in run defense.”

Walker is a tone-setter against the run. He crashes through gaps with bad intentions to meet offensive linemen and running backs head-on. 

The Georiga linebacker has the sideline-to-sideline quickness to shut down perimeter plays. He’s quick to read and react, flowing fast to shut down running angles. 

“Walker absolutely plays up to his frame as a run blocker,” Cummings said. “With his explosiveness and length, he can close on plays quickly, and he has the physicality to burst into blocks and knock blockers off-center. 

He has a fighting mentality when facing blocks, but he’s also fairly strong operationally in that phase. He takes good angles, and he knows how to establish half-man relationships on the outside. There are times when he over-pursues or gets drawn away from the play by misdirection, but overall, run defense is one of Walker’s strengths.”

Walker is light on his feet. He’s a modern-day three-down linebacker. He’s a fluid athlete that has the lateral agility and quickness to match up with running backs and tight ends in coverage.

Fit with the Packers

With his length, athleticism, and physicality, Walker is an enticing day two prospect.

He’s an absolute enforcer against the run and has all the tools to hold up in coverage against NFL running backs and tight ends.

“The projected versatility is especially exciting for me,” Cummings said. “Walker has great size and athleticism. While he can improve his efficiency of motion, I think he has the spry lateral burst and explosiveness to be a valuable chess piece in the middle of the field. 

With his frame and natural strength, he also has some pass-rushing upside. He needs to add more precision as a pass rusher before he takes the next step there, but again, the explosiveness-length combination makes it all possible. That’s his max projection, but in the meantime, he provides a steady floor as a zone coverage linebacker and a run defender.”

The Packers could be losing All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to free agency. If Campbell walks, Brian Gutekunst would be wise to get his hands on one of the linebackers that will go on day two of the upcoming draft.

Walker is a four-down linebacker. He plays violently against the run. He’s got the athleticism to hold up in coverage and he has a track record of being a special teams ace.

Even if Campbell is re-signed, Walker is a player that Gutekunst could target to pair with Campbell, while also giving special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia a hired gun.

[lawrence-related id=75800]

Best NFL draft prospects at the Eagles’ biggest positions of need

Looking at the Best #NFLDraft2022 prospects at the #Philadelphia #Eagles’ biggest positions of need

The Eagles are the first playoff team to have three first-round picks since the Vikings in 2013, and with several needs on the defensive side of the ball, it’s never too early for evaluations and player grades.

With all three picks in the teens, Howie Roseman will need diligence and perspective in working to avoid the scenario that saw Philadelphia pass on Justin Jefferson for a player of lesser value.

Here’s an early look at the best draft prospects at the Eagles’ biggest positions of need.

Perfect early/late-round LB fits for Eagles in 2022 NFL Draft

Looking at the perfect early/late-round LINEBACKER fits for the Philadelphia #Eagles in 2022 #NFLDraft

As the Eagles get set to start preparing for their Week 15 matchup against Washington, all eyes are starting to turn towards the NFL draft, where Philadelphia will likely control the board with 3 first-round picks.

The Eagles haven’t drafted a linebacker in the first round since the late 70s, but 2022 could provide the ultimate opportunity for Howie Roseman to finally land a game-changer in the first or second round.

Regardless of what round Philadelphia strikes, there will be plenty of big-time linebackers on the board for the Eagles to target.

Watch: Georgia is LBU

Georgia football former players and current coaches release ‘LBU’ hype video in an effort to recruit the top LBs in the country to UGA.

A number of former Georgia players and current coaches have released an ‘LBU’ hype video in an effort to recruit the top linebacker prospects in the nation to Athens.

The video features former Dawg linebackers such as Roquan Smith, Natrez Patrick and Tae Crowder, who have now made it to the NFL, crediting UGA and its coaches for preparing them for the next level.

WATCH:

Glenn Schumann, the Georgia inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator, gets high praise throughout the video.

“Being coached by the best linebacker coach in the country, coach Schumann, everything we did at Georgia I do now in the league,” said Smith.

Smith was the recipient of the 2017 Butkus Award, awarded annually to the most outstanding linebacker in college football.  Smith is the only Georgia player to receive this high honor.  That year, Smith also won the title of SEC Defensive Player of the Year, First-team All-SEC as well as the SEC Championship Game MVP.

“The linebackers should be the tone-setters for the defense, I want my energy to be contagious to other people on the field and I want my players’ energy to be contagious.” said Schumann in the hype video.

Current Georgia linebackers Nakobe Dean, Monty Rice and Quay Walker are also featured in the video.  These three are all expected to play pivotal roles in Georgia’s defense in 2020, a defense that finished No. 1 overall in team defense in 2019 and allowed only two rushing touchdowns all season.

In Georgia’s 2020 No.1 overall recruiting class, the sole linebacker committed is 4-star Washington, D.C. native MJ Sherman, listed as the No. 2 outside linebacker recruit in the country by 247Sports.

For the 2021 class, Georgia currently has the No. 10 inside linebacker committed in 4-star Baltimore, MD native Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

The Dawgs hope to land 2021 5-star Dallas, GA native Smael Mondon, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 220 lbs and the No. 2 outside linebacker in the country.  247Sports experts have all given their Crystal Ball predictions for Mondon in favor of Georgia.

With the departure of Rice and his fellow rising senior Nate McBride coming following this season, the emphasis on locking down the next wave of linebackers is huge for the Georgia coaching staff.

This video shows why players want to come to Georgia, and that is ultimately to be NFL ready by the end of their college careers.  Showcasing the likes of NFL stars Roquan Smith and Natrez Patrick, as well as Tae Crowder’s transformation from a 2-star wide receiver to an NFL linebacker, is the perfect plan to recruit the top linebackers in the country to Georgia.

Georgia football player card: LB Quay Walker

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Quay Walker came to the UGA as a four-star recruit. He also played basketball for Crisp County High School.

Quay Walker, Linebacker (No. 25):

Class: Junior

Height: 6-4

Weight: 240 pounds

Hometown: Cordele, Georgia

High School: Crisp County High School

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Quay Walker came to the University of Georgia as a four-star recruit. He also played basketball for Crisp County High School. Walker recorded 23 tackles last season, including a sack.

Walker has played in all but one game throughout his career. Kirby Smart and the Georgia coaching staff considered him one of the most improved players on the team in 2019.

Walker had one of the most entertaining commitments in recent memory:

Walker should have a decent sized role for Dan Lanning’s defense in 2020. Walker can help fill in for some of the missed snaps and production from NFL Draft pick Tae Crowder.

Walker, Trezmen Marshall, Nakobe Dean, and Nate McBride will compete for playing time at linebacker. Returning stud Monty Rice is projected to start at the other inside linebacker position.

[lawrence-auto-related count=2]