2022 NFL draft scouting report: Georgia EDGE Travon Walker
Georgia EDGE Travon Walker
6-foot-5
275 pounds
Yahoo Sports' 2022 NFL draft grade
6.54 — certain first-round pick; immediate-impact prospect
TL;DR scouting report
Ascending talent with raw power, freaky athletic traits and ideal length, but Walker's pass-rush effectiveness remains an area in which he must develop
The skinny
A 4-star Rivals recruit (No. 34 nationally) in 2019, Walker committed to Georgia over Alabama, Clemson and other big-name programs. As a true freshman, he played in 12 of 14 games and earned a role on the Bulldogs' talented defense. In 2020, Walker played in nine games as a rotational defender again. But in 2021, he broke out in a big way with six sacks, a fumble recovery and 7.5 tackles for loss in 15 starts on Georgia's three-man front. He declared for the 2022 NFL draft after the Bulldogs' national title victory over Alabama.
Upside
Unreal combination of size, power, athleticism and agility
Raw, untapped upside that only started to manifest itself last season
Still only 21 years old and just beginning to scratch the surface
Great length at 6-5 with 35 1/2-inch hands and 10 3/4-inch hands
Tested through the roof at NFL combine: 4.51-second 40-yard dash, 35.5-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-3 broad jump, 6.89-second 3-cone drill, 4.32-second 20-yard shuttle
Can line up from a 3-technique to a 9-technique on the line
Occasionally stood up as spy or dropped into short zones
Edgy, energetic play style will win over coaches
Strong hands to shed blockers and make hay
Good edge setter vs. the run — takes pride in it
Beat the tar out of a few tight ends and disrupted blocking schemes
Generates power to speed as rusher
Flashes a nasty push-pull move to dispatch offensive tackles
Excellent bull rusher who plays through blockers and can take them for a ride
Stepped up as pass rusher following suspension of Adam Anderson
Terrific national-championship game performance vs. Alabama, generating multiple pressures and chasing down WR Agiye Hall 25 yards downfield to potentially save a TD
Special-teams experience — asked to run down kickoffs in 2020, rare for a nearly 280-pounder
Downside
Limited experience — fewer than 1,000 defensive snaps in three years
Fair to wonder about his stamina — only three games with more than 47 snaps
Tank was close to E in both Bama games in 2021 when asked to play extended snaps
Rudimentary pass rusher now — needs considerable work on technique
Poor hand work often leads to unsuccessful rushes
Understands leverage but can be knocked off his path easier than you'd like to see
Some lower-body tightness
Plays with straight legs at times — needs better knee-bend
Could stand to churn his legs better through contact
Lateral quickness doesn't quite equate on tape as it did in combine workout
Lots of single-blocking matchups playing on world-class defense
Versatility might not quite translate in NFL as it did in college
Best-suited destination
Ideally, Walker will go to a team where his pass-rush expectations can be limited early on. He's a valuable energy piece up front who can help a team's run defense immediately, and in time he should develop third-down prowess. Although he might not be a complete player yet, Walker has sky-high athletic potential with the right growth and cultivation.
Did you know
Walker, whose birth name is Yury, was a star basketball player in high school, too, who averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game as a senior at Upson-Lee High School (Thomaston, Ga.).
Player comp
Reminiscent of Rashan Gary, who felt like a reach with the 12th pick but has ended up playing up to that draft position once his pass-rush ability became more refined and developed.
Expected draft range
Top-10 pick with a shot at the top overall selection
