'We'll evaluate everything': Jaguars DC Ryan Nielsen talks Travon Walker's versatility

Ryan Nielsen said nothing that Jacksonville Jaguars fans didn't already assume.

How each player fits in the defensive staff's scheme, and ultimately, how the team's scheme fits around the players themselves is everchanging.

Still, Nielsen gave observers a reason not to expect everything to be static, defensively.

That became clear last week when Nielsen spoke about the team's first-overall pick in 2022, outside linebacker Travon Walker.

“Here’s our philosophy with the players, we’re going to put the player in a position that he can have success first, over the scheme," Nielsen said Thursday, Feb. 15, when asked about Walker's potential position in his defense.

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Since being drafted in 2022, Walker has started in 31 out of 32 games. He started and played in all 17 games this season, missing time in 2022 due to an ankle injury. He accounted for 3.5 sacks in his rookie year before exploding with 10 this past season as the team's outside linebacker opposite Josh Allen.

Walker posted career-highs in most defensive categories, including tackles (52), tackles for loss (10), quarterback hits (19) and the aforementioned 10 sacks.

Walker's talents have never been doubted, only his pass-rush forte and methods of attack have been in question as he continues to develop. During his short 29-game career at Georgia, Walker was moved all over the place, from edge to inside at defensive tackle to off-ball linebacker at times, his position was fluid.

Though he did have major success as a disrupter, much of that success was thought to be based on pure athleticism.

Walker has primarily played in Jacksonville's defense as a stand-up outside linebacker but does play with his hand in the dirt often — something he's said comes naturally to him.

Nielsen was asked specifically about Walker playing inside at defensive tackle more this season, something Walker did a lot at Georgia as a "position-less" defender during their National Championship years. He didn't rule it out, but noted that Walker's limited snaps at the position since being in the NFL gives him pause to say anything definitive.

"We’re going to evaluate everything that he does well, then if he can rush inside, we’ll put him inside. If he’s a better outside rusher, we’ll keep him outside. Yes, we’ve evaluated those things, but 10 snaps is not enough to say that yes, he can do that, or he can’t do that," Nielsen said.

In Week 17 against the Panthers, Walker lined up inside and immediately got a sack with one rep. That's an incredibly small sample size but can speak toward Walker's potential as a player who moves around a bit.

"We’ll identify that once we get to OTAs, the process is never-ending. We’ll put our guys in the best positions for them to have success and ultimately, we will have success on defense and as a team.”

If Walker does transition inside this year, it could give the team a bigger need opposite Allen, or it could signal a change to the team's defensive front seven completely.

While a full-time switch inside for Walker seems a bit far-fetched, it wouldn't be surprising to see him used in a variety of roles moving forward, especially given how athletic he is.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X,  formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Nielsen doesn't rule out moving Travon Walker inside in 2024