As satisfying as it was for the city of Atlanta to see the Falcons use a first-round pick on a Georgia Bulldog, there was some trepidation about using a premium pick on a player who isn’t a prototypical
edge rusher. It’s no secret that the defense has been severely lacking in the pass-rushing department for nearly a decade. Everyone had become accustomed to the team ranking at the bottom of all pass-rushing categories. Jeff Ulbrich was adamant that those days had to end for the defense to excel.
Drafting Jalon Walker was a true statement of intent, despite the prolific defensive star being undersized for an edge rusher and a starter for only one season at Georgia. Taking a multidimensional defender who can thrive in a variety of ways creates exciting possibilities for a defense that needs talent across all three levels. What left analysts and fans wondering is: where is his best long-term fit? For all the fun Micah Parsons comparisons, placing immediate expectations on him to become a Hall of Fame-level talent is illogical.
It was going to take time for the 2024 first-team All-American to find his niche. Battling hamstring and groin injuries during training camp stunted his early development. Another groin injury sidelined him for two games, affecting his progress after being one of the key players behind Atlanta’s stunning defensive performance over Buffalo in a jaw-dropping victory. Patience is always going to be required for rookies, especially when they don’t traditionally line up in one area. The coaching staff’s persistence in bringing him along slowly is beginning to pay off.
Maximizing a skillset while developing valuable traits
Considering Walker missed a large portion of training camp, it was understandable why the coaching staff used him primarily as an edge rusher early on. Once he started finding comfort after three games, his versatility had to be unleashed. According to Pro Football Focus, Walker has dropped into coverage on 16 of his 47 snaps on passes over his last three games. His ability to play in space with strong eye awareness and discipline allows Ulbrich to be more expansive with his hybrid defense.
While the Patriots did capitalize on Walker being isolated against DeMario Douglas on a wheel route for a touchdown, that play represents more of New England attacking a simulated pressure with the right play design and personnel. Walker isn’t expected to cover shifty wide receivers emerging from the backfield. He can cover space as a hook defender, filling in voids in zone or spot dropper to create confusion for quarterbacks going through their progressions as a linebacker or defensive back blitzes to generate pressure. That greatly affected Josh Allen, who struggled to connect with his pass catchers in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
For everything he offers schematically to help Ulbrich be more creative, his development as a pass rusher is the biggest priority. Walker is still a work in progress from a technical standpoint. That said, how he uses certain long-arm and hand-swipe moves to collapse the pocket is encouraging. That was on full display on his second sack against the Patriots, where he got under Will Campbell and knocked Drake Maye off balance. Being able to utilize your hands with proper placement and detailed violence helps exceptionally athletic edge rushers become less reliant on their physical gifts and more polished as players.
Showing out in Foxborough
Walker’s performance was one of the main reasons why the Falcons were able to bounce back from a difficult start and nearly beat New England. It started with his timing on a T/E stunt looping behind Brandon Dorlus, who was also hugely impressive last Sunday, to produce a massive strip sack. Walker paced his rush to glide into the B-gap and dip under Mike Onwenu, creating the game-changing play right before halftime. His high football IQ, combined with the explosiveness and versatility, makes him someone opponents must account for.
On a pivotal third and six late in the fourth quarter, Walker recognizes TreVeyon Henderson is running a swing route of the backfield while being fully engaged with Campbell. Once he sees Maye open up his body to lift the ball over the top to Henderson, the savvy defensive playmaker deflects the pass to force a crucial incompletion. Those instinctive plays show how Walker’s impact is made beyond rushing the quarterback. He can affect games as an all-around defender, which includes his positive contributions against the run.
Considering Walker’s size as an edge defender and the fact that he only played one full season as a starter at Georgia, there were concerns opposing teams would target him on the ground. Walker has more than held his own against the run. How he set the edge against Buffalo prevented James Cook from breaking loose on their signature perimeter runs. The strong play against the run continued, squaring off against one of the league’s better blocking tight ends in Hunter Henry.
There were multiple stops he made for minimal gains and near tackles for losses, where he either obtained leverage on Henry at the point of attack or accelerated past him inside to get into the backfield. How Walker showcased his capabilities against one of the league’s most efficient offenses left a lasting mark coming out of Sunday’s narrow defeat for the Falcons. The coaching staff will have to consider playing him more after averaging between 25 and 30 snaps a game before last Sunday’s stellar performance.
Turning a chess piece into a centerpiece
Walker described himself as a different chess piece before the draft. As the coaching staff utilizes him as the unique weapon that he is, it will be integral for him to start establishing himself as one of the defensive centerpieces. His skill set and work ethic put him at the forefront of building a new identity in Atlanta. This defense has made several opponents uncomfortable with its calculated chaos up front and organization on the back end. Using the improved infrastructure to produce more game-changing plays is what players like Walker must do.
Although he only has three of the defense’s 22 sacks, the 2024 Butkus Award winner is there with Kaden Elliss and Zach Harrison as the most disruptive player up front. What he offers coming off the edge provides a much-needed threat, converting speed into power. His ability to drop into coverage and take on blocks in the run game creates mismatches for his teammates to exploit. The Falcons are currently ranked 15th in the league in sacks.
To be a respectable unit, led by a young core with the veteran Elliss being the vicious chaos creator, injects optimism into how this defense can continue to evolve. The most vital step in the defense’s rise will be how Walker grows from being one of the current pillars as the dangerous rook into the ultimate king over time.
