After neglecting the defensive trenches in free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars plan to make it a point of emphasis in the 2025 NFL Draft. Head coach Liam Coen said as much at the owners' meeting. What's uncertain is whether they'll add upgrades inside or outside. Former Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock recently chimed in and shared his thoughts on the subject matter.
Mayock told Jack Green of betway insider that Jalon Walker would be an ideal fit for the Jags, pointing out that the former Georgia Bulldog is a better prospect than Abdul Carter.
"The highest he could go would probably be Jacksonville. What I love about him going to Jacksonville is that they’ve already got two solid edge guides with Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, but if you take Jalon Walker and plug him in sub packages, you can kick Walker inside and now you’ve got those three guys rushing the quarterback, and that creates havoc for other teams. So I love him in Jacksonville."
Walker has seen his stock go up in recent months. His biggest question mark is that he was a role player early in his collegiate career and didn't make his first start until last year. On top of that, the North Carolina native played different positions, which might've prevented him from hitting his stride. But based on his skill set, he could play off-linebacker, outside linebacker, or even defense end.
Aside from Jacksonville, the Carolina Panthers (pick No. 8) are seen as another potential destination for Walker. Similarly, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media ranked him fifth on his top 50 big board.
In fact, Jeremiah had the Jags taking Walker in one of his mocks. This is to say that Mayock isn't the only analyst who thinks he could hear his name called in the top 10. In Jacksonville, Walker would be the No. 3 pass rusher behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen
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The case for the Jaguars to draft Jalon Walker at No. 5
It's possible that the media is just catching up, and teams have had Jalon Walker high on their draft board all this time. Either way, nobody should bat an eye if the Jacksonville Jaguars use the fifth overall selection on him.
It's hard to tell if the Jags have a higher grade on Walker than Abdul Carter, but even if they do, there's a strong chance the latter will be gone when they're on the clock at No. 5, so they have a higher chance of landing the former. On the other hand, he's far from their only option.
If Jacksonviille prefers to beef up the interior defensive line, Mason Graham could be the pick. Similarly, Travis Hunter could still be available, and he would most definitely be an appealing choice. Offensive linemen Armand Membou and Will Campbell could also be in the mix.
It would come down to what position the team wants to prioritize. You could make the case that there's a steep dropoff from Carter and Walker to other pass-rush prospects, but that's pretty much true for every other position in his draft class.
The truth is that the Jacksonville Jaguars can choose the path they want at No. 5 and will most likely come out with a potential building block.