Jaguars reporter just said the quiet part out loud about Travon Walker

Nobody will deny that the Jacksonville Jaguars had trouble getting after the quarterback last year despite the fact that they had two outstanding pass rushers in Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. Some of the struggles stemmed from the Jags' inability to bring the heat from the interior. Not having a No. 3 to round out their rotation also played a role. However, there was another issue that wasn't discussed nearly enough.

Although Walker sat out just three games in 2025, he dealt with hand and knee injuries that hindered his production. The good news is that he's closer to 100 percent, and a team reporter just talked about how big his return to full strength is.

The Jaguars will benefit from a healthy Travon Walker

Jaguars reporter Kainani Stevens made an appearance on 1010 XL and talked about just how underappreciated Travon Walker is, explaining just how the hand injury limited his impact last year.

"Travon's another one that's like he plays hurt and you forget because Travon is better than most NFL players- So you've had he had like a serious knee injury, and he was playing without any grip strength in his hand, right?" Kainani said (3:20 mark). "When he broke that wrist, and if you're playing the edge and you can't grab one and pull them down. That's a very large portion of your game. So, for him to be healthy, he's such a big part of that identity of that defense.

Stevens continued, "I know people are like, 'Oh, he doesn't have sacks or the numbers,' but when he's not out there, it's completely different, and just the mentality and toughness when they talk about how they want to build this team up and be physical. Travon on the defensive side of the football is to me what embodies that, so you need them out there as much as physically possible. Plus him and Josh, they see success based off each other."

Later, Stevens says that the pass rush can improve significantly if the rest of the defensive line steps up.

"I think if they can get a little bit from the defensive line, hopefully they've added some bodies there and see a little bit more of that, that can help kind of the whole line and turn the pressures into sacks," Stevens said.

Kainani has a point. Opposing teams could double-team Josh Hines-Allen because Jacksonville didn't have any game-changers at defensive tackle. Couple that with Walker's injury-marred season, and the Jags' interior pass rush left much to be desired.

The Jaguars pass rush will improve with a healthy Travon Walker

Having Travon Walker back in the mix will be huge, but the Jaguars won't solely depend on him to bring the heat. The team's brass bolstered the interior defensive trenches, trading for Ruke Orhorhoro and later using a third-round draft pick on Alber Regis.

Orhorhoro, in particular, flashed pass-rush potential with the Atlanta Falcons. If he builds off his 2025 campaign, he'll provide a boost at defensive tackle, which will, in turn, create more favorable matchups for Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.

The pass rush will remain a concern until it isn't, but the Jaguars are confident that the tweaks they made are enough to do a better job creating pressure next year. Having a healthy Travon Walker will most definitely help.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow