Jaguars voice emphatically shoots down Travon Walker rumors once and for all

Early in the offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars were the subject of lots of speculation. This made sense because they had just cleaned house and were in the midst of their search for a head coach and a general manager. The rumor mill has since slowed down considerably, but there's still chatter about the Jags trading Travon Walker ahead of the draft. Team senior correspondent Brian Sexton just put it to rest.

Sexton an appearance on 1010 XL and shoot down any chatter of Jacksonville trading Walker, pointing out that the team's brass likes him a lot.

"What I do know, I was able to say a couple things that I've heard the people talk about what they're doing. I know that these guys, like Trayvon Walker a lot," Sexton said. "don't want to use the word love because that has to come out of their mouth, but I have been told they think very, very highly, And he's got 20 and a half sacks in the last two years. Other than Calais Campbell, he's the only Jaguars defensive and lineman player in history with back to back double digits tax season."

Sexton continued, "Hell no, he's not going anywhere. He is a long-time guy. And here's what, here's all you need to know. John Oehser likes to say this, so I'll steal it from him, 'If Trayvon Walker were to be allowed to hit free agency, you would be astounded at how many people would come out of the woodwork to make him the highest paid defensive player in NFL history because of the way he plays the game, the skill set he combined.' The guy never misses a down, let alone a game. And I can't say enough good things about him in going anywhere."

Walker, the first overall pick in 2022, has been the subject of trade speculation this offseason, mostly because he's got a manageable cap hit of $11.8 million in 2025, and there's a new regime in place. Add the fact that the front office has yet to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, and it's easy to understand why analysts the Thomaston, Georgia native would be available. Having said that, the things that make him an appealing trade candidate are the same reasons the Jaguars wouldn't move him.

As Sexton noted, Walker has posted 10 sacks in back-to-back seasons. Moreover, he may not have reached his ceiling yet, so it wouldn't be shocking to see him post career numbers in 2025. Alongside Josh Hines-Allen, the former Georgia Bulldog gives the Jags a defensive core to build around.

Related story: 4 players not named Travon Walker the Jaguars could trade

Why the Jaguars won't be trading Travon Walker

The Jacksonville Jaguars moved on from several prominent players just before the start of free agency. General manager James Gladstone explained that this was done with the intention of giving the team flexibility to address the larger scale roster. On the other hand, the Jags aren't starting from scratch and are building around players such as Travon Walker.

While it's true that the team is undergoing a soft rebuild, it isn't just trading assets for the sake of it. Sure, they could get one or two draft picks in exchange for Walker, but the new regime appears to have a clear vision, and he's part of it.

Simply put, you need good players to win games in the NFL, and the Jacksonville Jaguars know Travon Walker is a pretty good one. That's why he isn't going anywhere.

Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: