Expectations might be too low for Jaguars OLB Travon Walker heading into Year 2

Trevor Walker, as the No. 1 overall pick should be expected to be elite

When Travon Walker was taken number one overall by Trent Baalke and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022, the team made it clear fans should expect a bit of a project.

That seemed a bit odd given that he was taken in a draft rich with numerous elite edge rushers, most notably defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Number one overall draft picks are nearly universally expected to step in and produce immediately.

And yet, the Jacksonville fans, some of the most loyal in the league, accepted the idea of developing a player with elite traits in the hopes that ultimately he would prove to be the superior player amongst a pool of uber-talented edge rushers. That was already a courtesy most fan bases would not be willing to offer.

Remarkably, it seems like many fans are willing to extend his grace period yet another season and that may be a bridge too far. He's already on borrowed time and the team needs their largest draft investment not named Trevor Lawrence to come through at their greatest position of need.

Coaches and others are expecting more from Travor Walker than the fans

Fan expectations are one thing. But, that has nothing to do with what is going on inside the building at the Miller Electric Center.

Thankfully, as this article published on Jacksonville's local News4Jax website details, Walker's expectations for himself are far higher than seven or eight sacks:

"My main accolade is the gold jacket. I feel like if I get the gold jacket, the Super Bowl, all of that’ll come."

- Travon Walker

For those unfamiliar with the term, gold jacket means Walker has his sights set on being enshrined into the Hall-of-Fame. Coming off a season in which he registered just 3.5 sacks, that seems like a pretty high bar. But there's more, he also intends to break defensive end Calais Campbell's team record of 14.5 sacks.

Setting team records and becoming one of the best defenders ever are pretty lofty goals and that's exactly how Travon Walker should be thinking.

His coaches and teammates are also expecting big things from the former Georgia Bulldog.