Edge rusher Travon Walker is coming off the first 10-sack season of his career, and the Jacksonville Jaguars expect him to have an even bigger impact in 2024. Playing in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen's scheme and switching back to playing in a three-point stance will surely help. The former Georgia Bulldog recently talked about the change and the one thing he won't miss about the team's previous system.
Walker met with the local media on Day 8 of the training camp and discussed his role in Nielsen's system, pointing out that it amplifies what he does best.
"The defense that we're in now, I feel like it fits me great. We're playing straightforward," Walker said. "I feel like with me playing with my hand in the dirt, I feel a lot more explosive."
Walker then proceeded to respond with a resounding "Nope, not at all," when he was asked whether he'll miss dropping in coverage moving forward. During the exchange, the Thomaston, Georgia native shared that he's been working on his inside rushers, not that he's no longer bringing the heat from the edge.
"Obviously with me evaluating myself knowing how I rushed throughout my first two years, I really didn't take a lot of my inside rushes, so I'm just trying to balance out from my inside to my power to my air rush... I'm definitely happy but there's still room for improvement, just continue to keep working," Walker said.
As Andrew Kessler pointed out on Twitter, Walker and bookend pass rusher Hines-Allen dropped in coverage at a 15.0 percent rate the past two seasons while Nielsen had his defense drop back in just 5.0 percent of the total snaps.
Travon (and Hines-Allen) dropped into coverage at ~15% rate in 2022 and 2023. Neilen's defense rarely saw their top rushers drop more than 5% #DUUUVAL https://t.co/MP6VqPZBCR pic.twitter.com/fxeH3Deqj8
— Andrew Kessler (@DuvalAndrew904) August 2, 2024
Walker, in particular, dropped in coverage on 86 of his defensive snaps in 2023. That number should go down to around 30 next season.
Having drafted Trevor Lawrence the year prior, the Jags had a wide arrange of options with the top pick in 2022. They ultimately settled on Walker, and one of the biggest plotlines surrounding his selection was that he was going to rush the passer from a two-point stance in Jacksonville after mostly lining up with his hand on the ground at Georgia.
Walker spent his rookie season getting acclimated to his new position (and the pros) in the NFL. It showed in his stat line, as he registered just 4.5 sacks and 36 total pressures. Having gotten used to playing standup linebacker, the Georgia native saw a surge in production, logging 10 sacks and 56 total pressures. This makes you think that he'll be even more successful now that he'll return to his more familiar two-point stance.
The Jaguars knew Travon Walker was a project when they drafted him
Back in 2022, the Jaguars could've drafted Aidan Hutchinson first overall but went with Walker instead. The fact that the former had immediate success while the latter had an unremarkable rookie campaign cast doubt on the decision. However, it looks much better two years later.
Granted, Hutchinson has had the better start to their respective careers but Walker isn't far off. If he keeps improving like he expects, the gap will be even narrower.
It's also worth noting that Walker seems to be unfazed by the pressure that comes with being a former No. 1 pick, at least from an outside perspective. He looks focused and driven. Perhaps that's one of the reasons general manager Trent Baalke chose him.
The bottom line is that Travon Walker showed in 2023 that he can play at a high level. He'll next to prove that he can do it on a consistent basis and that he's just scratching the surface. Playing with his hand on the ground and no longer having to drop in coverage will aid his cause.