Former Bulldog Travon Walker Showing Signs of His True Worth
It’s no secret that the weight of expectation can lie heavy on young players in the NFL. It’s especially the case for No.1 overall draft picks, and it was certainly the case for Travon Walker. It’s not that Walker has been bad – far from it – but there has been a sense that his career has not started with the trajectory that many believed it would. Indeed, it would have hurt Walker to see some pundits suggest the Jacksonville Jaguars should have opted for fellow defensive end and no.2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson in the 2022 NFL Draft instead.
While it’s true Hutchinson – the 2022 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year – outperformed Walker during their first two seasons in the NFL, we might argue that Walker is starting to catch up. Hutchinson leads the NFL in sacks so far this season with 6.5, but Walker is close behind on 5. Whether he overhauls the former Michigan Wolverines star is somewhat moot at the moment, as Walker is focusing on his own game. In interviews, he seems somewhat philosophical, a man at peace in the knowledge he will soon show his true worth.
Walker can be “the best edge in the league.”
Walker, who is as big as 100/1 in the current betting to be named Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, also seems to have the confidence of his teammates. In the offseason, Arik Armstead claimed that Walker has it in him to become the “best edge in the league.”. He’s not there yet, but the numbers are going in the right direction. He managed ten sacks across the 2023 season, with 5.5 of them coming in the final half-a-dozen games of the season. As mentioned, he’s already on five after five games this season, which would put him on course for 17 by the end of the season.
That’s just marginally behind teammate Josh Allen (not to be confused with the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback), who managed 17.5 last season. The reward Allen got for that was a huge $150 million contract extension. Walker will also be extension-eligible at the end of the 2024 season, so he will be thinking about the financial rewards of keeping the numbers up.
Walker has become a locker room leader in Jacksonville
Yet, as we said, there is a nice composure to Walker when he speaks to the media. Often, players who have had a rough time can be tetchy and defensive, but Walker is self-critical yet positive. He knows the difference between being a star at the collegiate level and making one’s way in the NFL. However, his personality is one of leadership, and despite being only 23, Jags head coach Doug Pederson has already signaled that Walker is a locker room leader. Dawgs fans will appreciate Pederson’s sentiment.
There’s a long road ahead for Walker. While some defensive ends hit the ground running, many take some time to develop to counteract and go up against Pro Bowl-caliber offensive tackles, many of whom have honed their guile over the years. Football history – sports history – has been littered with examples of no.1 draft picks who have cut lonely figures under the weight of expectation. Walker, one of the stars of Georgia’s championship-winning team, doesn’t seem that way. He’s a man who knows he has to keep working hard to become the best.