Travon Walker went from a mid-first round player to being in talks to go first overall in the NFL Draft. Everyone knows about the great combine performance, but there’s so much more to his game. En route to winning the national championship with Georgia, he racked up 6 sacks and 7.5 TFLs.
NFL Draft Measurables
| Height | 6’5″ | Wingspan | 84-2/8” | Vertical | 35.5″ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 272 | 40-time | 4.51 | Bench | |
| Hand | 10-6/8″ | Shuttle | 4.32 | 3-Cone | 6.89 |
| Arm | 35-4/8″‘ | Broad Jump | 10’3″ | RAS | 9.99 |
How We Grade Players for the NFL Draft
| Grade | Player Meaning | Grade | Player Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5-10 | Generational Player | 6.25-6.75 | Average Starter |
| 9-9.49 | Top of Position | 5.5-6.25 | Below-Average Starter |
| 8.5-8.99 | All-Pro Caliber | 5-5.4 | Developmental Player |
| 8-8.49 | High End Starter | 4.5-4.9 | Special Teams Player |
| 7.5-7.99 | Pro-Bowl Caliber Player | 4-4.4 | Practice Squad |
| 7-7.49 | Above Average Starter | 3-4 | Journeyman PS |
| 6.75-6.99 | Slightly Above-Average | 0-2.9 | Free Agent |
How We Grade Traits
| Grade | Trait Meaning | Grade | Trait Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5-10 | Nearly Perfect | 6-6.4 | Average |
| 9-9.4 | Top of Position | 5.5-5.9 | Below-Average |
| 8.5-9 | Great | 5-5.4 | Below-Average |
| 8-8.4 | Very Good | 4.5-4.9 | Poor |
| 7.5-7.9 | Good | 4-4.4 | Bad |
| 7-7.4 | Above Average | 3-4 | Very Bad |
| 6.5-6.9 | Slightly Above Average | 0-2.9 | Non-Existent |
NFL Draft Evaluation
| Trait | Grade | Trait | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explosiveness | 8.75 | Bend | 6 |
| Strength | 8.75 | Versatility | 6.25 |
| Agility | 6 | Awareness | 8.75 |
| Speed | 7.25 | Motor | 8.5 |
| Pass Rush | 6.5 | Size | 7.5 |
| Run Defense | 8.75 | ||
| Hand Usage | 5.75 | ||
| Tackling | 8 | Final Grade | 7.46 |
Strengths
Incredible athlete, did extremely well in every measurement and athletic test. Great, long first step right off the snap. Explosive run defender who can make a powerful tackle in limited space. Keeps his eyes in the backfield and isn’t too jumpy. Aligned at pretty much every position along the defensive line, making his presence known in all of them. Did very well on stunts, combing elite athleticism and length to be used in either role. Great closing speed for a defensive end. Can track down quarterbacks and running backs. Has experience dropping back in zone coverage. Very high motor player.
Weaknesses
Considerably raw as a pass rusher. Doesn’t come with many rush moves, and mostly tries to bull rush, getting stopped by linemen planting. Needs to use his strength on chops and rips, and explosiveness on numerous moves, however he tested extremely well at agilities. Bend isn’t very impressive, can be inconsistent at best. Doesn’t always play with a great pad level, can stand up at the line.
Summary
Travon Walker is yet another player on a stacked Georgia defense that will go in the first round of the NFL Draft. He is a dominant run defender with a great pass rush ceiling due to elite athletic traits. Despite being raw in pass rush, he still is productive, with 6 sacks in 2021. He has lined up everywhere along the defensive line but I think he’ll stick at the edge in the NFL, possibly as a 6-tech. Giving him NFL coaching and stability will develop his pass rush very well. He brings a high floor in run defense and an even higher ceiling overall.
He’s seen an incredible rise in draft stock after his combine performance, but has always been a top edge prospect. Now he’s expected to go top 10. I would not pull the trigger that early, due to his needed development in pass rush, but would be far from disappointed if he joined my team.
Round Grade: 1st
Round Projection: Top 10 Overall
Team Fits: DET, HOU, ATL
Floor: Starting Defensive End
Ceiling: All-Pro Edge
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