Heading into the 2025 NFL Combine, Jalon Walker’s draft spot was trending in the wrong direction.
An unquestioned first-round pick with the potential to go really high due to his versatility and athletic abilities, Walker has watched his stock begin to fall as fans, pundits, and scouts alike questioned what he could or couldn’t do at the NFL level.
Is Walker the next Micah Parsons, a do-it-all front-seven player who can cover as well as rush the passer and move around formations like a defensive joker? Can he hold up as a pure pass rusher full-time, playing defensive end like fellow Bulldogs such as Nolan Smith? Or will he have to play off-ball linebacker like Quay Walker, who has been underwhelming for the Green Bay Packers? Even if Walker is better than the Packer linebacker, is an off-ball linebacker worth a first-round pick in 2025?
Needless to say, Walker needed a good showing in Indianapolis to prove he’s worthy of being selected with a top-32 pick, but a quad injury held him out of on-field testing, and he will now do a private test for teams on April 17th, without as many eyes on his performance.
Ideal? For Walker, no, not at all, but it also stinks for NFL teams as well, as they want to know as much information as possible about the Georgia product so that they can make the “correct” decision heading into the first round of the draft. If Walker runs a 4.4, then hey, he might actually go up draft boards, with enough teams hungry for Parsons to take a shot at getting a very similar player on the cheap, but if he runs a 4.8 or even slower? Goodness, considering his height and arm length, Walker might not even go to the Philadelphia Eagles at pick 32, who seemingly scout based on whether or not a G is on a player’s helmet.
Can Walker still show out in April and prove he’s as good as his tape shows? Yes, but for the next month and a half, other players will continue to go up boards as they do team visits, perform at their Pro Days, and continue to impress, while Walker slowly fades from the front of memories and falls down boards as a result.
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