FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Jalon Walker is a swiss army knife in human form, according to Falcons evaluators. And not a cheap pocket knife you can grab at a local store. No, he's a Victorinox. That's why the Falcons paid the big bucks for him. Or on Thursday night, why they used their first round pick on him.
There are few things Walker can't do as a defensive weapon, and that's what pops off the tape immediately.
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"The first time I saw Jalon, it was like, 'Woah,'" Falcons southeast area scout Shepley Heard said in an exclusive interview with AtlantaFalcons.com. "There are so many players on that Georgia defense and you're watching everybody, but then you see Jalon and he's flying all over the place. And you love what he can do because you can move him around."
Play him stacked, behind the ball at linebacker. You can rush him off the edge. He can drop into coverage. He has the skills and the build to do it all, do it well and do it interchangeably.
He plays with his hair on fire, too, Heard added.
"Guys like Jalon?" Heard said. "They stand out on film, and that's even on a defense with a lot of talent."
Walker's soon-to-be position coach, Jacquies Smith, raved about Walker's football knowledge. He recalled meeting Walker for the first time at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Walker comes from a football family, with his father, Curtis, having coached at Coastal Carolina, Western Carolina and Catawba. Football runs in his blood, Smith said, which was evident in his very first conversation with Walker.
"You get that instantly from him," Smith explained. "That infectious attitude that he has that I felt at the combine was the first impression."
Once he dove further into Walker's tape, though, Smith got excited about the player as much as the person.
"When you're dealing with that type of player, offenses have to key in and zero in on exactly where he is going to be," Smith said. "For us, that's a win. That's a good thing for us because we will be able to move this guy around and do a lot of different things. So, if they are zeroing in on this, we can drop him into coverage, or he can rush, he can get after the passer.
"Obviously, he has explosive pass-rush traits which makes us love him, but being able to utilize him as a chess piece to be able to move him around for our defense is going to be excellent."
So, in essence?
"Jalon is a grand slam for us," Heard concluded.
Join us as we take a look at the 2025 NFL draft class for the Atlanta Falcons, presented by Truist.
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) sets up for a play against Alabama during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) sacks TCU quarterback Max Duggan (15) during the second half of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) works against Florida offensive lineman Austin Barber (58) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) reacts to making a sack during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) against Arkansas during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
UTEP quarterback JP Pickles (19) is sacked by Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) lines up for a play during an NCAA football game against Arkansas on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. Arkansas won 19-14. (AP Photo/Mike Buscher)
