Jalon Walker

ANALYSIS
Walker (6-foot-1, 243 pounds) might be seen as a tweener between off-ball linebacker and a pass rusher from the edge, but the general belief is that the Georgia product can thrive in either or both capacities. Particularly with more unorthodox formations popping up across the league every year, there should be ways to get Walker in prime playmaking position even if it takes some novel approaches to get it done. It remains to be seen whether the Falcons cross-train Walker between the inside and outside linebacker positions, but that might be the plan given that they have some stopgap players at both positions as it is. Walker might therefore be at some risk of playing as a swing backup during his rookie year, but he should claim a three-down role in the Atlanta defense by 2026 at the latest.

ANALYSIS
Walker is a near-lock to go in the first round and could even land inside the top 10 selections. He doesn't have a clear position heading into the draft, as he was used as both an edge and more traditional linebacker during his college career at Georgia. Regardless of his exact usage, Walker's athleticism and burst should allow him to get after the quarterback often in the NFL. The Browns currently own the second pick, likely too high to select Walker, though he could be an option if the team opts to trade down from No. 2 or up from No. 33.