Atlanta Falcons select Jalon Walker in first round of 2025 NFL Draft

The Atlanta Falcons selected Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He entered the NFL after spending the last three seasons at Georgia.

Jalon Walker worked his way to becoming one of the best linebackers in college football. In 2024, Walker was selected to the All-SEC Second Team and the Third-team Associated Press All-America Team after recording 60 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Due to his success on the field, Walker won the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation’s top linebacker.

In his first season with Georgia (2022), Walker played in all 15 games, working as a reserve player and spending time on special teams. He helped the team win the national championship that year. In 2023, Walker played in all 14 games as a reserve and led the team with five sacks.

Walker played high school football at Salisbury in North Carolina. He ranked as the No. 59 overall prospect and the No. 4 linebacker in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Jalon Walker

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com provided some analysis on Walker’s game in his draft profile. He compared him to Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith, a former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker who helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl back in February.

Zierlein likes Walker’s rush attack and the fact that he’s a hybrid player. However, Zierlein mentioned that Walker has “below average” size to be a full-time pass rusher.

“Some see Walker as a ‘tweener’ while others view him as a ‘hybrid.’ Either way, Walker can go,” Zierlein said. “His career snap count is split between edge and linebacker, and his leadership is famous in the Georgia building. He’s still working to fine-tune his instincts and efficiency as an off-ball linebacker, but has the take-on and closing burst to become a productive pro at that spot.

“He’s tough but small as an early down edge rusher, but his athletic talent and suddenness to attack both edges makes him a menace for tackles. The most valuable usage for Walker is likely to come as an early down linebacker who can rush off the edge or match up across the line as a blitzer on passing downs.”