Carolina Panthers predicted to draft Jalon Walker by Joel Klatt

Two years removed from taking Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick, there finally feels to be some stability at quarterback in Carolina. Focus has quickly turned to filling out the rest of the roster and work toward becoming competitive inside the NFC South. Mainly on the defensive end where some serious help is needed.

Luckily, the Panthers are sitting at No. 8 in the 2025 NFL Draft. FOX’s Joel Klatt recently released a mock draft and has them selecting Jalon Walker out of Georgia. For Klatt, it’s all about getting pressure on the quarterback and eventually getting him on the ground.

“They need some help on the defensive side,” Klatt said. “Worst scoring defense in the league last year. Specifically, they need help on the edge. They were bottom five in sacks. Bottom five in sacks is not going to get it done in this league. I like Jalon Walker, the linebacker, outside player from Georgia.”

Exactly which position Walker plays will be up for debate. Klatt believes he is best coming off the edge but Georgia mainly deployed him at middle linebacker. Maybe a little versatility is there for whoever selects him — in this case, Carolina.

For reference, Walker was fourth on Georgia last season in tackle with 60. But he led the Bulldogs in tackles for loss, 11, and tied at the top with sacks in 6.5. All for a team that won another SEC Championship under head coach Kirby Smart and played in the College Football Playoff.

“Walker is a do-it-all player,” Klatt said. “He can play inside, he can make tackles, he can move to the edge. He can be explosive as a pass rusher. So Jalon Walker to Carolina, I think that fits really well right there.”

A’Shawn Robinson and Jadeveon Clowney led Carolina in sacks during the 2024 with 5.5 each. As Klatt mentioned, just two teams were worse as the Panthers were tied for third-lowest in the league. Certainly, numbers they need to get up moving forward.

The franchise’s last individual with at least 10 sacks in a single season was Brian Burns in 2022.

Walker could provide exactly the spark they need. Maybe not to the level of providing double digits as you would expect a first-round EDGE to eventually get. But with the ability to play multiple positions and attack in different areas, Carolina could have a real disruptive player on their hands.