Photo by Curtis Compton-Atlanta Journal-Constitution via Associated Press
Although the monstrous Georgia defense runs through the anchor in Jordan Davis, his sidekick on the line in Travon Walker has been very productive as well for Georgia. At 6'5" and 275 lbs., Walker brings excellent athleticism and versatility in a rocked up frame. He's one of the most versatile front seven players in this draft as Georgia moves him all over the field on defense with snaps as an edge rusher, interior defensive lineman, and linebacker. He possesses excellent arm length and a rocked up muscular frame that room to add more muscle. As a pass rusher, he has experience playing in a 2-point, 3-point, and 4-point stance and has been productive from all three. When playing in the interior he displays excellent power and quickness especially in his first step off the line and can overwhelm guards and tackles quickly if they can't react quick enough. He times the snap very well at the line which allows him to often get the edge over defensive lineman. He possesses good flexibility, especially in the interior of the defensive, and bending and squeezing through cracks in the trenches is something he's capable of. He has a very good punch out of his stance that is helped by length and power in his upper half and it has helped him collapse the pocket enough to allow his linebackers to wreak immense havoc in the backfield. He has good speed to power conversion for his size and if he gets leverage on offensive lineman he's capable of upending them and driving them back into the quarterback. Travon Walker is at his best when he's playing run defense for Georgia which is what head coach Kirby Smart wants his defensive line to prioritize over rushing passer and Walker is excellent at that. He's very good at halting run blockers by using his natural length and power to stall lineman coming at him. He's very good at shooting gaps and creating pressure early up the middle and forcing running backs to bounce outside. He's very violent with his hands and in the interior of the defensive line and does a great job of keeping his chest clean from lineman that try to grab him and turn him out of the hole. He has more than enough speed and agility to run with the play and not get caught in the wash of the line and has shown the ability to collapse run lanes and bring down ball carriers. He has a strong base for his size and holding his ground, both on the edge and the interior, is something he does. He was so good at run defense that Kirby Smart had him play nose guard on occasion with his violent style of play and proved to be successful with his ability to shoot gaps. He reads blocks very well and has a great nose for the football. Although I don't expect him to drop back into coverage much at the pro level he does a decent job at covering short routes in zone coverage and is effective at sniffing out screen plays. It's extremely hard to thrive in run defense for a defensive lineman and when you take into account what he's done at his size and the fact that he plays in the SEC, his production and player profile becomes all the more impressive. He's a ridiculous worker and competitor for a defensive lineman and his willingness to do the dirty work so his defensive colleagues can make players is remarkable. He's a high motor and high effort player who will leave all on the field when the game is over. His scheme versatility and position versatility show a high level football IQ and defensive coaches are likely going to place higher grades on him than most in this draft.
The way Georgia used Travon Walker both helped and hurt his draft stock because it turned him into a jack of all trades but a master of none and it certainly shows up in his ability to rush the quarterback. He plays way too high out of stance as a pass rusher, both on the edge and in the interior, and it kills his pass before it even starts. He has issues with disengaging from blocks once lineman get their hands on his chest pads and rather than trying to chop and slip out of blocks he tries to fight through them, something he has issues with doing on a consistent basis. He lacks a go to pass rush move in his arsenal as well as a counter rush move and will likely be an extensive project for pass rush coaches in the NFL. He can inaccurate with his hands out of the snap and be too outside the chest pads when he punches, leaving his chest open for offensive lineman. He's obviously too light in his frame to be a consistent interior defensive lineman at 6'5" and 275 lbs. and if teams want him to play the interior he'll likely need to gain at least 15 lbs. of muscle which he has room to do. He's not the best tackler as he often goes too high up on ball carriers frames and can get slipped occasionally and isn't going to be making open field tackles very much in his NFL career.
He's a project heading into the NFL but his high football IQ and his rare versatility make him a very attractive option for creative defensive coaches like Bill Belichick, Sean McDermott, or Vic Fangio. He's as intriguing a defensive prospect as you'll find in the draft and he has the makings of a core defensive component in him. If he gets paired with the right coach that can sharpen and polish his game and mold him into a productive player in their system, he could be a decade-long starter on a team.
The way Georgia used Travon Walker both helped and hurt his draft stock because it turned him into a jack of all trades but a master of none and it certainly shows up in his ability to rush the quarterback. He plays way too high out of stance as a pass rusher, both on the edge and in the interior, and it kills his pass before it even starts. He has issues with disengaging from blocks once lineman get their hands on his chest pads and rather than trying to chop and slip out of blocks he tries to fight through them, something he has issues with doing on a consistent basis. He lacks a go to pass rush move in his arsenal as well as a counter rush move and will likely be an extensive project for pass rush coaches in the NFL. He can inaccurate with his hands out of the snap and be too outside the chest pads when he punches, leaving his chest open for offensive lineman. He's obviously too light in his frame to be a consistent interior defensive lineman at 6'5" and 275 lbs. and if teams want him to play the interior he'll likely need to gain at least 15 lbs. of muscle which he has room to do. He's not the best tackler as he often goes too high up on ball carriers frames and can get slipped occasionally and isn't going to be making open field tackles very much in his NFL career.
He's a project heading into the NFL but his high football IQ and his rare versatility make him a very attractive option for creative defensive coaches like Bill Belichick, Sean McDermott, or Vic Fangio. He's as intriguing a defensive prospect as you'll find in the draft and he has the makings of a core defensive component in him. If he gets paired with the right coach that can sharpen and polish his game and mold him into a productive player in their system, he could be a decade-long starter on a team.