Doug Pederson hints at Jaguars star moving around a bit this fall
The expectations for Travon Walker last fall were sky high. That's to be expected when a team invests the #1 overall pick and ensuing financial commitment in you. Walker never really hit his stride and became an instant impact player for Jacksonville. In 15 games during the regular season, he totaled 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks, […]
The expectations for Travon Walker last fall were sky high. That's to be expected when a team invests the #1 overall pick and ensuing financial commitment in you.
Walker never really hit his stride and became an instant impact player for Jacksonville. In 15 games during the regular season, he totaled 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception. He generated pressure on 43 of 480 pass rushing snaps (8.95%). Hardly the totals of someone brought in to be a game-changing force off the edge. To his credit, he did begin to round into form a bit later in the season, earning 77.3 (with a 91.6 pass rushing grade) and 71.3 grades in the two wins against Tennessee that helped the Jaguars claim the division.
But Walker wasn't viewed by many as a polished edge rusher coming into the season. It was his insane physical skills and potential that had scouts drooling and teams coveting his services out of college. At the combine Walker blew scouts away with a 4.51 40-yard dash – the fastest for a player over 270 pounds since 1999 – and showed superior quickness in the agility drills. Teams were willing to overlook his very pedestrian statistical production at Georgia and bank on his extremely high athletic ceiling. Because freakish athleticism is the one thing that can't be taught, and that combination of size and quickness is rare.
And that's why Jaguars fans should be patient with Walker. It's also why the Jaguars are looking to do everything they can to help Walker be successful.
To that end, Walker has been working with Jacksonville defensive line coach Brentson Buckner more recently, according to head coach Doug Pederson at his Monday press conference.
"Well [Brentson] Buck[ner] is your interior D-Line guy, Bill [Shuey] is more your outside backer guy. So being able to cross over and work inside, you're closer to the quarterback and with Travon's length, there's some things that Buck has more experience in than Bill does. So there's going to be some crossover there." – Doug Pederson via Jaguars YouTube channel
Pederson referenced Walker's length and proximity to the quarterback, and that's useful in two ways. His length makes him tough to block for guards and centers from a pass rushing perspective, and he's also able to disengage from blockers with his long arms and bat down passes over the middle of the field.
Walker started his career inside at Georgia as a defensive tackle, so a shift inside for at least part of the time would not be a foreign thing to ask of him. It gives the Jaguars a chance to see if they can take advantage of his 35.5-inch arm length, which ranked in the 95th percentile at the 2022 combine, against shorter-armed interior lineman.
As such, a little bit of versatility and creative usage might give Walker the greatest chance to succeed in his second year in Jacksonville.
Featured image via Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
