Bengals attack the same position of weakness with a player they originally couldn’t pick in 2025 NFL Draft do-over
Cincinnati was looking for pass-rushing help last year in the NFL Draft, and Jalon Walker would’ve been a solid pick.
The Cincinnati Bengals will be interested in adding pass-rushers this offseason, just like they were last offseason when they drafted Shemar Stewart with the No. 17 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Stewart was the seventh defensive lineman to go off the board in last year’s draft, but if every team had the benefit of hindsight to try again, the Bengals may be able to select one of the players they missed out on in the real draft.
Cincinnati got that chance in A to Z Sports’ 2025 re-draft and took EDGE/linebacker Jalon Walker, whom actually went off the board with the No. 15 pick to the Atlanta Falcons.
Why Jalon Walker would’ve been a great pick for the Bengals
Defensive coordinator Al Golden got his way with the Bengals’ first and second-round picks in the actual draft. Stewart was his new addition to the d-line, and Demetrius Knight Jr. was the starting linebacker he landed on with the No. 49 pick.
In this alternate reality, Walker could’ve potentially filled roles both Stewart and Knight had as rookies.
Walker was exclusively used as an EDGE for Atlanta, and his pass-rushing production was better than Stewart’s. He posted a 10.6% win rate rushing the quarterback and had 29 pressures and 5.5 sacks on 282 pass-rushing snaps. Stewart was held to an 8.1% win rate with 13 pressures and his lone sack of the season on 181 pass-rushing snaps.
Walker’s also the size of a true LB at 6-2, 245 pounds, which nearly matches Knight’s dimensions. Knight was primarily an off-ball backer for Cincinnati last year, but he took 169 snaps as an EDGE in run defense and coverage. Golden wanted a player who could do both, and while Walker taking on traditional LB duties would’ve been a projection, he could’ve at least filled that part of Knight’s role along with providing more pass-rushing production than Stewart.
“Instead of taking a huge risk on a pass rusher with a profile based around tools, how about landing one with physical traits that are unique as well as proven versatility? The Bengals defense was putrid yet again, and Walker could have made a far larger impact as a rookie than Stewart did.” — A to Z Sports’ Adam Holt
The Falcons made a solid decision picking Walker two selections before the Bengals. Cincinnati can at least take solace in knowing Walker wasn’t a real possibility, only in hindsight hypotheticals.
Cincinnati Bengals News
Duke Tobin’s frustration doesn’t mean anything if the Bengals continue to hope instead of change
Cincinnati appears to be staying the course with Duke Tobin leading its “collaborative approach.”
