Jaguars: Travon Walker Grabs Headlines in Hall of Fame Game

Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher and No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker flashed in the Hall of Fame Game.

As the news cycle traverses its way through NFL camps in late July and August, a lot of the focus is how rookies are performing in camp. The rookie receivers have gotten a lot of headlines, but number one pick Travon Walker really hasn’t been talked about all that much. The Jaguars top selection in the 2022 NFL Draft was tabbed as a raw player, with tons of physical upside and an impressive combination of athleticism, versatility, and power.

Still, though, there was very little buzz on him during camp leading up to the Hall of Fame game, where the Jaguars were set to take on the Raiders. Las Vegas ran away in dominating fashion, winning 27-11, but Walker made headlines early.

On the first snap of the game, Walker showed off the athleticism and strength, getting his hands inside Brandon Parker’s shoulders to push him back, and quickly shed the block to put pressure on Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The athleticism showed up as well as a run defender, as he was able to skirt a block attempt and close with impressive speed to nearly get Josh Jacobs in the backfield.

Walker also got his first career (unofficial) sack in the game, walking the tackle back into the backfield with an impressive long arm move. He quickly dispersed of Parker’s hands and wrapped up Stidham.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1555359832491769856

Travon Walker got his reps on the edge, an area that looks to be his permanent home with the Jaguars. Walker obviously played in a ton of spots in college (5-tech, 3-tech, dropping in coverage) but having him focus on one spot will be a big deal. His ability to create pressure instantly in game action is a great sign. The tools are there to flash as a playmaker, and it’ll be fun to watch how he progresses in the preseason before getting to regular season action.