Falcons Mock Draft Reaction: Is Jalon Walker Too Good To Be True For Atlanta?

Falcons Mock Draft Reaction: Is Jalon Walker Too Good To Be True For Atlanta?

Blog Article

At the risk of being hyperbolic, Dane Brugler just released the best mock draft in the history of the Atlanta Falcons and mock drafts. Our NFL Draft analyst posted his latest on Tuesday, and we’re going to react to it today.

The reaction? Wow, the Falcons aren’t going to get this lucky, are they?

An explanation:

Brugler has the Falcons selecting Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker with the 15th pick in the first round, which would feel like a home run pick for Falcons fans, not to mention all the Bulldogs fans who have become convinced that their north Georgia neighbor intentionally overlooks homegrown talent.

At first glance, Walker falling to 15 feels too good to be true for the Falcons, who desperately need players at his position. If Walker does get through the first 14 picks, it probably will be because at 6-foot-1, 243 pounds, teams view him as a “tweener.” He measured slightly smaller than expected at the combine, which is probably why he has gone from No. 3 on Brugler’s most recent Big Board to realistically being available in the middle of the first round.

Walker’s height, weight and arm length (32 inches) all ranked in the bottom 6 percent among edge rushers in Indianapolis this year, so the Falcons might be scared off by those numbers if they’re looking at Walker strictly as an edge rusher.

Walker, though, would argue he’s a lot more than that. He played edge, inside linebacker and even Georgia’s hybrid nickel/safety position in college, and he believes he can have similar value in the NFL.

“I feel like I’m better at being that chess piece. That increases my value,” he said. “You never know where I will be at in the game plan that week. You’re not going to find a lot of guys who are going to be at four different positions in one series. That makes me the different chess piece that no one else can compare to.”