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Falcons select LB Jalon Walker with 15th overall pick in 2025 NFL draft
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- Falcons select LB Jalon Walker with 15th overall pick in 2025 NFL draft
The Atlanta Falcons have selected Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with the 15th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft .
After bleeding the clock down to the final minute, the Falcons addressed their pass rush with a projected top-10 talent. Walker had 6.5 sacks and 38 solo tackles for the Bulldogs last season while splitting time as an off-ball linebacker and edge rusher.
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It's no secret that the Falcons have been one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the NFL for several years. In 2024, the team finished 31st in the NFL with 31 total sacks. Walker gives the team an injection of versatile talent at its weakest position.
"Walker is a physically and athletically gifted player who presents box presence versatility as an off-ball linebacker," Pro Football Focus wrote in Walker's scouting profile. "His anticipation and pass-rush profile in its current form are lacking for consistent impact in the NFL."
Atlanta did not re-sign Matthew Judon or Lorenzo Carter in free agency, making this an even bigger need. The team signed veteran edge rusher Leonard Floyd in free agency but that wasn't going to be enough, especially after releasing veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett .
The Falcons are done for the night but will be back on the clock on Day 2 with pick No. 46. The team doesn't have a third-round pick so unless general manager Terry Fontenot pulls off a trade, Atlanta will have to wait until the fourth round (pick No. 118) for its next selection.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Falcons select Jalon Walker with 15th overall pick
