Brad Holmes has never been shy about getting aggressive on draft night. The Detroit Lions GM has made a first-round trade in three of his four drafts, and with the team picking at No. 28 this year, don’t be surprised if Holmes gets itchy again—especially if a certain Georgia EDGE starts slipping.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73152005/1240068913.0.jpg)
NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah called Jalon Walker a “dream scenario” for Detroit if he starts to slide outside the top 10.
“It’s just, they would have to be in love with one of these edge rushers to do that. To me, with the sheer number of them in this draft, I think you would maybe be a little bit more patient. But hey, I’ll give you the dream scenario,” Jeremiah said Friday via 97.1 The Ticket. “Jalon Walker, everybody freaks out because he’s kind of a tweener and he starts to drop a little bit and he gets outside the top 10. Man, if I’m the Lions at that point in time, I might be willing to be ultra, ultra aggressive and throw him into our defensive mix.
“That would be the one scenario I could see (where) if you saw a star that started to drop, they would be inclined to be ultra aggressive and go get him.”
Why Walker Fits What Detroit Needs
The Lions’ most obvious need heading into the draft is another EDGE rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson. Walker, who was used all over Georgia’s defense, has the burst, bend, and athleticism to become a game-wrecker at the NFL level.
Holmes and Dan Campbell love versatility and toughness, and Walker fits both. If he starts sliding, expect the Lions’ front office to be on high alert.
Scouting Report from Dane Brugler
“A one-year starter at Georgia, Walker played a hybrid linebacker role (mostly two-point stance) in head coach Kirby Smart’s scheme, splitting his snaps between inside linebacker, outside linebacker and edge rusher (Walker: “I’m at my best being a chess piece”),” Dane Brugler wrote about Walker in The Beast“. His role and production increased each of the past three seasons, and he led the Bulldogs in almost every pass-rushing metric in 2024, including pressures (34) and pass rush win percentage (17.2), despite ranking seventh on the team in pass-rush snaps.
“As a blitzer or wide rusher, Walker can be stonewalled at times, but his arc speed and length can be weaponized as a pass rusher. He is a tremendous space athlete and covers a ton of ground with his fluid change of direction. He plays with the range and physicality to work through the trash and make plays near the line of scrimmage, although offenses know how to occupy his eyes and get him out position in coverage. Overall, Walker doesn’t have elite size for edge work, but he is at his best using his long, sleek athleticism to explode downhill and close at the top of his rush to affect the quarterback. There is projection involved with his evaluation, but his pass-rush upside and overall versatility make him one of the best talents in the class.”
