JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Travon WalkerHe was at his best when the stakes where highest and he followed that up by a stellar performance at the Scouting Combine — now he's the top pick in this year's NFL draft.
The Jacksonville JaguarsThe No. Walker was the No. GeorgiaA key component of turning around one NFL's worst players is the defensive end.
The Jaguars have dropped 10 or more games in 10 out of their 11 seasons, and they have only made one playoff appearance since 2007. The Jaguars are now the No. They picked quarterback as their overall selection. Trevor LawrenceThey're currently ranked first in the 2021 draft, but they still have to recover from Urban Meyer's dysfunctional 11 month tenure as their head coach.
Walker played his best football in 2021 during the College Football Playoff. Walker played in 10 of his 29 pressures, including a record seven in Georgia’s title game win over. Alabama. After only having 3.5 sacks each of his previous two seasons, he had six sacks in each game.
Walker spent the majority of his snaps as a defensive end and was a crucial part of the Bulldogs rush defense which allowed only 2.6 yards per rush.
Walker, a 6-foot-5, 272-pound Walker, impressed everyone at the combine. His 4.51 second 40-yard dash was the fastest of all front-seven athletes. He also posted a 35½-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 3-inch broad jump — numbers that helped him shoot up teams' draft boards.
Walker should immediately assist a Jaguars pass rush that was amongst the worst in the NFL over the past two years. They had 50 sacks, including 18 in 2020, during this stretch. This was less than any other NFL team. Atlanta Falcons (47).
The Jaguars selected Lawrence with their first pick last year and are now the fifth NFL team to have two consecutive No. 1, overall picks. The Cleveland Browns(2017-18 and 1999–2000) and Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe only franchises that have done it twice are (1976-77, 1986-87). The Cincinnati BengalsThe Chicago Cardinals (1939-40), (1994-95), and the Chicago Cubs (1939-40) are two other top picks.
This is the 14th time that the Jaguars have been in the top 10, and the 8th time that they have been in the top 5 in the last 11 years.
Only one of the 12 Jaguars players drafted between 2008 and 2020 was a defensive lineman. Tyson AlualuAnd the quarterback Blake BortlesSecond contracts were signed by the Jaguars. Offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, quarterback Blaine Gabbert, defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.Cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey CJ HendersonThey were traded. Derrick Harvey, defensive end, and running back Leonard FournetteThey were cut and widened Justin BlackmonUntil the expiration of their rookie contracts, they were suspended indefinitely. Luke Joeckel, defensive tackle Taven BryanTheir rookie contracts were completed, but they weren't re-signed.
The Jaguars exercised their fifth-year option for defensive end/linebacker Josh AllenThey drafted a seventh-round pick in 2019 earlier Thursday.
The Jaguars were 1-15 in 2020 and lost their last 15 games. This was in order to secure the top pick for the 2021 draft. Lawrence was also used by the Jaguars. It was a tough rookie season for him, with only 12 touchdown passes, 17 interceptions, and a franchise rookie record of 3,641 yards. But he managed to set a new franchise record with 3,641 yards. Urban Meyer also dealt with a lot of distractions off the field. There were multiple videos that showed him acting inappropriately in bar with a woman not his wife.
Meyer was fired December 16.
The Jaguars defeated the 14-point favorite Indianapolis ColtsIn the season finale, interim head coach Darrell Bevell will lead the team to 3-14. This improves their record from the previous two seasons to 429.
