It was just the Hall of Fame game, but Jaguars No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker looked the part of an effective edge rusher in last Thursday’s contest against the Raiders.
Walker recorded a sack and a tackle for loss in the game. And while he also picked up a roughing the passer penalty on the first play, there were still plenty of encouraging elements from the performance, according to Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell.
“Really, you just like the get off. Early on in the game — really, the first play of the game — he got off, used his power, you saw the power, hit the quarterback,” Caldwell said in his Monday press conference. “Now, we stress stay away from the quarterback’s head. But the call is the call, we’ll live with that. But we just want to see him continue to get better, continue to work his moves, build his toolbox. We’re happy so far.”
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s development is going to be one of the key factors in whether Jacksonville will have a successful 2022 season. But as the club’s second consecutive No. 1 overall pick, Walker will be an important piece, too, for this year and beyond.