The Patriots went into the offseason with clear eyes about the state of the defense following a disappointing 2024 season.
Although many outsiders are clamoring for offense, New England's defense is coming off a season where it ranked 30th in DVOA and 21st in points allowed. The defense underperformed relative to expectations last season, with roster deficiencies that could not be ignored to get where head coach Mike Vrabel and company want to go as a football team.
As a result, Vrabel and personnel chief Eliot Wolf made several key additions to the defense in free agency, including marquee signings in DT Milton Williams, CB Carlton Davis, and former Titans edge rusher Harold Landry is reuniting with the Pats HC in New England. The Patriots also added underrated linebacker Robert Spillane, making a significant investment in upgrading the defense while transforming the personnel to fit Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams's aggressive scheme.
The finishing piece to the puzzle is a playmaking linebacker who can make splash plays from the first and second levels of the defense, particularly in the pass rush. Last season, the Patriots were last in the NFL in sacks (28) and 29th in team pressure rate (28.7%). Williams, Landry, and pass-rusher K'Lavon Chaisson should help, as will hopefully the full-time return of star DT Christian Barmore (recovering from blood clots).
To add the cherry on top to a productive offseason, the Patriots could also tap into an excellent edge rusher class to get that finishing piece on defense. In this instance, we're discussing Georgia hybrid LB Jalon Walker, who is a consensus top-10 prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Walker has tremendous versatility to play on or off the line of scrimmage. He logged 34 quarterback pressures last season to lead all off-ball linebackers, has a physical downhill trigger to compress space in the run game, and shows impressive closing speed to take down ball carriers. From this perspective, Walker's skill set and highly-touted leadership qualities are reminiscent of former Patriots great Dont'a Hightower. Walker doesn't have Hightower's size at 6-1, 243 pounds, but he projects into a similar role. One can envision Walker playing off the ball on early downs and then moving into the pass rush on third down, which Hightower did for years as a captain in New England's defense.
Now that you have a general sense of the player, let's break down the tape on a potential Patriots draft target in Thursday night's first round.
Pass Game
As mentioned, Walker was highly productive when given the opportunity to rush the passer from the end of the line of scrimmage or as an in-line rusher at the University of Georgia.
Due to his flashes as a pass rusher, some view Walker as a full-time edge rusher at the next level. However, my feeling is that Walker won't play full-time on the line of scrimmage because of his smaller frame for early-down edge work. Along with being only 243 pounds, Walker's 32-inch arms would put him in the sixth percentile amongst edge defenders, meaning he doesn't have the ideal measurables to be a sturdy edge-setter versus the run. Instead, like Hightower, my vision for Walker would be to use him as a situational rusher in obvious passing situations.
That said, Walker will likely be a very useful pass-rush specialist with natural speed-to-power, bend, and quickness both as an in-line rusher and in pursuit of quarterbacks. The Georgia product can win with pure speed, but he also maxes out his length for pass-rush wins using effective long-arm stabs to create separation from tackles to turn the corner.
Walker establishes a solid foundation rushing off the edge by using a long-arm rush to separate from tackles. Above, he softens the edge against the right tackle by converting speed-to-power into an effective long arm/bull rush, pairing that with a rip move finisher to log the quarterback hit. Showing he can win with power sets up other moves.
For example, the most enticing reps for Walker as a pass rusher come when he wins with pure speed and bend to turn a tight corner, which is set up by the fact that he flashes power. Above, Walker beats the right tackle with the ghost rush. The ghost rush is when a player baits the tackle into thinking he will throw a long arm but pulls it back at the last second to dip around the corner. Walker hits the ghost rush perfectly here to get a strip sack.
On top of rushing off the edge, Walker is also slippery as an in-line rusher over the interior offensive line. While rushing inside, the do-it-all linebacker can use his quickness to beat slower-footed guards by either testing their edges with immediate penetration or he also has an effective slap/swim move that produces clean wins rushing against guards and centers.
Lastly, some of Walker's best reps come as a quarterback spy from off the line or popping out of the rush. In this clip, Walker shows off that excellent closing gear when Texas QB Arch Manning leaves the pocket due to pressure. The ability to mirror quarterbacks with light feet is there, but that downhill trigger to chase down scrambling QBs is a huge asset.
Now, some ask about Walker's ability to drop into coverage. In that respect, he's adequate but not necessarily a high-end coverage player. He can cover the flats with good instincts for avoiding blockers in the screen game, handle most short-zone responsibilities, and will be up for the task of covering less dynamic pass-catching backs. From a passing game standpoint, Walker will be at his best when rushing the passer.
Run Defense
Moving on to run defense, Walker is a space-eater who plays through blocks thanks to his physical downhill trigger against the run as an off-ball linebacker.
Although you see some short-area quickness while playing in the box, Walker is less rangy in the run game and more about taking on blocks to clog rushing lanes. It's possible that he was just doing what the Georgia coaching staff asked of him, but he doesn't appear to have great speed for dynamic tackles into the alley when moving laterally. Instead, he'll compress space and burst to the ball when defending between the tackles.
The majority of Walker's reps are him taking on lead-blockers or climbing guards to build a wall in Georgia's run defense, which has many of the same principles as a Belichick-style defense. Above, the off-the-line tight end tries to lead through the hole from an H-Back spot, and Walker posts up on the blocker's inside shoulder at the point of attack and stuffs the ball carrier.
Walker will also aggressively trigger downhill at combination blocks to limit the movement that offensive lines generate on the line of scrimmage. In this clip, Notre Dame wants to combo and climb to the second level on the right side. However, Walker fires into the double-team at the base blocker, closing down the entry point for the ball carrier for a stuff.
The Georgia linebacker is at his best when firing downhill to take on blocks, but he also flashes short-area quickness to make tackles from the second level. For example, Walker is able to stay over the trash to keep himself unblocked with his eyes through to the ball carrier. When the ball cuts back, he has the lateral burst to work across the field to make the play.
Walker logged 21 run stops while grading in the 80th percentile while playing in the box last season, per PFF. He plays bigger than his size suggests when he's able to generate power by firing downhill from the second level, playing with a physical, aggressive mentality as an inside linebacker. He will be an impact-run defender in the NFL.
Bottom Line
The Patriots defense appears to be heading in the right direction after their free agency moves, but the 2025 NFL Draft is loaded with talent along the defensive front.
If they plan on adhering to a best player available mantra, there's a case to be made that a front-seven playmaker, such as Jalon Walker, will be the best player available at No. 4 overall. Along with impressive tape, Walker is also the type of football player New England covets from a character and leadership standpoint. As a son of a coach, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said, "You're not going to find a higher quality kid in any organization," in reference to Walker.
From an on-field perspective, Walker's versatility as a hybrid linebacker and playmaking gear in the pass rush are standout traits. Admittedly, he's a bit of a "tweener" at linebacker/edge, but a creative coaching staff will be able to play Walker to his strengths based on the situation.
Although it's a lofty comparison to a Patriots legend, Walker's game and character makeup that projects him as a future captain is Hightower-esque. New England will likely take that with their first-round pick if he has a similar impact on the organization as Hightower.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
