Georgia football’s Jalon Walker ranked above Mykel Williams in latest ESPN prospect ranking
A recent ESPN prospect ranking for the NFL Draft made a surprising reveal on Georgia football standouts Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams. The defensive stars were two of the best players in the country at their position and major contributors towards the Bulldogs’ SEC Championship win in 2024.
While ESPN has Williams as the No. 6 and Walker
Jalon Walker received the following write-up in these Draft rankings.
“It’s hard to imagine a better coming-out party than the one Walker had against Texas in Week 8, posting three sacks and six pressures against the Longhorns’ two high-round tackle prospects.
He followed that up with another big day against Tennessee (six tackles for loss, one sack) and added four tackles for loss and a sack in the SEC title game rematch with the Longhorns. He’s a dual-threat as a linebacker and pass rusher, with the speed and power off the edge to make game-changing plays.”
Mykel Williams received a similar, albeit more critical, evaluation.
“Williams rounded into form after an ankle injury forced him to miss time early in the 2024 season. He’s a developing player who wows scouts with his size, power, and speed, and he has improved on pass-rush moves with his hand timing and use of leverage. He eats up pass protectors with his ability to swipe away their hands — something he did against Texas’ star tackles in Week 8.
as the No. 15 best available player on its Big Board, NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller disagrees. In contrast, Miller puts Walker as his fifth overall best prospect while slotting Williams at twelve.
Critics will point to Williams’ lack of production outside of the two Texas games; he had four sacks against the Longhorns and one against everyone else this past season. There’s talent, but his floor as a prospect will be heavily debated.”
Georgia football’s Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams will both be high first-round picks
Most mock drafts have both Walker and Williams going high in the first round. It is important to note that Walker had the healthier and more productive season of the two. The junior linebacker out of Salisbury, North Carolina, recorded 61 total tackles and 6.5 sacks. This production was good enough to give Walker the Butkus Award for the top linebacker in the country.
