Staff report

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — The Carolina Panthers passed and so did a lot more teams than expected.

The Atlanta Falcons were grateful. They were able to select Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (Salisbury) with the 15th overall pick in Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft.

Walker, who starred for Salisbury High’s 2021 state champions (spring season) and was this year’s Butkus Award honoree as the top linebacker in the college ranks, was considered the best player on the board for a long while by ESPN, which ranked him as the fourth-best player available when the draft began.

The 21-year-old Walker (6-1, 243) was rated by most as the second-best edge rusher/linebacker in the draft class. He kept the pressure on quarterbacks consistently when he finally got a chance as an every-down player as a Georgia junior. He had 6.5 sacks and 60 tackles, with 10.5 tackles per loss.

Walker was a third-team All-America and was second team All-SEC.

Walker was considered one of the most versatile defenders in the draft, a player who can rush the passer, be tough against the run or help with pass coverage. He’ll provide a lot of different options and different looks for the Falcons’ defense.

The son of Catawba College Hall of Famer and former head coach Curtis Walker, Jalon always has gotten high marks in the areas of leadership, charisma and character, and he should be an asset for the Falcons for years to come.