Few FBS programs have developed the type of professional football talent in recent years that the Georgia Bulldogs have under head coach Kirby Smart. The SEC stalwart has produced the third-most first round picks of any school since 2014, with 17.
Linebacker Jalon Walker is likely to be next.
With the Super Bowl over, and as we await legal Georgia sports betting, our attention can shift toward this month's NFL Draft. At BetGeorgia.com, we developed odds projecting what NFL team will draft Georgia’s Jalon Walker.
Jalon Walker 2025 NFL Draft Odds
Team | Odds | Percent Change |
Carolina Panthers | -200 | 66.7% |
New Orleans Saints | +650 | 13.3% |
Jacksonville Jaguars | +850 | 10.5% |
The Field | +950 | 9.5% |
Only SEC rival Alabama (30 picks) and Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State (23) have churned out more first-round picks over the past decade than UGA.
Walker took home the Butkus Award while being named as a first-team All-American and a second team All-SEC player for the Bulldogs this season. NFL.com projects him to go to the Houston Texans at No. 13 in the first round by NFL.com – the site projects the AFC South team to get there by trading up with the Miami Dolphins.
The three-year star in Athens is ranked eighth on Mel Kiper’s big board on ESPN.com, speaking to the type of talent that the North Carolina native brings to the NFL after a season where he finished with 62 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks for the Bulldogs.
Where Will Jalon Walker Go?
Our top landing spot for Walker’s services in the 2025 NFL Draft is the Carolina Panthers, who have -200 odds of landing the former UGA star with the NFC South club’s first round selection in late April.
Carolina currently has the eighth pick in the first round, which puts them ahead of the next team on our Walker odds board, in the New Orleans Saints (+650), but behind the Jacksonville Jaguars (+850), who have the fifth pick in the opening round this year.
USA Today photo by Brett Davis
