FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When the Atlanta Falcons selected Jalon Walker with the No. 15 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, they knew they were getting a person with exceptional character and a versatile background on defense.
Walker's character has been as advertised. His performance as a pass rusher has been revelatory.
"It's really cool because I think we're still in that process of figuring out who he is as a rusher," Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said of Walker's growth. "He's still in that process of figuring out who he is as a rusher. What's his fastball? What's his change-up? It'll be cool. He's one of those guys that there's no fail in him … he's one of those guys that's absolutely willing to do whatever it takes to be great."
Voting for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games has begun. Let's take a closer look at why Walker deserves a vote.
Where he ranks
Walker ranks second among NFL rookies with 5.5 sacks, despite missing two games this season. He trails only Falcons teammate James Pearce Jr., who has eight sacks. He is tied for the rookie lead with two forced fumbles.
Most impressively, Walker has been terrific at converting pressures into sacks. Walker's 5.5 quarterback takedowns on 24 pressures equate to a 22.9% success rate, which ranks sixth among NFC outside linebackers with at least 200 pass rush snaps.
According to Next Gen Stats, Walker ranks third among NFL rookies with 24 quarterback pressures. He is also third in the percentage of positive rushes he's had this season, generating a successful pass rush on 58.3% of his snaps.
Standout stat
Since 1982, when sacks became an official NFL stat, Walker is tied for the second-most sacks through his first 12 games in Falcons history. His 5.5 sacks tie defensive end Mike Pitts and are only a half-sack behind leader Aundray Bruce, who had six sacks as a defensive end during the 1988 season.
Best game in 2025
This could be amended slightly to say his best two-game stretch of the season, because it's virtually impossible to pick between his performance in Week 9 against the New England Patriots and his game in Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Against the Patriots, Walker recorded five tackles, including two for a loss, as well as two sacks, a forced fumble and a pass deflection. The next week, he logged six tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Those games constitute Walker's breakout stretch, and he's continued that pace from there.
Quote from locker room
"He's having so much success, and he's just a rookie. Imagine when he really figures it out and starts to get really really good at it. I think that's kind of the next thing to look at, like, 'Man, we're already seeing this—what's next?'" – Falcons right tackle Elijah Wilkinson
How to vote now
Fans can cast a vote for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games on AtlantaFalcons.com, NFL.com or on X by using #ProBowlVote and the name of the player. Fan voting will close at midnight on Dec. 16, and rosters will be revealed in early January. On the final two days of the voting period — Dec. 14 and 15 — all votes cast on X will count double toward a player's total.
