Johnny Walker Jr., EDGE, Missouri
Size:
Height: 6025
Weight: 249
Arm: 32 ⅞”
Hand: 9 ⅞”
Accomplishments:
Second Team All-SEC selection (2024)
“Johnny Walker Jr. has a bevy of pass-rush tools in his bag, and he unloads them on offensive tackles at will to get after the quarterback.”
Strengths:
Power and length
Pass-rush bag
Athleticism
Speed off the edge
Concerns:
Disengaging timing
Smaller defender
Finding the football
Film Analysis:
Johnny Walker Jr. earned a three-star recruit at Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Florida. During his career, he racked up 120 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 32 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery, and posted 20-plus tackles for loss in back-to-back seasons as a junior and senior. He committed to Missouri out of high school, and for the first three seasons, he was a part-time player, combining for 331 snaps from 2020-2022. He broke out as a senior, starting twelve games in 2023, then earning team captain in 2024. Over his last two seasons, Walker combined for 87 tackles (46 solo), 23 tackles for loss, 14 and a half sacks, and six forced fumbles.
He’s on the smaller side for an EDGE rusher, officially coming in under 6-foot-3, but he matches that with near-33-inch arms and power at the point of attack. He locates his hands inside with power in his extension against the run and can set a tough edge against tackles or tight ends. He uses a quick get-off to undercut blocks and get in the backfield to cause havoc for opposing offenses, resulting in tons of tackles for loss. With misdirection, Walker has trouble following the football but chases down the play when he finds it. He needs to speed up his disengagement when he locates the ball; too often, he stays engaged with the blocker, and the play gets away. When asked to take on pullers, he uses the wrong arm technique to rip across the face of the puller and allow the rest of the defense to make the play, but it seems more scheme than choice because he has the power to lean into the puller and set an edge, making the hole smaller or blowing up the play entirely. As a backside defender, he could be more engaging and has the speed to run down plays from the back.
Walker will make hay as an NFL player by rushing the quarterback with his speed and athleticism. He’s a toolsy rusher with multiple avenues to the quarterback, and it starts with first-step explosion that speeds up the tackle he’s rushing against. He can use that to win the arc, transfer it to power, and collapse the pocket with his extension. He could benefit from sequencing his pass-rush moves more throughout the game, but he does a good job of building off a previous win to get more pressures. He has quick hands and uses a cross chop, jabs, and rips to finish through the play. Much like against the run, he gets to the extension but needs to work more to disengage regularly.
While he has a ton of pass-rush moves, I’d like to see him counter more effectively when his first move doesn’t work and continue the effort to get after the quarterback. He showcased surprising athleticism to bend around the edge, euro-step inside or outside, and corner to create pressures and sacks.
Walker made great strides in his final two seasons as a starter for Missouri and became a havoc-causing defender with a surprising floor. His size might scare some teams off, but he plays with the power, speed, and athleticism to make an impact at the next level and projects as a pass-rush specialist early on with room to develop into more.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: South Carolina (2024), Alabama (2024), Arkansas (2024), Vanderbilt (2024)
