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The Pittsburgh Steelers may be eyeing an overlooked member of the National Champion’s defense in Quay Walker. The Georgia Bulldogs in recent years has placed some outstanding linebackers in the NFL. Leonard Floyd and Roquan Smith are first round draft picks that have had outstanding careers in the NFL. Nakobe Dean seems poised to join them as the next first round linebacker from the Bulldogs, I recently extolled his virtues which you can read about here. The Bulldogs had one of the best defenses in recent college football memory, Dean, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and Travon Walker are all drawing first round buzz.
Walker is a 6’4″, 241lb. senior linebacker. He spent his first three years as a reserve and key special teams player for the Bulldogs. Walker made the most of his opportunity as a senior demonstrating superior athletic ability and excelling as a run and chase defender. He was an exceptional run defender, demonstrated on film he was an above average in coverage, and an adequate blitzer when called upon. Walker’s tape indicates he is a good tackler and should excel in space. Walker was a solid prospect, who withdrew from the Senior Bowl due to injury related concerns and was overshadowed by his four teammates who are all expected to be first rounders. The Bulldog contingent reported for the NFL Combine and he delivered a combine performance that shined a bright light on his talent. He ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, broad jumped 10 feet 2 inches, ran the 3-cone drill in 6.89 seconds and flashed that ever so tantalizing draft commodity high upside.
Photo by Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Walker is an adept pursuit linebacker. He is at his best when he is aggressively chasing ball carriers and is a reliable tackler when he gets to the play. He commits quickly and has above average play recognition. Walker displays a lot of heart and hustle and went from a special teams role player as a freshman, to a rotational player as an underclassman, and finally an outstanding starter in his senior season. Walker was named as an AFCA Second Team All-American after his senior season.
Despite his above average size and speed, he has a tendency to stay blocked when bigger linemen find him. Walker plays a little stiff and upright which contributes to his inconsistent pad level that contributes to his inability to get off blocks. He will occasionally overrun his target in space and will need to become more disciplined at setting an edge against NFL caliber running backs.
(Jeff Sentell / DawgNation)
Quay Walker is a difficult player to project because his pre-combine tape had him as a 3rd round selection with the potential to become a solid NFL starter. However, after the NFL Combine and displaying elite athletic ability, some scouts have had him as high as the bottom of the first round. It is likely he waits until day 2 to have his name called as a mid-2nd to early 3rd round draft pick.
Walker is a high motor player with a huge upside, who will need some development if his name is called by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was an outside linebacker in college, but Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt are unlikely to cede playing time to Walker in his rookie year. In a 3-4 scheme under the guidance of Brian Flores, he may be better served to slide inside and I believe he would have an opportunity to push Devin Bush for playing time next to Myles Jack. His ideal position now is an outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme, but with a little work, it could give the Steelers flexibility inside if Bush struggles against the run again this season.
I am not a fan of the Steelers picking a quarterback in the first round and would like to see them go safety, wide receiver or hope that a top 10 caliber player falls because of an early run on quarterbacks in the first round. If that happens, then potentially grabbing a linebacker with first round measurables if he is still on the board in the 2nd round could give fans of the Black and Gold a bigger, faster linebacking corps to root for in 2022.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Walker is a 6’4″, 241lb. senior linebacker. He spent his first three years as a reserve and key special teams player for the Bulldogs. Walker made the most of his opportunity as a senior demonstrating superior athletic ability and excelling as a run and chase defender. He was an exceptional run defender, demonstrated on film he was an above average in coverage, and an adequate blitzer when called upon. Walker’s tape indicates he is a good tackler and should excel in space. Walker was a solid prospect, who withdrew from the Senior Bowl due to injury related concerns and was overshadowed by his four teammates who are all expected to be first rounders. The Bulldog contingent reported for the NFL Combine and he delivered a combine performance that shined a bright light on his talent. He ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, broad jumped 10 feet 2 inches, ran the 3-cone drill in 6.89 seconds and flashed that ever so tantalizing draft commodity high upside.
Photo by Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Strengths
Walker is an adept pursuit linebacker. He is at his best when he is aggressively chasing ball carriers and is a reliable tackler when he gets to the play. He commits quickly and has above average play recognition. Walker displays a lot of heart and hustle and went from a special teams role player as a freshman, to a rotational player as an underclassman, and finally an outstanding starter in his senior season. Walker was named as an AFCA Second Team All-American after his senior season.
Weaknesses
Despite his above average size and speed, he has a tendency to stay blocked when bigger linemen find him. Walker plays a little stiff and upright which contributes to his inconsistent pad level that contributes to his inability to get off blocks. He will occasionally overrun his target in space and will need to become more disciplined at setting an edge against NFL caliber running backs.
Projection: 32 to 72 Overall
(Jeff Sentell / DawgNation)
Quay Walker is a difficult player to project because his pre-combine tape had him as a 3rd round selection with the potential to become a solid NFL starter. However, after the NFL Combine and displaying elite athletic ability, some scouts have had him as high as the bottom of the first round. It is likely he waits until day 2 to have his name called as a mid-2nd to early 3rd round draft pick.
Bottom Line
Walker is a high motor player with a huge upside, who will need some development if his name is called by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was an outside linebacker in college, but Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt are unlikely to cede playing time to Walker in his rookie year. In a 3-4 scheme under the guidance of Brian Flores, he may be better served to slide inside and I believe he would have an opportunity to push Devin Bush for playing time next to Myles Jack. His ideal position now is an outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme, but with a little work, it could give the Steelers flexibility inside if Bush struggles against the run again this season.
I am not a fan of the Steelers picking a quarterback in the first round and would like to see them go safety, wide receiver or hope that a top 10 caliber player falls because of an early run on quarterbacks in the first round. If that happens, then potentially grabbing a linebacker with first round measurables if he is still on the board in the 2nd round could give fans of the Black and Gold a bigger, faster linebacking corps to root for in 2022.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
