Jalon Walker and the Carolina Panthers have been highly complimentary of each other throughout the pre-draft assessment process. However, there's growing speculation around the Georgia prospect being off the board by the time Dan Morgan goes on the clock at No. 8 overall.
The Panthers are enamored with Walker, that much is obvious. He's a dynamic, versatile defensive chess piece capable of playing off-ball linebacker or edge rusher. More importantly, his high character and leadership credentials are strongly recommended by teammates and coaches alike.
Most mock drafts have the Panthers taking Walker. Some are starting to think he could go much higher, with one respected New England Patriots insider believing Mike Vrabel and others within the organization could make him the No. 4 overall selection when it's all said and done.
Patriots insider projected dream-crushing NFL Draft scenario for Carolina Panthers
Mike Giardi from the Boston Sports Journal had Walker being taken by the Patriots in his latest mock draft. He revealed the prospect has a lot of fans in the building and could potentially fill their edge-rushing need if Abdul Carter is off the board.
"[Jalon] Walker may be the best player in the draft (not named Hunter or Carter), and he has a lot of fans at One Patriot Place. Nothing the Pats did on the defensive side of the ball and free agency would prevent [Mike] Vrabel and Co. from tapping the 21 year-old with his combination of athleticism, surprising power in his 245-pound frame, and the highest football character (Georgia staff LOVES him). Is he an edge? An off-ball linebacker? He split reps for the Bulldogs, but the more I’ve watched his tape, the more I foresee him on the outside for the Pats."Mike Giardi
This would be a potentially crushing blow for the Panthers. They'll plan for it, but that won't make it any less disappointing.
It seems for all the smart money as if the draft starts with New England. Cam Ward is going No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans. Travis Hunter and Carter won't get out of the top three picks. That leaves the Patriots with their pick of the rest.
Will Campbell (or another offensive tackle) might be the priority for New England. The Patriots have to keep quarterback Drake Maye clean in the pocket. Adding a blue-chip prospect to grow into a franchise cornerstone alongside the promising signal-caller will give their chances of growth a massive boost.
They could address this later and take Walker. There's just no telling for definite, but the Panthers need to have contingencies in place if the Patriots do end up going with the Salisbury native.
Morgan won't be putting all his eggs in one basket. The Panthers are doing their due diligence on dozens of hopefuls before finalizing their shortlist. Some notable '30' visits feature prospects who'll be taken early in the draft. This is the correct way of doing things rather than holding out hope their preferred target — Walker, in this case — will be available.
There aren't many players who've done more to help their stock than Walker over the all-important assessment stage. The Panthers have a nervous wait as a result.