2022 First Round Pick, #22, Quay Walker discussion thread.

[run pMc]

AFC scout: He’s green. Only started for one year. Can’t run the defense. He can play on all three downs. He’s big and tall and can run. He’s better than (Patrick) Queen.

He's not Patrick Willis, but he's better than Oren Burks. IIRC he only started playing football midway thru high school, that and playing DL would affect his instincts and ability to read his keys quickly. With dedication to film study and mirroring Campbell he should turn out ok. Krys Barnes has instincts over this guy (for now) but is much smaller and slower.

[RashanGary]

He's not Patrick Willis, but he's better than Oren Burks. IIRC he only started playing football midway thru high school, that and playing DL would affect his instincts and ability to read his keys quickly. With dedication to film study and mirroring Campbell he should turn out ok. Krys Barnes has instincts over this guy (for now) but is much smaller and slower.

Gute claimed that Walker kept getting better. He didnt have an up and down trajectory, he just kept getting better every game.

Him being so new to the position, like you said, there is hope that hes still getting better and will improve with his reaction times as the position becomes more natural for him.

Hes an elite athlete. The sky is the limit if he can pick up the game.

[texaspackerbacker]

I'm thinking they will use him for a lot of inside blitzing. That's more about athleticism and less about instinct.

[bobblehead]

Gute claimed that Walker kept getting better. He didnt have an up and down trajectory, he just kept getting better every game.

Him being so new to the position, like you said, there is hope that hes still getting better and will improve with his reaction times as the position becomes more natural for him.

Hes an elite athlete. The sky is the limit if he can pick up the game.

In the limited youtube I have watched of him, his ability to stack blockers is something I love. We haven't had that since Desmond Bishop. It takes a guy with an 8 wonderlic to willingly butt heads with a 300 lb guard with a bad attitude.

[George Cumby]

I think I'm in the minority in that I really like the pick.

A fast, nasty, three-down, sideline to sideline, tone-setting backer is just what this team needs and has lacked for a long time. (Campbell notwithstanding)

[MadScientist]

He's fast, uses his hands well to shed blockers, and can tackle well (hallelujah). If he can learn better techniques for covering he'll be a hell of a player.

[Fritz]

Irony: We bitch about the Packers poor run defense for the last 10 years and how they get killed by TE's over the middle. Then we pick a really good ILB in the first round and we dead pan the pick as a waste.

The Ravens had Walker targeted at 23. Dropped back to 25 after the Packers selected him.

The run defense with Walker and Wyatt should be much improved.

I am always intrigued as to why the Packers take players when they do. Why take an ILB at #22? Why did you trade up so high and give up so much to get Watson? So hearing intel like yours here, Spark, is fun. Didn't know the Ravens were licking their chops for this guy.

I am happy with it. I still remember TB's two ILB's tearing up the Packers in the NFCCG two years ago.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

I am always intrigued as to why the Packers take players when they do. Why take an ILB at #22? Why did you trade up so high and give up so much to get Watson? So hearing intel like yours here, Spark, is fun. Didn't know the Ravens were licking their chops for this guy.

I am happy with it. I still remember TB's two ILB's tearing up the Packers in the NFCCG two years ago.

Packers played and will continue to play a large amount of Nickel. Barnes tries hard and he hustles. But he just ain't Wu-Tang. In coverage, Barnes makes Hawk look like Urlacher. As a blitzer, Barnes makes Brad Jones look like Parsons. At shedding blocks, Barnes makes Joe Thomas looks like Zach Thomas.

Walker has the making of a fucking pimp. Of course, he could easily turn out to be a "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane" type. But I dig this guy.

[texaspackerbacker]

Yeah, I said that too, we will continue to play a lot of nickel - not because we lacked a second good ILB, but because the game has evolved to pass first just about all over. Hence I said we didn't need this guy, especially in the first round. But if he does end up resembling Micah Parsons - who I see a lot down here in Cowboy games, then great, it's a good pick. A big if, though.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Yeah, I said that too, we will continue to play a lot of nickel - not because we lacked a second good ILB, but because the game has evolved to pass first just about all over. Hence I said we didn't need this guy, especially in the first round. But if he does end up resembling Micah Parsons - who I see a lot down here in Cowboy games, then great, it's a good pick. A big if, though.

The Nickel, and the Kentucky will concur, typically includes 2 ILB. If the Packers are gonna play a tons of Nickel, they’re gonna need another ‘backer to team up with Campbell. Barnes shouldn’t be playing anywhere but on special teams.

[RashanGary]

The Packers were playing a lot of dime last year with a safety playing linebacker and an extra corner. The only reason they were playing dime was they didnt have a linebacker.

Now they can play nickle. Three corners, two safeties and two linebackers.

[RashanGary]

I just watched the national championship game and watched Walker.

He looked steady. Never stood out.

He times his blitzes well. Doesnt show intention until the last moment. And sometimes showed blitz but dropped back.

He was competitive facing off against a talented OL. He never backed down.

He looked pretty confident in pass coverage, making it difficult for his guy to get open.

He looked more confident than hesitant.

The only time he looked fast on tape was when he was blitzing.

He didnt look effective pass rushing against Alabama OL.

Wyatt looked like Georgias biggest playmaker. He was all over with big plays.

He looked ok.

[Joemailman]

From the film I've seen of Walker, I see a guy who consistently gets to the ball carrier because he diagnoses plays and takes good angles. And he tackles well. I've read his instincts can run hot and cold. I haven't really seen that.

[RashanGary]

How many really good ILBs are there? Maybe 5 in the league. Its a tough position with all of the RPOs, play action and plays designed to look the same. Linebackers are fucked with more than any other position in the NFL.

[Fritz]

The Packers were playing a lot of dime last year with a safety playing linebacker and an extra corner. The only reason they were playing dime was they didnt have a linebacker.

Now they can play nickle. Three corners, two safeties and two linebackers.

As I understand what I've read, this is a major point in this draft choice. Instead of having a safety around the line of scrimmage, they can keep both linebackers in and play nickel, strengthening the defense against the run. So players in Barry's system need to be flexible and do more than one thing, as opposed to the defenses filled with specialists that MM's coordinators employed. But this means, of course, that Walker better be able to cover a tight end.

We did see this defense get gashed over the middle - I hope that changes.