With their first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers have selected Linebacker Quay Walker out of the University of Georgia. Let’s dig in to what he is going to bring to this defense that continues to get stronger.

Analysis

Quay Walker fits the Brian Gutekunst mold perfectly. He is a towering 6’4″ which has/will benefit him in the coverage game. At a strong 241 pounds he still ran a 4.51 second 40 yard dash. To put it simply, he is VERY athletic. 

He started all 15 games for Georgia, though he had a rotational role. While his 2021 stats don’t jump off the page (67 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 3 PBUs, 1 FR), Walker made the most of his snaps on the field. The biggest knock on Walker was his inexperience and reading plays as he was known to fall for play fakes from time to time. 

Walker is a freak athlete who may take some time to reach his full potential, but will still make an immediate impact while he learns under All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell.

Team Fit:

Campbell is going to immediately compete with Krys Barnes for snaps. With Campbell leading the way, he will be able to take his time to get his feet under him and sharpen his instincts. His length and speed helped his coverage improve throughout college and are going to make him an asset as a dime linebacker in passing situations. An asset the Packers have been missing for a long, long time.

Walker is not going to be an all-star right away, but he doesn’t need to be. The pick reminds me a lot of Rashan Gary. Like Gary, a lot of people think Walker wasn’t the best linebacker on the board. But he has all the tools to help in a rotational role now and become a cornerstone for our defense in the future.

So it’s not a wide receiver. But a wise man once said; offense wins games, defense wins championships. Our top receivers were gone, so we built our defense.

Now we win.

PJ is an Ohio native who was fortunate enough to be born into the green and gold family through his father who grew up in Green Bay. He now resides in NYC where he is an avid fan and fantasy football player. You can follow him on twitter at @PJsPack_.

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