CHARLOTTE — Jalon Walker didn't have to show up for Georgia's pro day in March, considering he'd eventually host his own private one the week before the draft. He didn't have to stay in his college teammates ears as the workouts wore on, offering tips and encouragement. He certainly did't have to be one of the last ones to leave the Bulldogs indoor facility, watching until every workout was done, then join the assembled media and spent a decent portion of his time behind a mic talking about those he played with in Athens.

"I'm going to be here, until the last person finish, you know, just hear as their support," Walker promised.

It's easy to identify Walker's football prowess. He had 60 tackles, two pass break-ups, and a team high 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks this past season. The Butkus Award winner as the nations best linebacker is a versatile star, even playing the hybrid position at Georgia known as the STAR.

"A lot of these teams want me to be a Swiss Army knife for their team," Walker said of how teams see the first-round draft prospect from Salisbury, NC. "See, a lot of people are versatile, but a lot of people can't do it well.

"I feel like I'd have the range and the confidence in myself to do each position at a great deal…if I play inside backer, I'd be a great inside backer. If I play outside backer, just outside backer, I'd be a great outside backer, but together there's a lot of people that just can't be good at both."

But in one of the deepest edge rusher classes in recent years, with at least eight prospects easily grading out with first-round potential, Walker's talent—while special—isn't enough of its own to set him apart. Staying all day for a pro day where he wasn't participating though, cheering on teammates and working the room to speak with every scout, coach and GM he could find, that'll do it.

"See, things like this I love," Walker gushed. "I love just being around people and people personally, and then the relationships I made with (scouts) at the combine and the relationships I made with them through Zooms and and various calls."

Walker counts his love for the game and the character is subsequently creates as a true connection, one that grew organically when it could've been forced, making it all the more special. Walker's dad, Curtis, was the head coach at Catawba from 2013-2022, and also served on staffs at Coastal Carolina and Western Carolina. But his job was merely a conduit for Walker's access to and appreciation of the game, not a catalyst.

"I got the opportunity to fall in love with football myself, for myself. My dad being a college coach, he let football come to me. He didn't force football upon me, which is a lot of situations that guys get the the sport pushed on them and then they fall out of love with it.

"So sitting there and being around it for so long, being in my dad's locker room, being on my dad's sideline and watching football growing up, and then finally enjoying it for myself, that's where I truly fell in love with it."

Now, Walker is on the precipice of turning that love into a career. He has the production, the promise, the talent, the intelligence, and the intangibles, not to mention the versatility to play multiple positions. As teams count down the final minutes to their decisions, the Georgia linebacker just wants clubs to remember one thing about Jalon Walker.

"It takes a lot of mental fortitude, and I feel like I attack it the right way. You just gotta be disciplined, make sure you know what you're doing and taking the time to understand what you're doing."