Georgia standout defenders Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams are headed to the NFL draft, where they could continue the school's run of first-round selections. Both made their draft declarations Monday on Instagram.
Walker, an inside linebacker who won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker, earned first-team All-SEC honors alongside Williams, a defensive end. Walker led Georgia with 10.5 tackles for loss and tied for the team lead in sacks with 6.5, while adding a team-high seven quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. lists the 6-2, 245-pound Walker as the No. 12 prospect for the draft, two spots ahead of Williams.
Kiper ranks Walker as the top draft-eligible off-ball linebacker for 2025, while Williams is the No. 2 outside linebacker prospect, behind Penn State's Abdul Carter. Williams had 5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles for Georgia this season, while being limited by an ankle injury during the first half of the campaign.
Walker earned third-team AP All-America honors in his first season as a starter for Georgia, which lost to Notre Dame on Thursday in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The 6-5, 265-pound Williams also earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2023, his first season as a starter, when he led the Bulldogs with 4.5 sacks.