Mel Kiper Jr. rips Green Bay Packers' selection of Quay Walker

It might not have been expected, but the Green Bay Packers drafted Quay Walker out of Georgia in the NFL Draft Thursday. Not everyone liked the pick, though.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. weighed in after the pick, ripping the selection. He cited difficulty evaluating Walker and disagreeing with teams wanting to take him over Nakobe Dean.

“[Walker] looks the part,” Kiper said. “He’s got the physical and athletic traits. Another Georgia guy. He’s tough to evaluate for me. I had a tough time with Jordan Davis, Travon Walker and Quay Walker, same type of thing. Run blitzes a lot, you think about locating the ball, instinctive qualities. Sometimes, I didn’t see that.

“What jumps out is the splash plays. … He’s going to be pretty good against the run, we know that. Diagnosing plays, getting himself in a position to make big plays at the pro level, that’s something he’s got to prove to me. He looks the part. I question how he’ll translate to the NFL. A lot of people thought he’d go ahead of Nakobe Dean, he did. Nakobe Dean, much better player at Georgia in my opinion, but wasn’t going to test as well or look the part like Quay Walker does. This, to me, is a slight reach on talent rather than the complete player.”

Green Bay Packers select Georgia linebacker Quay Walker in 2022 NFL Draft

The Green Bay Packers are banking on Georgia product Quay Walker to come in and transform their linebacking corps. He did it throughout his time in Athens, and the former Bulldogs linebacker will be expected to do the same in his NFL career.

That’s why the Packers took him off the board early in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night, picking him No. 22 overall.

During his time with the Bulldogs, Walker elevated his game consistently, leading an exceptional Georgia defense as part of a tremendous linebacking tandem with teammate Nakobe Dean. Last season, Walker realized his dream of bringing a championship to Georgia, helping to end a drought that spanned over 40 years when the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, the former Georgia star was huge in the aforementioned title game, keeping the Crimson Tide down with eight tackles on the night.

Most importantly to the Packers, Walker has the potential to evolve into one of the top linebackers in the entire NFL. He steadily improved throughout his time at Georgia, accumulating 125 total tackles and 5.0 sacks for a loaded Bulldogs squad over four seasons.