Green Bay’s 2022 first-round pick was named one of the three best off-ball linebackers under 25 years old.
Much debate has been made around the first two seasons of performances from Green Bay Packers former first-round pick Quay Walker. While no one considers him a bust, as he’s made 30 starts over his first two seasons, it’s also difficult to call him a “hit” just yet, either — especially considering his ill-timed personal foul penalties.
Ultimately, he’s still a recently-turned 24-year-old who is starting at one of the least talented positions in the NFL and is holding his own, rather than being a liability. To put into perspective how hard it is to be an off-ball linebacker in this era, The Ringer’s Diante Lee recently wrote an article detailing the best players under 25 years old in the NFL. Three off-ball linebackers made Lee’s list, including Walker.
Here’s what Lee had to say:
Pace and Walker—who came into the league with diverging play styles and athletic profiles—are arriving in similar places in terms of consistency for their NFC North teams. Pace is more of the traditional, downhill type of linebacker. His football IQ helps him to properly diagnose what offenses are trying to do, and he’s shown some impressive short-area twitchiness that went underappreciated during his time at Cincinnati. Walker has height, length, and raw physical ability, and it seemed like he increasingly adjusted to the speed of the NFL game throughout last season. Walker entered the league as more of a coverage linebacker, but last year he showed he could fit the run well, and ended the season as one of the few bright spots on a poor Packers defense.
For what it’s worth, the only other Packer to crack Lee’s list was tight end Luke Musgrave, who received an honorable mention nod behind Detroit’s Sam LaPorta and Arizona’s Trey McBride. Beyond Walker and Musgrave, some notable starters under 25 for Green Bay going into 2024 are safety Xavier McKinney, receiver Jayden Reed and left tackle Rasheed Walker. McKinney is probably the most notable snub, as Lee chose Baltimore’s Kyle Hamilton and San Francisco’s Talanoa Hufanga as his squad’s safeties. Miami’s Jevon Holland and Detroit’s Kerby Joseph were given second-team honors.