30 players who will avoid bust status with a breakout campaign in 2024

29. Travon Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars

As we begin to sunset this list, we finish with two former first-overall picks in the NFL Draft. Let’s start with Travon Walker. He can fall under the radar as most of the pressure remains on the offense. Trevor Lawrence was inconsistent last year due to injuries, a poor supporting cast, and a complete collapse by the team as a whole. Despite this, he signed one of the richest contracts in the history of the NFL this offseason. He won’t face “bust” status for a while.

However, Travon Walker doesn’t have the luxury of a massive contract under his belt. He’s in the third year of his rookie contract, so the Jaguars have no reason to risk a huge deal for a proposed pass rusher. They do have to make a decision on his fifth-year option, but they can do that next offseason.

Some could argue that Walker is the greatest example of the NFL Combine in history. He was a surprise number-one pick, as many thought Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson would likely go to North Florida. But Walker’s 4.51-second 40-yard dash, 36-inch vertical jump, 123-inch broad jump, 6.89-second three-cone, and 4.32 20-yard shuttle is how he became the number-one overall pick.

Those numbers are impressive. What’s not impressive is 13.5 sacks over two seasons. He did have a rough rookie season, and his second season was much better. Still, it wasn’t out of this world, and there are certain expectations for a first-overall pick that Walker hasn’t met. He’s been fine, and nobody is calling for him to lose his roster spot, but he needs to be better to call for an extension this offseason.