The NFL Draft is a day away. Let’s have the Jalon Walker conversation, Panthers fans
By Alex Zietlow and
Mike Kaye
Celebration ensues on the main stage as the Panthers pick quarterback Bryce Young as the number one pick during in the NFL Draft during a fan watch party at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez
mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
It’s time to have the Jalon Walker conversation.
To be clear, it’s been time. And fans and media and NFL decision-makers alike have been heating up their debates as the clock ticks down to Thursday night — the beginning of the 2025 NFL Draft.
But it’s time to wonder aloud whether Walker, the versatile outside linebacker out of Georgia, is the right pick for the Carolina Panthers.
That’s where Observer reporters Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow come in — to go on and on about why the Panthers should or shouldn’t draft the Salisbury native — on the latest podcast episode of Processing Blue.
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In addition to their robust discussion on Walker, the two also discuss Kaye’s latest mock draft, talk trading back scenarios, lay out why Donovan Ezeiruaku is such a compelling prospect, and ... for some reason ... argue about the merits of the Zietlow-acclaimed movie Draft Day.
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22.Support my work with a digital subscription
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