The Jacksonville Jaguars exercised their fifth-year option on defensive end Travon Walker, the club announced on Monday.
His fully guaranteed option is projected to be roughly $14.75 million for the 2026 campaign, per Over The Cap. Teams have until May 1 to pick up the fifth-year options on first-round picks from the 2022 NFL draft.
The move keeps the 2022 No. 1 overall pick under contract in Jacksonville for at least the next two seasons.
Walker got off to a slow start for his career, posting 3.5 sacks as a rookie, and has been outplayed by No. 2 pick Aidan Hutchinson.
However, he is coming off of back-to-back double-digit sack campaigns. An athletic pass rusher, Walker has improved each season against both the run and pass, including taking a significant stride forward in pass rush win rate in 2024.
The Jags are banking on the former top selection continuing his upward ascent alongside Josh Hines-Allen. At the very least, the club's no-brainer decision to exercise his fifth-year option allows Jacksonville to look at Walker in new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile's system for relatively cheap compared to the top of the market.
