Falcons rookie LB Jalon Walker’s Madden 26 rating revealed
The Atlanta Falcons walked away from the 2025 NFL draft with a projected top-10 pick in Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker. The former Bulldog filled a massive need for the Falcons, who also drafted Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. later in the first round.
Walker split time as an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker in college, which may have hurt his draft stock enough to fall out of the top 10. However, the developers over at EA Sports still view the rookie as a top talent.
Madden NFL 26 revealed its ratings for the top 10 rookies ahead of the 2025 season. Walker, who was drafted 15th overall, earned the sixth-best rookie rating (79 overall) from Madden.
Madden NFL 26: 10 highest-rated rookies
Walker’s former teammate, Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams, was the ninth-highest-rated rookie in Madden 26. Williams was drafted four spots ahead of Walker, going to the San Francisco 49ers with the 11th overall pick.
Jaguars wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter is the game’s highest-rated rookie, earning an 84 overall rating. Pearce’s rating is still a mystery since the former Volunteers standout was not among the game’s 10 highest-rated rookies.