Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker, after missing back-to-back games with a knee injury, is back in the lineup after returning this past Sunday.
“He’s a huge boost for us,” Campanile said, adding that moving Walker around the defensive front has keyed the Jaguars’ top-ranked rushing defense this season.
Walker, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, registered one of the game’s biggest plays Sunday – a fourth-and-1, second-quarter stop that helped the Jaguars extend their lead late in the first half. Campanile called Walker “about as talented a guy as I’ve ever been around.”
“He has so much flexibility,” Campanile said. “You could play him anywhere from a 3-technique out to a 9-technique. We drop him in coverage. He could play defensive tackle. He plays 4-technique and does a great job on the tackle. He could play head up on the tight end and you feel like you’ve got an advantage there and he can play as wide as the 9-technique.
“Moving him across the front has been something that’s really helped us, not only in the pass game, but in the run game this year. And certainly, in the pass rush, we feel like he can create matchups for us.”
Walker, who has played with a device protecting his left wrist since Week 6, has 2.5 sacks and 7 pressures this season playing through injuries.
“Tra’s a guy, if he can play, he’s going to play,” Campanile said. “He’s not looking to miss any time. He’s doing everything he can to get ready and he has played through a lot this year in particular – his wrist, his knee, everything.
“He’s what we really want to be on this team, what we want to be about.”