JACKSONVILLE – He leads in his own way.

To Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker, that's the best way and the only way.

"I have to do things the right way first," he said.

Walker has done that throughout his NFL career – and the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft continues to do so as he continues developing on and off the field entering his fourth NFL season. And make no mistake:

As 2025 Training Camp continues at the Miller Electric Center, and as the Jaguars enter a new regime with a largely new coaching staff, Walker unquestionably is a team leader.

"He's a great player, obviously, but he's a great person," Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said Thursday on Day 2 of '25 camp at the MEC. "He has a lot of leadership qualities. I don't think there's anybody in the building that doesn't genuinely love the guy. He's just a great human being, got great energy about him.

"You love to coach him. Teammates love playing with him and his coaches love coaching him."

That leadership role is something Walker values, one he said comes naturally. It's also one that has increased gradually as he has emerged as one of the team's most consistent and reliable defensive players.

"There are more guys younger than me asking questions," Walker said, adding that his leadership style is "leading by example on the field. That's the main thing."

"I feel like I've always been a leader since I was a little kid, it's just now it may be a little more brought to you as far as the media and fans as I get older as a player," he said. "I talk, laugh around, joke around, but I'm more go out there and get the job done. A lot of guys just see the hard work that I put in and the dedication that I have for the love of the game.

"Going into Year 4, I'm a lot more mature when it comes to how I'm carrying myself in the building and how I'm going about myself outside of the building as well."

Said Campanile, "When he speaks, people listen. There's a lot to that. When he speaks, it means something to the guys on the team and people listen."

Walker in three seasons has improved steadily as a pass rusher, registering 3.5 sacks as a rookie in 2022 before registering 10 in 2023 and 10.5 in 2024. He long has been a front-line player against the run, and last season became the first drafted player in franchise history to register back-to-back double-digit-sack seasons.

"I started pass rushing at defensive end, probably my sophomore year of college," Walker said. "I always had the athleticism to be great, but now I'm starting to just put everything together. There are some things where I'm like, 'Oh shoot, I definitely could have worked on some things better right here.' But now it's just trying to get one percent better every day, every year. That's the main goal.

"There's always room for improvement, but I feel like I'm establishing myself, especially amongst the team. That's all that really matters. It really doesn't matter what the media thinks, fans think or anybody else. As long as I get my respect from my teammates and my peers, that's all that matters."

Campanile said he knew of Walker before arriving in Jacksonville this offseason, saying he knew Walker was serious, driven and wanted to be great. He also said he believes Walker can be just that moving forward in the Jaguars' new defensive system.

"He has a ton of potential," Campanile said. "The sky's the limit for him. It's just like every other position, every other guy – doing it every day, every play. That's really what sets the tone for what you're going to do out there every day.

"He's a guy who brings it every play, every day. You watch him drill work: He's locked in, laser focused. I'm excited for him, excited for what he's going to do this year."

KEY STORYLINE

• Campanile on Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead: "He has great leadership qualities and the people in the locker room look up to Arik – because of his consistency and performance and just his personality is that of a guy that wants to help other people. As a coach, it's a great thing to have. A guy that is always going to be honest, and that's what we're always looking for – honest feedback from coaches to players, players to coaches. He has done a great job with that."