JACKSONVILLE – These are exciting, good days for Travon Walker.

He's experienced. He's confident. Another reason the third-year defensive end is smiling as Jaguars 2024 Training Camp continues is he likes a lot about what's happening around him.

"I feel like I can just play ball now," he said.

Walker, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, spoke to the media Friday following Day 8 Jaguars '24 camp at the Miller Electric Center – and added that a major reason he feels freer is the new defensive scheme being implemented by first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.

It's an attacking, aggressive, four-down-lineman system that Walker said fits his skill set "great."

"We're playing straightforward, and I feel like with me playing with my hand in the dirt, I feel a lot more explosive," he said.

Walker indeed is expected to play a streamlined role under Nielsen. He and fellow edge defender Josh Allen, who combined for a league-high 27.5 sacks last season, are listed as defensive ends this season after being listed at outside linebacker the past two seasons.

Whereas Allen and Walker often dropped into coverage in former coordinator Mike Caldwell's 3-4 defense, the duo is expected to line up mostly on the line of scrimmage – and rush the quarterback in passing situations – in Nielsen's four-lineman scheme.

"It's been great working with Ryan," Walker said. "He's one of those guys that always gives the 'why' on why we're doing something, so that helps make it a little bit easier on us. Just going ahead and believing in him, and obviously he has the tape to back it up with other players as well."

Walker was asked Friday if he missed dropping into coverage.

"No, not at all," he said with a smile. "But the more you can do, the more, the better. Whatever my team needs."

Walker early in '24 camp has continued working on being a complete, balanced pass rusher with a focus on inside rushing.

"Evaluating myself, just knowing how I rushed throughout my first two years, I really didn't take a lot of my inside rushes," he said. "I'm just trying to balance out from my inside to my power to my edge rushes. I'm definitely happy, but obviously it's still room for improvement."

Walker, after registering 3.5 sacks as a rookie, registered 10 last season and improved statistically as the season continued. He registered 7.5 sacks in the last eight games of the season, including five in the last four games.

"I want to do what helps my team win game and obviously being consistent is No. 1 thing," Walker said. "The end of last season, it just kind of helped me play a lot more freely. Now going into my Year 3, it's about me putting all the pieces together from my Year 1 and Year 2. Now I feel like I'm able to just go out there and play ball without as much thinking."

NOTABLE MOMENTS FROM JAGUARS TRAINING CAMP - DAY 8

• Head Coach Doug Pederson on Friday morning discussed the team releasing veteran kicker Riley Patterson this week. The team retained rookie kicker Cam Little, a sixth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Patterson, who kicked in 17 regular-season games for the Jaguars in 2022, kicked in 13 games for the Detroit Lions and two for the Cleveland Browns last season before signing a "futures contract" with the Jaguars this past February. "We know Riley and he's made some big kicks here for us," Pederson said. "It's an opportunity for him to catch on now with another team and it's an opportunity for Cam to feel the pressure now of, 'If you're the guy, you need to be the guy.' Cam's done a nice job. I think he was 10-of-11 the other day and we put him in some long-kick situations the other day. We're going to continue to kind of cultivate that, put him in those tough situations and let him feel that type of pressure. But it's an opportunity now for Riley to get picked up and continue his career." Patterson was claimed off waivers by Washington Wednesday.
• The Jaguars will hold their lone in-stadium practice of 2024 Training Camp Saturday – a practice scheduled to be held from 10 a.m.-12:30 inside EverBank Stadium. Pederson said he expects special jerseys to be worn honoring the military. "It's a great day," Pederson said. "We do invite the military and their families here, and I think it's great to honor them and get the fans in the stadium. It's good for our new players who haven't experienced that, to get over there and practice over there and experience that. So, it's a good day. It's a really good day and I look forward to it every year."