Wesley Walker, an outstanding second-round draft choice for the Jets out of California in 1977, will be announcing the Jets’ second- and third-round selections on Friday night, the second night of this year’s NFL draft, as part of the continuation of the league’s program begun last year in which each Round 2 selection was announced by a former player of the team that made that pick.
In all, the NFL announced today that 33 legendary NFL alumni — one for each team and two WRs, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, splitting the duties for the St. Louis Rams — will announce their teams’ picks live from Radio City Music Hall in New York.
The alumni scheduled to be on hand to make the announcements from the podium feature six Pro Football Hall of Famers, including two from the Class of 2012 — C Dermontti Dawson for the Steelers and T Willie Roaf for the Saints.
Any team would be happy to get the kind of Round 2 production that Walker gave to the Jets as the ’77 draft’s 33rd overall selection, the fifth pick of the second round. Walker played his entire 13 NFL seasons in the green and white. He totaled 438 catches for 8,306 yards for a 19.0-yard average that is the franchise career record.
And in his best season? Walker had several — he had 1,169 yards on 48 catches in ’78 for a 24.4-yard average that is still the franchise season mark. But he also had 61 receptions in ’83 and 12 touchdown catches in ’86, which included his franchise-record four-TD game in the classic 51-45 home overtime victory over the Dolphins.
Walker played in two Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro first-team WR in 1978.
