Bucs Nation
The Buccaneers go small school for a pass rusher.
The Buccaneers continued to deepen their pass rush rotation with Central Arkansas edge David Walker at 121st overall.
A menace at the FCS level, Walker obliterated inferior competition for years and hopes to translate his mature game to the pro level, where he’ll be situational rusher behind the likes of Haason Reddick, Yaya Diaby, Chris Braswell, and Anthony Nelson.
Let’s learn more about the small-school phenom.
A sixth-year senior who got added COVID-19 eligibility, Walker started at Southern Arkansas before working his way up to Central Arkansas and becoming one of the most prolific producers in FCS history.
He totaled an absurd 82.5 tackles for loss, 39 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles in the last four seasons, earning three straight consensus All-American honors and three consecutive ASUN defensive player of the year nods — also add in a Buck Buchanan Award, which signifies the top FCS defensive player, in 2024.
His dominance did not go unnoticed in the pre-draft process, as he got invited to the Senior Bowl and showed out well there. He becomes just the 13th player in Central Arkansas history to be drafted, the highest ever and first since Robert Rochell in 2021.
Despite unideal size (just 6-foot with sub 32” arms), Walker is incredibly muscular and stout with very solid quickness and pop. He tested as a good overall athlete, which will be vital for him to maximize his potential at the pro level.
He ran a very good sub 4.7 for his size, and he also put good jumps (35” vertical, 9-foot-10 broad) and agility testing (7.33 shuttle, 7.10 three-cone). So while he’s not super bendy or fast, he’s jarringly strong and explosive to get out of his stance and into the offensive lineman’s frame and out-leverage them. The suddenness and speed also help with his finishing abilities, as evidenced by his comically high TFL stat.
Walker is a 25-year-old rookie who converts speed to power at a good clip while mixing in some active hands and counters to keep tackles guessing.
He’s far from a bull in a china shop; he plays with controlled violence and has transferable traits to the NFL but it will take some time to adjust to the drastically heightened level of technique, strength, and agility that’s he going to encounter on a much more frequent basis. With his advanced age, the leash is going to be short for him to progress quickly.
However, it’s undeniable he possesses some eye-popping power and first-step explosion that definitely passes the eye test. If he can re-adjust his timing to combat NFL players’ expanded skillsets, he’ll have a chance. He’s smart and reactive, and he played in a diverse scheme and got more experience than ever before in 2024 dropping into coverage, which will be a must in a Todd Bowles scheme.
Given that he’ll have...
