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Round 4, Pick 109
Quantity Or Quality?
Deone Walker was the second defender taken by the Buffalo Bills out of the University of Kentucky after selecting CB Maxwell Hairston in the 1st round. Walker was also the 2nd DT the Bills took after taking DT T.J. Sanders out of Arkansas in the 2nd round. This reasserted the need they had this offseason. In this attempt to revamp the defensive line, they were able to acquire much younger players.
I discussed the revolving door the Bills have had on the defensive line alongside defensive staples Ed Oliver and Gregory Rousseau in my previous rookie deep dive articles, and unlike T.J. Sanders I don’t expect Deone Walker to become a full time starter, his role will come in on goal line packages, dime packages, etc.
Now, can he become a starter over Sanders? No rookie may be a sure thing, but I’m simply giving the nod to Sanders as the Bills’ DT2 of the future, given that they traded up to select him. While the Buffalo Bills traded up in the 4th round to select Walker, who I projected as an early 3rd-round pick, the expectations and leeway that come with being a 2nd-round pick aren’t the same for day 3 picks.
It is worth noting, however, that GM Brandon Beane and Head Coach Sean McDermott often hit on day 3 picks more than most. In recent years, they have drafted LB Matt Milano, CB Taron Johnson, WR Khalil Shakir, and others, all had to carve out a role when they arrived in Buffalo. I expect Deone Walker to do the same or at least show flashes of being a quality depth piece for a defense that constantly subs players in and out.
Walkers’ College Stats
Walker’s undeniable size and skill set allowed him to start immediately upon arriving at the University of Kentucky. The Wildcat most notably compiled an impressive Sophomore season, which saw Walker sack opposing QBs 7.5 times and get 12.5 TFLs. In 37 games, Deone Walker had 132 tackles, 22 TFLs, 10 Sacks, 6 PBUs, and 1 FF. The following statistics are available via Chad Reuter, NFL Draft Researcher/Analyst with NFL Media since 2011, as linked in Sanders’ draft profile below.
- 2022: Freshman All-American. All-SEC Freshman Team. Played in all 13 games with 12 starts (40 tackles, 4.5 TFLs with 1 sack, 2 PBUs, FF).
- 2023: Second-team All-SEC. Led team with 12.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks. Started all 13 games (55 tackles, 2 PBUs).
- 2024: Third-team All-SEC (37 tackles, 5 TFLs with 1.5 sacks, 2 PBUs). Started 11 games.
NFL Combine
Deone Walker had a rather quiet combine, as did most draftees who were selected on day 3. Walker participated in the vertical jump, broad jump, and bench press at the combine. His vertical jump was 25 inches while his broad jump was 8’8″. His bench press was 22 reps, which is quite alarming, as typically DTs get at least 30 reps. T.J. Sanders had a whopping 40 reps in comparison.
Walker was surprisingly 5th in production score with 77, I say surprising because of the rather loaded interior defensive linemen that were in this class. He did, however, have an abysmal athleticism score of 51, which ranks 37th among DTs. His total score was 72, which places him at a respectable 13th among DTs.
Expectations
While the athleticism isn’t there, it doesn’t need to be. With his 6’7” frame and 331lb build, he is a heavy run-stopping body that Head Coach Sean McDermott will throw in on key 3rd and 4th downs, along with most goal line packages.
I expect Walker to be DT3 or DT4 on the Bills depth chart, and my rookie season predictions are as follows: 1.0 Sack, 14 Tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 1 PBU. It’s more difficult to project stats for day 3 guys as some might get sent to the practice squad or simply not see the field over seasoned vets. Nonetheless, it’s still fun to examine each rookie and decipher what kind of impact they will make as a rookie
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