Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht made some waves in the NFL Draft, using his first round pick on a wide receiver rather than a position of need. All signs point to Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka being a huge addition, but the Bucs needed a pass rusher more than it needed another offensive weapon.
It’s something that Licht admitted in a recent interview with WDAE, saying that he needed to be talked out of trading up for a player over the weekend. That player was Central Arkansas edge rusher David Walker, someone who ended up falling to the Bucs in the fourth round.
Things worked out in the end, but Licht was so high on Walker that he was thinking about trading up to make sure he got his guy.
“I had to convince other office members to not let me do anything stupid and mortgage the future to move up for David Walker. I ended up being patient and it paid off this time,” Licht said.
While a stroke of luck allowed Walker to fall to the Bucs without movement being needed, the fact that Licht was ready to make a trade is a massive endorsement.
David Walker was one of Jason Licht’s favorite NFL DrafT prospects
Almost as soon as Walker was drafted by the Bucs he started drawing some notable comparisons. Charles Davis said on the NFL Network broadcast of the draft that Walker reminded him of Shaq Barrett — a comp that will stand out as notable to fans in Tampa.
Something else that stood out was that Walker was listed as an edge rusher but announced at the podium as a linebacker. Given his ability to get after the quarterback, this only deepens those comparisons to Barrett.
Walker joins a pass rush crew that already consists of Calijah Kancey and Haason Reddick, with Anthony Nelson peppered in there as well. Depth is an issue all across the defense, and while Chris Braswell is entering his second year trying to carve out a place for himself, Walker is going to give him some competitions.
Of course, Walker being announced as a linebacker means he might spend more time with Yaya Diaby than anyone else, which is a huge win for the Bucs. It sounds like they got a steal, and one that Jason Licht didn’t have to end up mortgaging the future to land.
More Tampa Bay Buccaneers news and rumors