The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the 2024 season in the top 10 in sacks. Even with that being the case, the more depth, the merrier, right? Well, fear not -- It appears that fourth-round rookie David Walker might be more pass-rushing depth for the Bucs as they hope to keep their defense strong.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report wrote about rookies who are already looking like steals in the draft and -- no surprises here -- Walker made the cut. A fourth-round pick might not typically get a ton of buzz in OTAs but Walker has turned heads already and Sobleski pointing out his performance is proof that Bucs fans have something to look forward to here.
"The Bucs employ one of the game's most aggressive defenses. They have two viable edge defenders already on the roster in Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby. However, Walker has a chance to immediately move up the depth chart if he's able to take what he's done during organized team activities into training camp when the pads are on and he faces Tampa's talented offensive tackles."
This Buccaneers player is looking like a draft-day heist
Walker finished his 2024 season at Central Arkansas with 10.5 sacks and adding that production to a team that finished in the top 10 of sacks last year is hopefully going to be a recipe for success. Something working in Walker's favor is that he doesn't have the pressure of having to be an immediate star for the team that drafted him.
If a fourth-round pick pans out, he's a draft gem. If he doesn't, it's not the end of the world as the Bucs didn't spend a high pick on him. Hopefully, Walker lives up to the hype he's making for himself in OTAs and the Tampa Bay pass rush can continue to be lethal in 2025.