We're officially a few months removed from the NFL Draft, but the general hype dying down doesn't mean teams are any less excited about the class they put together. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers any one of the team's draft picks could step up into huge roles this season, as could the undrafted rookies who didn't hear their names called at the podium.
As much as we've talked about Shilo Sanders and Desmond Watson, the Bucs also have premium rookies like Benjamin Morrison and Emeka Egbuka, who are in a prime position to make an impact. Hall of Famer Rondé Barber is looking elsewhere for the player he's most excited about.
Barber went through Tampa Bay's rookie class on the latest episode of his show, and called out David Walker as the youngster who could have the biggest impact.
"Our No. 1 impact rookie, you might not believe this — it is David Walker," Barber said. "I didn't know anything about him until we picked him, and then you go and look at what he did... when you put the film on, you're like, 'Holy cow, this dude has the mentality.' It's kinda like this underdog mentality that makes people respect him."
David Walker is the Buccaneers rookie with the most to gain this season
Walker was Tampa Bay's fifth-round pick, and a player Jason Licht admitted he needed to be talked out of trading up for rather than waiting for him to fall. That's the hype Walker has heading into his rookie season, and the precedent is there for him to follow in some successful shoes.
He was announced as a linebacker at the draft, but is a hybrid pass rusher who could get some looks at defensive end. While we'll see where he ends up in rotations, the point is that he's versatile and the exact type of player the Bucs need to help fix their pass rush woes.
After Walker was drafted, NFL Network's Charles Davis loosely compared him to Shaq Barrett, which is music to fans' ears. Barrett's arrival in 2019 helped charge up the defense for an eventual Super Bowl run, and the pass rush hasn't been the same since he left. It hasn't been that long, but we saw last year how much of an Achilles heel it can be, and to have a Barrett-style player ready to help plug that hole is huge.
That's easier said than done, but hearing Barber's praise of Walker only reinforces how justified the hype around him is. Licht believed in him so much he almost traded up to draft him, analysts are already gushing over his ability, and a Hall of Famer thinks he can be the most impactful rookie in a stacked class.
Walker might be flying under the radar a little thanks to an injury keeping him off the practice field, but it's only a matter of time before he starts becoming a household name.
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