There's an excellent chance the Bucs found the next Bucky Irving in the draft and his name is David Walker
After 2024, fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will forever zoom in on the fourth-round pick of that year's draft and immediately put him under a microscope. Simply because of the impact running back Bucky Irving had in Year 1.And that's totally reasonable. The 125th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft immediately carved his […]
After 2024, fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will forever zoom in on the fourth-round pick of that year's draft and immediately put him under a microscope. Simply because of the impact running back Bucky Irving had in Year 1.
And that's totally reasonable. The 125th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft immediately carved his way into the longest-tenured hearts of Bucs fans and the national landscape after a sensational rookie year that saw him run for 1,122 yards and rack up 1,514 total yards from scrimmage that also included eight rushing touchdowns.
It wasn't just the box score numbers, either, it's how Irving amassed his stats. The dude was nearly impossible to take down, rattling off chunk play after chunk play by making defenders miss with ease. He finished with a mark of 2.7 yards after contact per attempt, which was second behind only Derrick Henry when reducing the list to running backs with at least 200 carries and just for pure context, that number was fourth-best among all running backs in 2024. No filters included.
It's safe to say Irving "set the standard" for future fourth-rounders in Tampa Bay. Sure enough, the Bucs may have found someone Irving can immediately pass the torch to in EDGE David Walker.
David Walker joins a deep pass rush group but has the work ethic and skills to quickly rise to the top
The Bucs loved Walker during the pre-draft process and picking him at No. 121 overall was the sweet spot. He doesn't have the prototypical height teams seek in pass rushers at 6-foot-0, but he has a strong, thick core and very good lateral movement/quickness on top of a potent speed-to-power ability.
He also has a good array of pass rush moves and the bend needed to get around offensive tackles. Finally, there's the work ethic and his love of the game that keeps him on the grind and always improving, no matter how much success he has.
"I think David Walker has proven that he is a super instinctive pass rusher," Bucs assistant general manager Rob McCartney told reporters after the draft. "He knows how to win on the high side with his speed. He loves to go speed to power. He doesn’t have long arms, but he uses what he does have with his length really well. He is really powerful, and he knows how to take the inside, too. It’s really like a unique presentation of how he looks but it really works for him, and he is super effective.
"He has great feet, so I think just his knack to get to the passer – he has been super productive at every stop, every year. I think there is a lot of confidence there."
That confidence will come in handy as Walker makes his way through a crowded EDGE room. Much like Irving last year, who came in as the clear-cut backup behind Rachaad White, he can certainly rise to the top by shining on the field. The best part is he has the traits, the opportunity, and the infrastructure in Todd Bowles' defense to make it happen.
While crowded, the Bucs' group of pass rushers is anything but established. Sure, there are leading candidates like Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby for top roles, but the coaching staff won't think twice about playing Walker ahead of them if he's balling out and they aren't keeping pace. That leaves the door open just enough for Walker to smash through it.
"He was the most dominant player on the field," said McCartney. "When you watch those small school guys, a thing everyone always says in our profession is: if he’s not the best player on the field, it probably gives you some pause. Time and time again, David Walker showed up. Then he goes to Mobile, [Alabama], and does the same thing there. There was a lot of positivity to take from his time down at the Senior Bowl, too.
"That was another guy we spent time with at the combine and we feel really good about not only the athlete, but the instincts, the power, the speed, his ability to help us on special teams, too, and rush from the off the edge. I think he’s another guy that we have some versatility with, too.”
Walker's diverse sporting background helped propel him to where he is today
Walker finished his career with 82.5 tackles for loss and 39.0 sacks over four years (his 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19), which is historical production at both schools he attended, as well as the FCS. And while he attended programs in a smaller league, he more than showed he can hold his own against the big boys at the Senior Bowl, as McCartney mentioned.
A big part of Walker's collegiate success stems from the fact that he was a multi-sport athlete who played soccer and basketball, on top of football. Both sports heavily deal in footwork and coordination/body control, which are key elements that propel his position. If you can't be agile while controlling your body, you don't stand a chance at pass rusher in the NFL. Or in general.
"Soccer, man, soccer is footwork – you’ve got to have some good footwork to play the position that I play. Basketball, it’s just the movement of the game – crossing over, doing the one-two…Football is basketball on grass. Being able to play those sports and being able to see how I do those things on the field, as well, it helped me a lot," said Walker.
There's so much to like about Walker, it's not even funny. Based off what we know so far, there should be even more to like once the pads come on in August. He has a shot to not only play past his draft value, but make an impact that could lead to big things in 2025.
Tez Johnson is ready to conquer the NFL world with Bucky Irving and the Bucs
The NFL Draft is where dreams come true, but for Tez Johnson, joining forces with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is more than just being able to play professional football. He gets to live out his dream with one of his best friends in Bucs running back Bucky Irving, as well as another good friend in […]
