Buffalo meeting with a polarizing NFL Draft prospect at the position Bills Mafia wants them to address the most
As the Buffalo Bills continue to do their pre-draft homework on defensive tackles, one of their biggest needs as they enter the draft, a name has popped up that's schedule for a visit — Kentucky's Deone Walker. There are few players in this draft with a wider potential range of outcomes than him. There was […]
As the Buffalo Bills continue to do their pre-draft homework on defensive tackles, one of their biggest needs as they enter the draft, a name has popped up that's schedule for a visit — Kentucky's Deone Walker. There are few players in this draft with a wider potential range of outcomes than him.
There was a time when Walker was considered by many to be a first round pick contender due in large part to his 6-foot-7 342 lbs size that has plenty of juice and athleticism. One one hand, you have a highly productive defensive lineman that has lined up everywhere from nose tackle to edge rusher. On the other, you have a player with serious pad level issues coming off a majorly down year. I asked our own Ian Valentino his thoughts on Walker as a prospect:
Evaluating Deone Walker in 2023 was a much different experience than it was in 2024. Relative to his size, which is a big part of what excited everyone about Walker, he had loose, fluid movements where he could legitimately threaten interior blockers with quickness and fight through contact without losing his balance despite his massive frame. His pad level has never been consistently good, but he could sink down and win leverage battles through power and strategically get the advantage so he could shed a blocker and get to the ball-carrier. More similar to Jordan Davis than Jalen Carter, Walker has three-down potential when he's healthy. Kentucky used him all along the line from 5-technique to the nose, too, so there's an unprecedented versatility and explosiveness that you generally only see from vastly undersized tackles. The question is whether Walker can stay healthy or at least be effective when he's not 100 percent. He proved to be extraordinarily tough, playing through a literal broken back, but we also saw he's really not a trusted prospect without that patented quickness.
Medicals are going to be a huge part of his evaluation for the Bills, but as we've seen in the past, Buffalo loves to take balls of clay with unteachable traits. With Walker no longer being a gamble teams have to take in the first round, there's plenty of versatility and size that I could absolutely see the Bills looking at him as a potential Day 3 pick that they can hope to turn into a do-everything disruptor anywhere on the defensive line.
Follow along all year for more Buffalo Bills coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, and make sure to follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
