The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the most intriguing teams in the league. They have a ton of talent, but sometimes struggle to string together a few wins in a row. After making the playoffs last season, the team wants to make a deep run with their latest additions in the NFL Draft. One of those additions is a key defensive player that the team selected in the later rounds.
The Buccaneers Revamp Their Defense By Drafting David Walker
The No. 121 pick in the 2025 draft could be the Bucs’ biggest acquisition. After taking an offensive player in the first round, the team loaded up on defense with their selections in rounds two through five. Emeka Egbuka was their No. 19 selection in the first round, but a pair of cornerbacks followed that selection, with David Walker being the team’s fourth-round choice.
There’s no doubt that Walker will have to work his way up the depth chart as he’s currently listed behind Anthony Nelson and Yaya Diaby. Diaby impacted the team last year as the 26-year-old regressed from 7.5 to 4.5 sacks, but increased his total number of tackles by 16. Nelson is 28 years old and has been a key part of the Buccaneers’ defense since 2019.
Central Arkansas ED David Walker was outstanding to wrap up Senior Bowl week with a slew of pressures during live reps.
His ability to create push from different alignments is what makes his profile so intriguing. pic.twitter.com/UNoOpZwZDL
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) February 4, 2025
In his collegiate career, Walker earned three straight First-Team All-American honors. In those final three seasons, he had 63 tackles for loss, 55 pressures, and 31 sacks. Averaging around ten sacks annually, Walker increased his draft stock with a phenomenal performance in the Senior Bowl.
The University of Central Arkansas alumni will enter the league at 25. He joins a Bucs’ defense that finished sixth in the NFL in sacks and fifth in pressure last season. With the team loading up on defensive talent, it’s clear that they have a ton of faith in the likes of Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin, but need to beef up on the defensive side of the ball.
Ultimately, this Bucs team doesn’t give up many points. The most they gave up in 2024 was the 41 that the Baltimore Ravens dropped on them on Monday Night Football, and they gave up 31 to Atlanta and 30 to Kansas City the following week. After that three-game skid, Tampa Bay never gave up more than 26 points in a game.
Standing 6’2”, 260 pounds, Walker was one of the most athletic edge rushers in the draft. With mandatory minicamp and more OTAs on the way, the 25-year-old can immediately impact the team’s defensive rotation.