On Sunday in Week Six at Raymod James Stadium, outside linebacker David Walker made his presence felt against the Steelers' stories franchise and future Hall of Fame quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Walker championed the defensive effort, padding his stat line.
Walker posted five tackles (two for loss), three quarterback hits and a team-high 2.0 sacks against Pittsburgh. His 2.0 sacks marked the first multi-sack game by a Buc since Anthony Nelson accomplished the feat at New Orleans (2.0) in 2025. Additionally, Walker is the first Buccaneer to record a game with five-or-more tackles, three-or-more quarterback hits and at least 2.0 sacks since Devin White did so vs. Seattle in Munich, Germany in 2022. David's 4.0 sacks on the season are the third-most by a Buc through their first six career games (within one season) since at least 1982, trailing only Santana Dotson (7.0 in 1992) and Eric Curry (5.0 in 1993).
Leading up to the game, Walker looked for tendencies during his routine film study, taking note of how the tackles sat, punched and how they tried to combat speed rushers. Every nuance was evaluated and Walker added it into his mental catalog. His work behind-the-scenes paid dividends and as the game wore on, the unit adjusted to Rodgers' 3-4 second hard count and found their rhythm in the trenches. Walker's takedowns created momentum for Tampa Bay, pushing the Steelers behind the sticks.
"The first sack, our coaches on the sideline knew that they were jumpsetting me and he was like, 'If you get the go with the inside, take it,'" described Walker. "I saw that it was a play-action and I saw that Aaron Rodgers did not hand the ball off so I got upfield a little bit and I quickly swiped inside his hand and I was like, 'Oh snap, he is standing right there.' I got the first sack and then the second, he [the tackle] was shooting his hand at me all day and jumpsetting me and I just knew that I had to use speed, because we had a pressure coming in that gap so I just double-swiped, bent the corner and tried to stay tight and then Rodgers was there again."
Due to his production, Walker's snap count has increased week after week, moving the second-year outside linebacker into the main rotation. Walker possesses the ability to diversify his rush attack with quickness and strength. He has the burst to infiltrate gaps and utilizes his natural leverage to dip underneath blockers. Walker, one of the most productive and heralded players in FCS history, packs a violent punch with the feel for attacking a tackle's weaknesses. The instinctive rusher has been a standout on the Bucs' defensive line and once again bolstered the pass rush in Week Six.
"Coach [Todd Bowles] is putting us in the right position and I'm just trying to win my one-on-ones whenever I get in," said Walker. "And the team, as a D-Line, we just work together. We call it four equals one and that's what's been giving us all success."
