After spending the duration of the 2025 slate in the training room after tearing his ACL, Buccaneers' outside linebacker David Walker is making up for lost time. His play throughout OTAs and training camp has garnered lavish praise and in East Rutherford, he forced New York Jets quarterback Bailey Zappe off his spot.
Walker's relentless pressure in Preseason Week One led to a pair of takeaways for the defense. On Rashad Wisdom's interception, Walker hit a nasty spin move and crossed over the tackle, flushing Zappe off his spot which sped up the progression. On the other highlight play, Ayden Garnes' pick-six, Walker came off the right edge in a two-point stance and quickly gained outside leverage. The tackle barely had time to get his hands up before Walker flew past, stunning the blocker into submission. Walker commanded several double teams and made his presence felt in the trenches.
"It is really important to see him in the run game to see how he fares from that standpoint, especially against their first team so it will be great to see the rest of the film to see how he did," described Head Coach Todd Bowles on Walker's debut. "His talent is undeniable there from a pass rush standpoint, but we want to see his overall game."
Walker has been a menace in one-on-one pass rush drills with his combination of instincts and power. He effectively sets up his pass rush moves by playing the offensive lineman's hands. Walker has outstanding lower body twitch and proficiently turns speed to power. In 2024, Walker led the FBS with 23 tackles for loss and tied for third in the FCS with four forced fumbles. The highly-decorated collegiate athlete and three-time consensus All-American is known for his pass rush portfolio and attack prowess; however, he wreaked havoc against the run as well, putting up jaw-dropping numbers. Walker dominated the competition at Central Arkansas, and he will vie to show his multi-faceted skillset throughout the preseason to earn additional playing time in the Bucs' defensive rotation.
