The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it a point to focus on improving the pass rush this offseason.
General manager Jason Licht added free agent Haason Reddick on a very economical and team-friendly one-year, "prove-it" deal and last season's second-round pick, Chris Braswell, has yet to find his game in the NFL, so more pieces were needed.
Licht selected Central Arkansas defensive end David Walker with the No. 121 overall pick in the fourth round earlier this month, and so far, the coaching staff has been impressed with what they've seen in rookie minicamp last weekend.
Outside linebackers coach Larry Foote put his game into context earlier this week.
“Speed – he brings, I think about [60] sacks under his belt,” Foote said. “He knows how to rush the passer. He’s been a natural. I make fun of him. I told him when I was recruiting him in Temple: ‘Tell this league you want to play rusher.’ I was fortunate I got to coach him off the ball, but he finally found his way home. And he’s a natural pass rusher. Another short guy, but he has speed that you can’t coach, and he just improved. You watch him through the years. I’ve always been following him. His game is just getting better. When a player like that has a down year, and obviously, a lot of that has to do with him not being there and getting out there so late.
"When you kind of have that inside track as a coach of knowing him as a human being and what buttons you can and can’t push and whether he needs to be coached hard or whether he needs to be helped up.”
Walker was a three-time FCS AP All-American and led the FCS with 23 tackles for loss last season and added 10.5 sacks, and could add the much-needed aspect of speed to the Bucs' pass rush next season.