To understand the significance of Deone Walker’s draft day, rewatch the moment the 6-foot-7, 331-pound defensive tackle heard his name called as the Buffalo Bills’ pick in the fourth round.
Buffalo Bills Rookie Minicamp (copy)
The Bills selected defensive tackle Deone Walker in the fourth round of the NFL draft in April. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Nearly 70 family members, friends, coaches and former teammates were gathered around Walker outside his home in Lexington, Kentucky, when the Bills traded up to select the game-wrecking big man from the University of Kentucky.
A grin flashed across his face when his name was announced on stage at the NFL draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His eyes welled with tears. Then, for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. Sanquanetta Walker wrapped her arms around her son’s neck and squeezed.
“The emotions were high,” Walker, 21, recalled following a recent practice at One Bills Drive. “My mom almost choked me when she heard my name picked. Everybody was happy.”
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They were also relieved for Deone. He wasn’t frustrated or angry while waiting through Rounds 1, 2 or 3. He wasn’t resentful that he slipped to the 109th overall pick, less than one year after he was labeled a future first-rounder and possible top 10 selection. Through the praise and criticism, he stayed the same — humble, kind, thoughtful and determined.
They saw the dedication, resilience and humility he carried throughout his football journey – even in the fall when he played through pain, discomfort and stiffness as a junior at Kentucky. He didn’t complain. He refused to sit out more games, even though doing so would have explained to NFL teams why he wasn’t blowing up opponents’ game plans as he did as a sophomore. When medical tests at the scouting combine in March revealed the cause – a fracture between two vertebrae, he didn’t view the diagnosis as an excuse or a reason to lose hope.
Neither did the people who wanted to celebrate the moment his NFL dream became a reality, though they didn’t want to see him wait any longer. All he wanted was an opportunity from someone who believed in his talent, even if he had to sign as an undrafted free agent. And in Buffalo, he found a group of people who saw past the injury. Bills general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott saw Walker’s untapped potential as an important addition to a Super Bowl contender.
“I’ve just got to trust that I’m going to get better every day,” the rookie said. “I’ve got to trust that I’m going to get back to, or be even better than, how I played in my 2023 season. They really took a chance on me here. They believe in me, and I’m going to show them what I can do.”
‘He’s special’
Scouts questioned Kentucky’s coaches about Walker’s participation, or lack thereof, at some practices in the fall.
Where was the preseason All-American who terrorized quarterbacks in the SEC the previous two seasons? And when Walker was in drills, why wasn’t he rag-dolling offensive linemen? Why wasn’t he moving as well as he used to?
As defensive line coach Anwar Stewart explained, Walker’s hips kept tightening up. There wasn’t a long-term concern, but the medical staff prescribed rest and treatment between games. The Wildcats’ coaches stressed to every NFL visitor that Walker refused to play fewer snaps. He didn’t want to let down his coaches and teammates, whom he considered family. The only game he missed was a blowout win over an FCS opponent, Murray State, because he’d aggravated the injury in the middle of the season. Walker averaged more than 50 snaps per game, but his production and impact weren’t the same.
He created 24 fewer pressures as a junior – his 51 in 2023 were the most in the country by an interior defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus – and, across 11 games, he had just 11 solo tackles with five tackles for a loss.
Buffalo Bills Rookie Minicamp (copy)
Deone Walker missed only one game during his junior season at the University of Kentucky. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
“In 2023, he was definitely the best defensive player in the entire country,” Stewart said. “He fought through that back injury because he didn’t want to let his team down. It showed his resilience and toughness. Did it hurt him? Now, looking back, yes, but he wanted to play with his boys and win. … He’s special, and when this kid is healthy and he’s 100%, he’s a handful.”
There aren’t many people walking the planet with Walker’s combination of size, strength and agility. He has an 84⅛-inch wingspan and 11⅝-inch hands. In 2022, Walker was one of the top freshmen in the nation, and SEC coaches named him to their all-freshman team. He started the Wildcats’ final 11 games, then emerged as one of the best defensive players in the country as a sophomore.
Walker was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2023, leading Kentucky with 12½ tackles for loss, including 7½ sacks, and he was credited with eight hurries. He played every spot on the defensive line, including edge rusher, and he showed he was athletic enough to drop into coverage.
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Opponents quickly learned they needed at least two blockers to prevent Walker from wrecking their game plan.
But Walker’s injury caused his pad level and technique to waver last season. Both need to catch up with his physical talent if he is going to realize his potential in the NFL.
The first step for the Bills was to get Walker healthy and ready for training camp. The diagnosis he received at the combine brought clarity, but he cared more about the recovery than how it impacted him on the field.
Doctors instructed Walker to strengthen his core, hips and glutes around the injury. They explained how to prevent it from happening again. And, as he showed throughout high school, Walker went to work.
“He’s a freak athlete,” said Marvin Rushing, who coaches at Cass Tech High School in Detroit, where Walker grew up. “Even at some points with us, he probably weighed 350-plus pounds, and the way he was able to move at that size just let you know he’s built different. ... He’s not sitting there looking for a handout. He’s not expecting anything. I know the best is yet to come.”
Walker’s growth
In the summer of 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cass Tech’s football players gathered on a video conference call. That is when Walker realized he looked much taller on camera than his teammates.
Walker decided to check his height and discovered that he’d grown 6 inches since his sophomore year ended that spring. His competition across Metro Detroit was about to learn what that meant on the football field and the basketball court.
Cass Tech used Walker as an offensive and defensive tackle. On the varsity basketball team, Walker’s movements were much smoother and efficient than you’d expect from someone his size. Students marveled over the way he snatched rebounds out of the air, then started fast breaks with a quick pass. College football coaches around the nation began to wage recruiting wars once they saw how much he’d grown.
“We moved him up and down the line on the defensive side of the ball, and he wreaked havoc,” Rushing said.
Walker never thought he was better than anyone. The attention didn’t seem to change his affable nature. He loved football, basketball, bowling, video games – anything to spend time with his friends. But he didn’t yet understand the impact that he could make. To illustrate this to Walker, Rushing used video clips of longtime NFL defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who’s 6-foot-8 and 300-plus pounds.
Deone Walker Kentucky Mississippi Football (copy)
Bills fourth-round draft pick Deone Walker totaled 132 tackles while starting 36 of his 37 games at Kentucky. Randy J. Williams, Associated Press
Walker trimmed weight and added muscle to prepare for college, then continued the process at Kentucky. During his top-30 visit to Orchard Park, Beane and McDermott cautioned Walker that if they were to pick him, the Bills strength staff would challenge him every day. Walker’s reply: “Cool, let’s get to work!”
Coaches in college football’s best conference learned in 2022 that when they played Kentucky, they had to account for a freshman defensive tackle on each play – but they still couldn’t contain him. The Florida Gators didn’t expect Walker to line up at nose tackle in the fourth quarter when they called a run play on third down with the Wildcats leading by seven points.
Walker tossed aside the center and dropped the running back in the backfield for a 1-yard loss. Florida punted and Kentucky kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive to seal an upset win over the No. 12-ranked Gators. His sophomore season in 2023 was filled with similar feats of strength.
“Deone Walker, to me – when you turn on the tape, he does things at his size that you’re not expecting someone at that size to be able to do,” Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said.
Looking ahead
Kentucky’s defensive linemen were ready for Stewart to begin a game-planning meeting for the position group last season when Walker wheeled in a stack of boxes.
Each one contained a new pair of shoes for his teammates. They knew Walker had secured free merchandise through an NIL deal he’d earned in previous seasons. No one expected this gesture, but no one was surprised, either.
And, last summer, at a football camp Walker held at Cass Tech in Detroit, he gifted each participant a new pair of cleats. He smiled while recalling a camp he’d attended years earlier that was organized by Cowboys defensive tackle Justin Rogers.
“Every time I think of it, I smile,” Walker said. “Why not help give that memory to somebody else? I love helping people.”
Bills running back Ray Davis saw leadership qualities in Walker during their season as teammates at Kentucky in 2023. Walker’s approach off the field was noticeable and uncommon for a sophomore. It was typical to see the big guy sitting next to a trainer or equipment manager in the cafeteria. He treated support staff the same as the starting quarterback.
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Walker plans to continue those acts of service in the NFL – but first, he must earn a job and role with the Bills. He made enough progress in recovering from the back injury to increase his practice reps to five per period during mandatory minicamp earlier this month. His workload will likely increase when training camp begins July 23 at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, and he doesn’t need to prepare to play 50 snaps per game as a rookie.
“I know he’s 6-6, 300-and-some pounds, (but) you’d think he’s 6-1 based on the way he moves,” edge rusher Greg Rousseau said.
The Bills have Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones atop the depth chart at defensive tackle, and they used a second-round draft pick on T.J. Sanders from South Carolina. Walker won’t have to line up at edge rusher or drop into coverage.
Ideally, the Bills can use a deep rotation to try to get to the quarterback and stop the run. They can be strategic about when and where to rotate Walker into the game, either at one-technique or three-technique. He’s a key piece in their plan to get bigger and better on defense.
“I’m very excited for him, but at the same time, I’m disappointed because (Walker’s) definitely a first-round talent,” said Stewart, his position coach at Kentucky. “We all know that. He has a lot to go out there and prove. ... He’s ready to show those 31 other teams what they missed out on.”
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