Another Bouquet For David Walker
July 16th, 2025
Rookie edge rusher David Walker.
Remember when a guy in the Buccaneers’ 2025 draft war room yelled, “That’s how you win a Super Bowl?”
Joe sure does. And it wasn’t a late-arriving Uber Eats driving angling with Team Glazer for a fat tip.
It was outside linebackers coach Larry Foote celebrating the drafting of fourth-round pick David Walker, the edge rusher out of Central Arkansas.
We’re still about 12 days from Walker wearing pads in an NFL practice for the first time, but another seasoned NFL man is very high on Walker, too. Joe’s referring to former Washington Redskins head coach and Tampa high school standout and Arena league Hall of Fame quarterback Jay Gruden, who spent seven years as a Bucs assistant coach under his brother Jon.
Now co-hosting the Clean Pocketpodcast, Jay Gruden gushed about the Bucs’ 2025 draft and how general manager Jason Licht is so good at finding high character players with talent.
After initially not liking the Bucs’ Emeka Egbuka pick in Round 1, Gruden admitted to changing his mind and realizing it was a wise move. Then he praised other Bucs picks but said Walker is his “key” pick of the Tampa Bay draft.
“The guy you gotta really look at is this David Walker cat. Have you seen that guy at the Senior Bowl?” Gruden said. “This guy is an explosive guy off the edge. … I think this is a great pass rusher. They needed another pass rusher, and I think this guy for a fourth-rounder is going to come in and make an immediate impact.”
Joe liked Jay Gruden’s comments, especially since he’s unlike his brother. Jay Gruden doesn’t love every player like Jon Gruden claims to, and he’s unafraid to say it.
As for Walker, Joe can’t pretend to know if the guy can play. But Joe does know Licht said second-year edge rusher Chris Braswell will “shock” fans this season, in a good way.