Not only did the Las Vegas Raiders sign Walker on Monday, the first day of the legal tampering period, but they also paired him with Nakobe Dean. Dean should be expected to play the Will position for the Raiders while Walker plays the Mike spot.
Last year, some below-average linebackers ended up making $15 million per year, which is why the thought for agents representing young linebackers this year was that $15 million per year is the starting point. So far, that hasn’t really manifested. Dean signed a three-year, $36 million deal, averaging out to $13 million per year. Devin Bush, who signed with the Chicago Bears, signed a three-year, $30 million contract, coming out to $10 million per year.
Walker ended up at $40.5 million over three years, a $13.3 million per year average. Based on last year’s rate, this means that the Packers will be awarded a fifth-round compensatory draft pick for Walker (in 2027) if they don’t offset this loss with an addition of their own.
Green Bay has already made up for the lost body in 2026 by adding former Indianapolis Colt Zaire Franklin, who was traded for earlier this week. Franklin comes in at a $7 million cap charge this year and has no guarantees remaining on his contract.
Walker was picked 22nd overall in the 2022 draft by the Packers out of Georgia. He started 57 games for the team in his rookie contract.