Second-year Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher David Walker has gone from a fun story to a player who is starting to have serious expectations cast upon him. Walker has six sacks in the last seven practices and has caught the eyes and attention of the coaching staff and front office. General Manager Jason Licht had big things to say about Walker, and even said that he can compare him to the team’s rookie 15th overall pick, Rueben Bain.
Licht said the excitement level for the two is ‘on even plane’.
Licht did not confirm how he compared the excitement levels, and if that meant he thought that Bain and Walker would produce similarly in 2026. Still, for the fourth-round player to be in the same sentence as the top 15 is a notable takeaway after a few practices.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Are Getting Massive Production From David Walker at Training Camp
Walker was a fourth-round pick from Central Arkansas. He fell in the draft because he is a bit undersized, but head coach Todd Bowles said that he has been using that to his advantage.
However, as Bowles also noted, the team did not even get to see him in pads during his rookie year. He tore his ACL in training camp before the team even got into the padded portion of practice. So, while this is his second NFL season, this is the first time the team is seeing his speed in person with the pads on.
That is why the Bucs front office is so excited about what is happening. They had high expectations for Walker last year, but with his ACL injury, they had to temper everything. For him to show improvement after that is just as impressive as Bain, who they expected to hit the ground running and be a threat.
Still, because Bain is one of the most well-known rookies entering the NFL, this is a lofty comparison, even if neither has set foot on an NFL field.
David Walker Gives Bucs Improved Edge Rusher Depth
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher David Walker.
The Bucs’ defensive front should be significantly better than last year, when Diaby led the way. Anthony Nelson was the second-best edge rusher of the group, but now is slated to be the fifth.
Bain should be an instant starter and instant upgrade. For as excited as they are about Walker, Bain has better physical tools. The team also signed Al-Quadin Muhammad from the Detroit Lions. Muhammad is coming off of a career-high 11-sack season. He is not expected to repeat that, especially as a rotational player behind Bain and Diaby.
Still, he is a trusted rotational threat. This speaks to how much deeper they are. With those three at the top, they do not need much from Walker. They can utilize his best traits and not worry about his lack of size and length. If he can consistently win with speed, he can complete a four-man rotation that is much improved.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Buccaneers GM Makes Lofty Comparison for Rising Fourth-Rounder appeared first on HEAVY.