Following back-to-back cornerback picks on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bucs kept their run on defensive players going to start Day 3. With their fourth-round pick — No. 121 overall — they selected Central Arkansas edge rusher David Walker.

Walker, a 6-foot-1, 263-pounder, dominated FCS competition with 82.5 tackles for loss, 39 sacks and six forced fumbles over the past four years, with one at Southern Arkansas and three at Central Arkansas. He was a team captain in 2024 and left college as a three-time consensus All-American, the 2024 Buck Buchanan Award winner and a three-time conference defensive player of the year.

After his career wrapped up with the Bears, Walker went to the Senior Bowl in Mobile and proved that he belonged with the top college talent. He isn’t the fastest edge rusher (4.69), but he’s very sudden in his movements and has great pass rushing instincts. A crazy 33.8% of his tackles at Central Arkansas came in the backfield. He plays the run well, and has some violence to his game, which will serve him well at the next level.

The Bucs’ fourth-round pick is a bit of an older prospect, as he will be 25 years old as a rookie. He lacks the ideal length, but his tools and ability to turn speed to power should help him overcome any size concerns.

Walker always made sense as a potential Day 3 pick for Tampa Bay, as he met formally with the team at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. He was one of our Bucs Best Bets as well, and now he will be suiting up in red and pewter to begin his professional career.

David Walker Will Look To Help Bucs’ Pass Rush Reach Another Level

New Bucs OLB David Walker Photo by: USA Today

As much as Todd Bowles has spoken about wanting ballhawks this offseason, he has also been clear about the importance of being able to get pressure on the quarterback with a four-man pass rush. That’s not something the Bucs have done well over the last couple of years, and getting back to doing so will help the second and third levels of the defense immensely.

With the addition of David Walker to the outside linebacker room, there’s even more reason to be optimistic that the four-man pass rush will be more successful in 2025. Walker joins a room that includes third-year pro Yaya Diaby, as well as the newly signed Haason Reddick, a two-time Pro Bowler with a similar build to the rookie’s.

Walker will have a chance to compete for that No. 3 role, though he’ll face competition from 2024 second-round pick Chris Braswell — a player the team is still high on — and a steady veteran in Anthony Nelson. At the very least Walker raises the floor of the outside linebacker room and gives it some more juice.

Of course, not only does Walker help the pass rush, but he actually satisfies Bowles’ desire for more ballhawks as well. Over the last three seasons, he had six forced fumbles, as he showed a knack for not only getting to the quarterback but also jarring the ball loose. The Bucs saw how valuable that skill was when Shaq Barrett was wreaking havoc, especially during the 2019 season, and they’ve love to see Walker do that at a similar level in 2025 and beyond.

Walker becomes the second Central Arkansas draft pick in Buccaneer history, joining wide receiver Tyree Davis, who was selected in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL Draft.

Welcome to Tampa Bay, David Walker!