Walker dominated college, but an ACL tear sidelined his rookie year. Can he still make an NFL impact after a lost season?
Of the six players the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected in the 2025 draft, five had something in common: They came from a Power Four school.
First-round pick Emeka Egbuka helped Ohio State to a national championship in his last college season.
Second-round pick Benjamin Morrison was on the Notre Dame team that Ohio State beat to win that title.
Third-rounder Jacob Parrish starred in the Big 12 at Kansas State, and fifth-rounder Elijah Roberts (SMU) and seventh-rounder Tez Johnson (Oregon) each helped their teams to the College Football Playoff in 2024.
Then, there's David Walker from Central Arkansas.
Bucs Roundtable will take a look at where each 2025 Bucs draft pick stands after their rookie season, starting with their seventh-round pick and working down.
HOW WALKER CAUGHT THE BUCS' EYE
Only 12 players in NFL history have been selected from Central Arkansas, and at pick No. 121, Walker is the highest draftee. For any FCS player to impress an NFL team, they must put up killer numbers, and that's what Walker did. He was a three-time All-American, ending his college career with a school record 39 sacks (in just three seasons) and 82.5 tackles for loss.
Walker had a chance to prove himself against Power Four competition at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and he didn't miss that chance, with analysts considering him one of the biggest risers of the event.
Walker played on the edge in college and was going to play outside linebacker with the Bucs.
And then ...
THE INJURY
Walker's rookie season never happened. In late July, he tore his ACL, costing him all of 2025. It's hard to say how Walker might have impacted the Bucs, but considering the team finished 20th in scoring defense and didn't have much pass-rushing depth behind YaYa Diaby, he may have made a difference.
Multiple national analysts, such as ESPN's Louis Riddick, felt that Walker was one of the most underappreciated players of the draft. His combination of speed (4.69 40-yard dash at the NFL combine) and strength led to his college production and could translate to the NFL level.
But Walker's injury puts him behind the eight ball. Not only has he had to physically recover from a torn ACL, but he lost a full year of development, and that's not something that's easy to make up. With the Bucs looking to reinforce their pass rush, Walker will have to beat out competition for a role in 2026.
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