Jason Licht’s Fondness For Senior Bowl Practice Standouts Comes True Again
April 26th, 2025
Bucs fourth-round pick edge rusher David Walker.
Joe has been over this before. Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has some tells in his drafts.
Licht likes offensive linemen from the upper Midwest, especially small-school guys. Licht likes captains. And Licht very much likes guys that show up in Senior Bowl practices.
And the latter is what fourth-round pick David Walker did in January.
Walker was simply dominant on the FCS level (formerly Division I-AA), some 39 sacks and 82.5 (!) tackles for loss in eight years is just insane.
But since Walker did this on the purple and silver turf of Central Arkansas, there was always doubt if he could hang with the big(ger) boys.
“It showed I belonged,” Walker said of that Senior Bowl week during a Zoom call the Tampa Bay pen and mic club.
(Oh, and Licht also likes dudes with personalities. Walker sure seems to have one, at least he did in the Zoom call.)
Joe asked Walker how in the world he racked up 82.5 tackles for loss in four years. That’s just a wild number. He had to have camped out in opponents’ backfields.
Walker credited the attention to detail from his defensive coaches, specifically handwork and getting off the ball. Walker said his coaches stressed minute details and Walker said he plans to continue that work on his own time and with the Bucs.
Walker also said the Bucs have not yet discussed a role for him this fall.
“I will do anything,” Walker said.
Hopefully, that includes sacks.
David Walker out of Central Arkansas is a guy I really like with our 3rd round pick. Combination of speed and power with lot's of moves. pic.twitter.com/QhzroWMZ8g
— Bird Droppings (@BirdmanofAZ) March 19, 2025
April 26th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
Hopefully that includes sacks… great comment Joe!
April 26th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
Which is it, 82tackles in 8 years or 4?
April 26th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
Bob, supposed to be 4 years 😉
April 26th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
Well he is 25 so not 4.
April 26th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
Licht has a knack of finding these small college players who can excel at the NFL level: Mauch, Marpet, Zion M, Goedeke……. Hopefully Walker can make an impact!
April 26th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
I had no idea who he was until the Senior Bowl honestly, and then I was like *that Walker guy can play*. He looked like he belonged out there with guys from the Power Five schools, which says a lot coming from Central Arkansas. You could tell right away—his burst off the line, his hands, the way he just lived in the backfield—it wasn’t a fluke. 82.5 tackles for loss is absurd at any level, and it sounds like the Bucs did their homework on this one.
I love that he’s a detail guy too. You can have all the athleticism in the world, but the ones who care about the little things usually stick. Curious to see how Bowles uses him. You guys think he’ll carve out a real role early on or more of a rotational piece at first?
April 26th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
Well… dude is 25 so it’s been eight years since he graduated high school.
April 26th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
These two edge rushes have top of the class pass rush grades and real world production. I wonder why they went so late. I’m loving this draft. Defense should be immediately improved. Elijah is a bigger guy so he would play more on the line I think.
April 26th, 2025 at 5:05 pm
Brandon – means he’s ready to play. Also it would be 7 years, not 8.
Watching his tape and reading his scouting reports and what he did at the senior bowl, I really like the pick. Normally I don’t like taking edge guys at this point in the draft, but if you were going to, I like getting a guy with good physical traits (he’s short – don’t care), and very very good production. As someone pointed out, pass rushing skills translate no matter the level – you just have to have the physical skills, and he’s got that.
As an older guy, with a lot of snaps, he’s not going to be a typical rookie edge rusher, where you generally write-off their rookie years since you don’t expect them to do much. He might come in and play early – and if you get a guy like that in the 4th round, that’s a huge win. But he also might bust – if he was a sure thing he’d obviously go way before the 4th round. So we shall see, but I think the Bucs gave themselves a good shot on this one.
And to be clear, I’m not just being a rah-rah homer – I’m not a big fan of the 5th round pick Roberts, that one I think is a lot more of a longshot and a developmental prospect. But Walker, he might play early.
April 26th, 2025 at 5:20 pm
Dude looks like he will bust your ass.
Love guys that take it personal
Ima fan man.
April 26th, 2025 at 6:55 pm
For not being much of a draft content website you guys sure highlighted two of our draft picks before the draft. Nicely done Joe’s
April 26th, 2025 at 10:39 pm
JTS was pretty like Drake. Soft too.
David Walker looks TUFF!
I like short OLB who can duck under 6-6 offensive tackles.
And I’m happy he’s 25. He’s a grown man. JTS was 21. And a boy!
David Walker is a Man!
April 26th, 2025 at 11:34 pm
👏👏👏👏👏
April 27th, 2025 at 2:23 am
Todd is a happy man. The gou can get after the QB and stop the run. Can you say TFL? Wow!
Go Bucs!