David Walker Excitement = Rueben Bain Excitement
August 6th, 2026
Bucs GM Jason Licht was at it again.
It’s hard for Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht to contain himself when he talks about second-year edge rusher David Walker, the 26-year-old who has yet to take a snap in a professional game.
Joe enjoys Licht’s excitement, though it is borderline odd.
Walker blew his knee out 13 months ago and has returned with a vengence in training camp. Daily, he shows up positively. Joe can’t say Walker looks like a starter, but he sure doesn’t play like many sad edge rushers that have circulated through One Buc Palace.
Speaking on The Drive on WDAE radio today, Licht was asked about Walker after gushing about how rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain has been everything the Bucs sought and more.
Licht explained Bain has been a model of work ethic, dedication and aggression, a combination that’s made him the clear leader of the 2026 draft class. And Bain’s fellow rookies are following his example, Licht said.
Despite all the hype surrounding Bain, the Bucs’ first-round pick, Licht says Walker is moving the needle just as much at One Buc Palace.
“You know, I talked about Bain before, but I would say the [internal] level of excitement is on equal plane with David [Walker],” Licht said.
“I know that [Walker] was an ‘animal’ during rehab. That’s the word that kept coming up when talking to the trainers how things were going. ‘Freak,’ just ‘passionate, devoted,’ all those things. And he is one hell of an athlete. I know that he is more excited to be out here in pads than any of us were to see him in pads. So, knock on wood, we’re off to a great start right now with a combination [of our edge rushers].”
Joe is rooting for Walker, but Joe also is trying to be realistic.
Walker is undersized at a tick under 6-1, and he’s got to find snaps to take from Al-Quadin Muhammad, a free agent newcomer who had 11 sacks for Detroit last season. Bucs fans know how much Todd Bowles loves to use Anthony Nelson, and starter YaYa Diaby plays a huge percentage of snaps. Bain, of course, is sure to be a full-time player.
Barring injuries, Walker will have to make his mark in a hurry to crack the lineup.
Licht seems aware that he’s a Walker cheerleader. He joked that when he talks about Walker, he no longer can say, “but we haven’t seen him in pads.”
Licht said he’ll now have to say the Bucs haven’t seen Walker yet in a game.
Click through and shop now online at Bill Currie Ford, just north of Raymond James Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
August 6th, 2026 at 5:26 pm
It sure seems like with all the new additions on defense….we should be much better.
It may depend on how well our CBs perform. Certainly, we have a stronger line and set of LBs.
August 6th, 2026 at 5:32 pm
hopium is a he ll of a drug
August 6th, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Encouraging!
August 6th, 2026 at 6:15 pm
Hopium is a lot of fun for some of us fans. And the best part is it is perfectly legal.
Go Bucs!! :>)
August 6th, 2026 at 6:22 pm
AQM, Diaby, Bain, Nelson, Walker, CB. Could be a deep group this year.
August 6th, 2026 at 6:26 pm
I’m not getting excited for ANY edge rushers. Never again. You can thank Broderick Thomas, Keith McCants, Eric Curry, Noah Spence, JTS……and a kajillion other over-hyped non-pass rushers who strolled through One Buc Place.
August 6th, 2026 at 6:30 pm
Yeah WiilieG, def feel you. Waiting for the regular season to start before I hype any of them up. Leeroy Selmon, and then a bunch of crap after that as far as drafting edge rushers. We are cursed at drafting that position.
August 6th, 2026 at 6:32 pm
Brasswell. I keep saying this: no more David Walker talk until he actually plays a regular season game and gets an actual sack. Thanks!
August 6th, 2026 at 6:33 pm
Seeing is believing!! 😯
August 6th, 2026 at 6:39 pm
Say David Walker balls out, like 15 sacks. Can he win rookie of the year since he didn’t play last year?
Would he win comeback player of the year even though he never played before?
August 6th, 2026 at 6:40 pm
Hopefully he’ll give some quality rushes coming off the bench.
August 6th, 2026 at 6:42 pm
Shades of braswell hype shoukd be an interesting season
August 6th, 2026 at 6:46 pm
Seattle won the Super Bowl because of defensive line depth and fresh legs.
I really like our depth this year at OLB and MLB.
Walker is à cannonball.
I’m excited to see Bain step inside and David Walker rush next to him at OLB.
They look like clones of each other.
August 6th, 2026 at 7:10 pm
Can he play the run or is he going to be a 3rd down guy ?
Really rooting for the guy 👍🏼
August 6th, 2026 at 7:28 pm
A better pass rush attack = less dependence on CBs as routes have less time to develop
August 6th, 2026 at 7:37 pm
I’m rooting for Mo Kamara to take Braswells’ job, nothing against Braswell but I liked Kamara since his run at CSU.
I’d even argue, Kamaras’ college tape is > Braswells’ tape and the fact we spent a 2nd on one while claiming the other off waivers who went undrafted shows how wild the selection process is and why teams pour so much resources into it.
August 6th, 2026 at 7:38 pm
He looks very aged and tired. Yup discount this post but is anyone at Bucs plaza under 60? We want young Bucs players yet we have a staff and front office aged. Aged doesn’t always equal wisdom
August 6th, 2026 at 7:50 pm
Al-Quadin Muhammad
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Who’s that? I know I have not read his name in any practice reports.
August 6th, 2026 at 7:53 pm
How come no one is talking about the big Hall of Fame Game starting in a few minutes!?!
ITS FOOTBALL TIME!
Fun fact: The Hall of Fame Game will easily beat the average NBA Playoff game in numbers, probably by a couple of million when you consider the new inflated Nelson ratings numbers.
A throwaway NFL game without a single NFL starter playing will do better than the NBA playoffs. Also, it should beat the average MLB playoff game as well. That’s how huge the NFL is compared to all other sports. Also, sadly, it will destroy the NHL playoffs – I hate to write that since the NHL – unlike the stupid modern NBA and boring dying baseball – deserves much higher ratings, but it is what it is.
August 6th, 2026 at 7:54 pm
Can’t wait for Walker to absolutely ball out and watch the naysayers, including Joey, to eat their words on why JL was so excited about him.
Wait for it…
Walker gets 8 sacks this year and has at least 2 strip sack fumbles.
Saying Walker is “undersized” goes to show how little some folks (who actually do this for a living) know about football.
Walker is 6’2″ 260lbs. Pretty decent size of a 3-4 outside LBer.
August 6th, 2026 at 7:58 pm
Oh..and Walker is the same size as Bain. Saw them chatting at practice and they look identical size wise.
August 6th, 2026 at 8:10 pm
I love the negative nancies who, when a player does well, comes back with it’s just practice (underwear football). But then jump on any opportunity to knock a player who has a bad practice. Pure comedy.
Btw, that Walker guy JL is so excited about, had 2 more sacks today. Thats 7 practices in a row with sack. Today he also had a strip sack and fumble recovery.
OK, chime in with all the “it’s just practice”, “Wirfs isnt practicing”, “he has proven nothing”…blah blah. All true, but let’s just enjoy the fact the Buvs have 3 young exciting edge rushers and another guy who had double digit sacks last year.
August 6th, 2026 at 8:12 pm
Fanofdabucs Says:
Walker is 6’2″ 260lbs. Pretty decent size of a 3-4 outside LBer.
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Going into last year I really liked Walker, I liked how pro-ready he looked on tape, and the fact he had a monster week at the Senior Bowl where he showed he has the physical ability to play in the NFL.
However Joe was actually being a bit generous on his height.
Here’s his combine numbers:
6’0 7/8″, 264 pounds.
With that said, for an edge rusher, I really don’t care too much about height, and 6′ 1″ isn’t a height where I’d get concerned that he’s too short.
But we shall see – it would be a huge win for the Bucs if Walker, who as I said already looked pro-ready last year, is able to step in and perform right away. Additionally, if Braswell also has leveled up, double wow.
As for Muhammad and his 11-sacks – I went through earlier this offseason, and watched all 11 of his sacks, and I’m not bashing the guy or anything, however I wasn’t impressed. I think 3 of them were sacks where I thought he looked good and made a play. All the rest were plays like where things like coverage sacks – but not normal coverage sacks – but where the QB held the ball forever, then started to run, and would literally run directly into him. If my memory is correct, I saw that happen more than once. They were incredibly lucky sacks. But, as they say, I’d rather be lucky than good, and if he can magically keep that up, then great. But if Walker and Braswell both have good camps, it wouldn’t shock me if Muhammad ended up getting cut as the Bucs only gave him $2.5M guaranteed. Not saying it will happen, and I think Al-Quadin is a decent depth guy, but if they’re short of roster spots, it wouldn’t shock me if the Bucs made the cut to save on salary as his deal would be fully guaranteed, I believe, if he’s on the week 1 roster.
August 6th, 2026 at 8:40 pm
The David Walker excitement is more about hope than real expectation.
Walker is 26 years old, played his senior season in college against guys who were 5-7 years younger and has never played against competition that comes close to what he’ll see in the NFL. He’s got the same sort of physical profile as Bain but without the experience and track record of success against bigger dudes.
His pass rush win rates in college were great, but considering how *stacked* the deck was in his favor I’m not buying any of the hype until he hits at least 6 sacks this season.
August 6th, 2026 at 8:40 pm
“Walker is undersized at a tick under 6-1, and he’s got to find snaps to take from Al-Quadin Muhammad, a free agent newcomer who had 11 sacks for Detroit last season.“
Eh, about the size of Shaq Barrett give or take a few pounds, but what’s even better to hear about Walker is the different ways he’s capable of winning and hearing that what he’s put on tape in school is kind of translating after a year off.
Still early, but if Walker can stay healthy and keep with this trend into joint practices and some of these preseason games. Bowles will find ways of getting more than 2 OLBs on the field whether it be a 4/5 man front. If we can work Nelly into the mix in that way all these years, we can 100% get guys like AQM/Walker to share the front w/Yaya & Bain. I’m actually counting on it tbh
August 6th, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
what’s even better to hear about Walker is the different ways he’s capable of winning and hearing that what he’s put on tape in school is kind of translating after a year off.
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Take that tape with a grain of salt. He was a 24 years old as a senior playing a lot of those reps against kids who were 18-19 and at a lower level of competition. Even a guy not good enough for the NFL should dominate in that scenario.
August 6th, 2026 at 9:09 pm
“Take that tape with a grain of salt. He was a 24 years old as a senior playing a lot of those reps against kids who were 18-19 and at a lower level of competition. Even a guy not good enough for the NFL should dominate in that scenario”
Yes, because when I watch tape the priority is to key on the age difference of players and not studying the player in question. Walker has been winning consistently since camp has started, has been off a yearX and is splashing in his first official padded practices as a pro. That’s talent translating, Í don’t need him to literally check 1 box to feel “we might have something here”. Some random, arbitrary number you feel “good” about to feel like Walker is any good.
That’s a you thing fella, and in the words of Hulk Hogan
That doesn’t work for me, brother
August 6th, 2026 at 9:12 pm
They’re showing vastly overrated Luke Kuechly on TV during the game, wow does he look different now that he’s off the steroids. Looks like a nerd.
August 6th, 2026 at 9:19 pm
LouisFriend Says:
Take that tape with a grain of salt. He was a 24 years old as a senior playing a lot of those reps against kids who were 18-19 and at a lower level of competition. Even a guy not good enough for the NFL should dominate in that scenario.
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True, and that’s why his performance during the Senior Bowl week was such a big deal, since he showed he has the ability to do it against the best of the best as well. It’s not like the Bucs aren’t aware he was playing against DII guys, and didn’t factor that in. If he played that well vs DI guys he’d have been a top of the 1st round selection. Risking a 4th round pick on a guy like that, who is a bit of a wildcard, but how already has a fully developed skill set, and short of injury, should have been able to play early – that’s someone worth betting on.
Still, he may turn out to be nothing, but there’s a reason people are hopeful – and in large part because it’s not the traditional Licht developmental EDGE pick where you need to wait for years to see if he works out or not. If he stays healthy, I think the Bucs will know this year if Walker is going to be someone or not.
August 6th, 2026 at 9:26 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
August 6th, 2026 at 9:09 pm
Yes, because when I watch tape the priority is to key on the age difference of players and not studying the player in question. Walker has been winning consistently since camp has started, has been off a yearX and is splashing in his first official padded practices as a pro.
That’s a you thing fella, and in the words of Hulk Hogan
That doesn’t work for me, brother
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We’ll both find out soon enough whether it has relevance. I’m pulling for the guy. But I’ve seen enough players come through in similar circumstances who were at their pinnacle in their first camp, and it was flat line or downhill after.
If/when he gets to a point where he’s on the field for 40% of the snaps as a rookie with somewhere around a 13%-15% pass rush win rate – that’s where I think it’s safe to say the Bucs have got something.
August 6th, 2026 at 9:49 pm
Rod Munch Says:
Still, he may turn out to be nothing, but there’s a reason people are hopeful – and in large part because it’s not the traditional Licht developmental EDGE pick where you need to wait for years to see if he works out or not. If he stays healthy, I think the Bucs will know this year if Walker is going to be someone or not.
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Couldn’t agree more.
This is the 13th season of Licht attempting to draft a pass rusher. I compiled a list last year of 20+ draft picks who the Bucs have failed with, and it’s makes you go “woah!” every time any subsequent player gets hyped by the Bucs for having EDGE ability, pass rush skills etc.
It further makes me pause when recalling that Devin White had the most sacks (9) in any of those seasons by a Bucs draft pick.
At this point in my life I’d love to see Jason Licht’s praise made manifest on the field when talking about a pass rusher. With all due respect to Yaya, we have to hope for better than ‘promising’ when it comes to the Bucs’ draft picks.
August 6th, 2026 at 10:06 pm
@Rod
I’m watching the game. It’s been entertaining until they break for an interview. Highlight for me was Carson Beck. He played well against the backups and practice squads but his throws were nice. I’d be happy if he was our back up.
August 6th, 2026 at 10:29 pm
Paratrooper Buc Says:
August 6th, 2026 at 10:06 pm
@Rod
I’m watching the game. It’s been entertaining until they break for an interview. Highlight for me was Carson Beck. He played well against the backups and practice squads but his throws were nice. I’d be happy if he was our back up.
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Yeah, the interviews and just talking over the plays is incredibly annoying. No idea why people think it’s a draw. It’s like the Bucs preseason game, they’ll go from the action to talk to someone on the sideline, over the plays, where they say exactly ZERO things that are interesting since it’s always generic, media safe nonsense.
As for Beck, I’m not as impressed – those low velocity passes vs starters are going to be a ton of incompletions and INTs. It’s great vs future Wendy’s employees, but I’ve never seen guys who pass like this succeed vs real NFL’ers. Not rooting against him or anything, but I was wanting to see him throwing harder since I read he had made some adjustments and was throwing with more zip. I don’t see it. BUT, with that said, by Hall of Fame Game standards, this is like watching Arena Football with all the big plays and high scoring action, it’s been pretty fun.
August 6th, 2026 at 10:43 pm
David Walker has had a year to contemplate how bad he wants it.
The result is what he’s showing out in camp right now.
Can’t wait for that trip to Cinci!
August 6th, 2026 at 10:43 pm
Agreed. The speed of the game against starters is far faster than against backup, practice guys and the soon to be unemployed. I just liked he could SEE the field at 6’5. I think he has potential with the right development.
August 6th, 2026 at 10:48 pm
Joe: Psyched about the young additions to the D. It’s been crickets regarding Keionte. Has his status been reduced to “development project”?
August 6th, 2026 at 11:37 pm
Most of us believed we needed at least 4 to 5 new starters end of the 2025 season, between draft (at least 2 starters) and free agency hopefully we got the upgrade. Hopium been there for the longest time. Sometimes it is real thing. I remember watching SAPP drop down to 12 and jumping up and down. Lets enjoy the hope, it is much better than nagging that we dont have one.
August 7th, 2026 at 12:23 am
Without Vea commanding a double team, our dline in general will be less effective and everybody’s jobs will be harder.
Bucs need to play hardball with Vea and refuse to trade him.
I’m sure Vea will end up playing rather than losing $18Mil.
August 7th, 2026 at 2:56 am
Even if Walker doesn’t get a starting spot, some competition and just the awareness there is someone capable of playing a role waiting in the wings, should ensure there is no loafing by the immediate starters
August 7th, 2026 at 6:10 am
I never seen a Joe get all over a player .. wtf. The dude had an injury his first year and is looking great this year from your reports . The very least we have depth and some good rotational guys. Try and take a positive look every know and then . It will do you some good in the long run. The other Joe has no problem with it..
August 8th, 2026 at 8:34 am
From a money point of View the Bucs would love for Walker to be great. Yaya will want a 25 mil contract at the end of the season and if Walker can be number 2 they can let Yaya test the free agency market.