Why Larry Foote Loved The Bucs Picking David Walker
May 14th, 2025
Smiling about David Walker.
Bucs outside linebackers coach Larry Foote couldn’t hold back his excitement.
Before the Bucs drafted Central Arkansas rookie wrecking machine David Walker in the fourth round, Foote was pounding the table for Walker. He thought Walker could be something special.
So when the Bucs turned in the virtual card with Walker’s number, Foote leaped to his fee and ran up to bear-hug general manager Jason Licht, hollering, “That’s how you win a Super Bowl!”
So yesterday when Foote spoke to the local pen and mic club, Joe asked him what he sees in Walker that made him react like that.
Foote confessed it goes back to his playing days when he won a pair of rings with the Steelers.
And yeah, Foote was a fourth-round pick, too.
“Well, I’m a little biased,” Foote began. “I’m a little biased because [Walker was a] fourth-round pick and my first Super Bowl in Pittsburgh, we were full of guys that were late-round picks, fourth round, fifth round, sixth round, even some free agents.
“So I just believe, you know, you do a good job those rounds, you know, [you] set yourself up to win the Super Bowl. And I was excited when we got that caliber [of a ] player at that pick.
“He’s just a dawg. He can rush the passer. He’s tough, loves football, and, you know, I know his height thing, I think that’s the reason why he slid. And I was glad that we was able to get him.”
Walker’s height was listed at 6-1 at the combine, but Foote is dubious. Foote thinks Walker is closer to 5-9.
“You guys might give him six-foot,” Foote joked. “I don’t.”
And even after just one day of underwear football in rookie minicamp, Foote said Walker didn’t do a thing to temper the excitement surrounding him. But Foote is level-headed about Walker. While he believes Walker can develop well, the road is just getting started.
“He still has to grow and learn,” Foote said. “Tristan Wirfs wasn’t out there this past week.”
DL David Walker is going to give the Krewe everything 🫡 pic.twitter.com/tLI2cI4vYr
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) April 26, 2025
May 14th, 2025 at 7:12 am
5’9”? I hope Foote’s messing with Walker!
May 14th, 2025 at 7:12 am
‘Walker’s height was listed at 6-1 at the combine, but Foote is dubious. Foote thinks Walker is closer to 5-9.’
Hopefully Foote was just kidding. 5’9″ on the DLine is a chihuahua.
May 14th, 2025 at 7:23 am
If you watch his highlights his lack of height lets him get under tackles pads. From there he does a great job with power, and leverage to lift them off their feet. It also makes it harder for tackles to get their hands in his chest. He uses his lack of height as an advantage.
May 14th, 2025 at 7:26 am
Best best squirrel dog I ever had was a chihuahua. Somebody needs to warn Tez!
May 14th, 2025 at 7:37 am
I think he should call Vea “Tiny”.
May 14th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Desmond Watson should I mean. Got my players mixed up.
May 14th, 2025 at 7:44 am
Foote says Walker is a “Dawg” and Licht in another Joe post called him a “Freak.’ Sounding really good this early on!
May 14th, 2025 at 8:01 am
Maybe it is recency bias — but I hear more from Bucs coaching on him — than I did last year with Chris Braswell.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:03 am
Idk if I’m crazy to say this but if 5’9 at 265ish is accurate, it might be really tough for 6’3+ tackles to get into him. I played on the line for nearly 10 years and it was something at every level was echoed by all my coaches in the trenches, low man wins. I’m hoping he is truly 6’1 cause idk if there is any precedent for a sub 6 footer being good at edge lol but maybe he will be a trailblazer for short edges. Well call it the chode era of pass rushing lol
May 14th, 2025 at 8:07 am
He’s probably close to 511 which puts him in Elvis dummerville territory. Not too bad if he can produce.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:13 am
You see him at the Senior Bowl during drills? At that weight? If he was 5’9″ he would have looked closer to Doug Martin trying to push up against those Olineman.
Pretty sure he’s at least 6 feet… which, let’s be grateful for that, the irony is we are relieved that he’s 6ft? There are not a ton of these 6ft OLB/DE making huge impacts on NFL rosters. He was drafted where he was at for a reason. Some of our fans confuse LB with ILB, and toss around names like Derrick Brooks, or Zac Thomas…smh… this guy is lining up as an outside to be a pass rusher, going against high paid, very large grown men. He’s got an uphill battle for sure to be an every down OLB/DE. Let’s hope he’s a younger version of Shaq, that would be a huge win for Licht and the Bucs.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:15 am
The tape on Walker is a lot more impressive than the tape on Braswell. Pretty easy to see why the coaches are hyped.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:24 am
I’d go with 6’1, the combine is known for being sticklers with all their 3/4 & 5/8 measurables.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:24 am
and 1/2 lbs.
May 14th, 2025 at 8:55 am
I’ll go back to what I’ve mentioned before.
If you watch some tape on him, David hits like a freight train.
Regardless of how tall he is, if he can take that from the college level to a pro level, he’s going to be a great addition to our defense.
May 14th, 2025 at 9:15 am
He’s our James Harrison. That’s why Foote loves him
May 14th, 2025 at 9:46 am
I thought the combine did actual measurements. Those numbers should be reliable. He’s not 5’9”… if you look at video, he doesn’t look ridiculously short for his position.
May 14th, 2025 at 10:12 am
I will repeat myself he is hands down the best pick up out of this draft for us the proof is in the pudding…
May 14th, 2025 at 10:35 am
He might only be 6’1″, but at 263 he is very, very stout. He looks very powerful.
May 14th, 2025 at 10:38 am
I won’t come out and call him our best pick yet, but I sure wouldn’t bet against it either. Most interesting for sure.
May 14th, 2025 at 10:50 am
As far as the James Harrison comparison…I sorta like it. Both seem fierce and relentless. Measurables? Harrison was 6′ even 243 lbs and had a 4.85 40. Walker ran a 4.69.
May 14th, 2025 at 11:54 am
Hodad, that’s the most intelligent thing I have read out here in years. You obviously have a basic understanding of physics.
May 14th, 2025 at 12:22 pm
Hahahaha! Joe can see those ornery little rat dogs treeing a squirrel.
May 14th, 2025 at 12:23 pm
Kinda what Joe was thinking.
May 14th, 2025 at 12:36 pm
too small to block, and hidden from QB/RBs eyes. love it
May 14th, 2025 at 1:16 pm
James Harrison is a great comparison but I’d like to mention another name since we’re talking “short” LB’s.
London Fletcher played in a different era but he got to rush the QB at times.
In fact he put up 39 sacks in his career to go along with the over 2,000 tackles and 19 forced fumbles, and 23 interceptions!
He was 5-10″. BUT he also was FAST! 40 yard dash time: 4.38 seconds
May 14th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
WTH 5’9 lmao that is hilarious 🤣