Deone Walker is making an impact sooner than the Bills expected. What's next?
Buffalo Bills rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker played 34 snaps against the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago and 36 snaps against the Patriots. The latter was the first time he played more than 50% of the Bills' defensive snaps in a game.
The first time two offensive linemen blocked him at the same time in an NFL game, Deone Walker tried to take the easy way out.
What does that look like for a 6-foot-7, 331-pound defensive tackle?
“Try to run around it,” Walker said, cackling at his stall in the Buffalo Bills’ locker room. “Man, I got chewed out after that one.”
It wasn’t just one coach scolding Walker, either. Bills coach Sean McDermott, defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, defensive line coach Marcus West and senior defensive assistant Ryan Nielsen were quick to remind their fourth-round draft pick that he can’t try to avoid a double team. Freelancing in the NFL is unacceptable and nearly impossible.
Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker, left, works against Patriots offensive tackle Morgan Moses on Oct. 5 at Highmark Stadium.
Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Use the technique of the Bills’ defense, they reminded him, and play within the scheme. Walker could overpower most linemen he faced during his three seasons at the University of Kentucky. He was too quick and too powerful for two linemen to get their hands on him at the same time.
Everyone is quick and powerful in the NFL, though, and he learned the hard way in their season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens that even someone as big as he is can look silly if they don’t listen to a coach’s instructions.
The staff has seen during practices and games how impactful Walker can be if his pad level stays low and he follows the technique while using the same nimble footwork that has led teammates to call him a “dancing bear.” The Bills just need to see that more often in games, especially during plays when opponents use two linemen to block Walker.
A light-bulb moment came in the first quarter of the Bills’ 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots last week. Patriots left guard Jared Wilson drove both of his hands into Walker’s shoulder pads as soon as the ball was snapped, then center Garrett Bradbury got two hands on his left shoulder.
One month earlier, Walker might have tried to run around the block, as he would’ve done at Kentucky. This time, though, he fought his way through Wilson and tackled Antonio Gibson for no gain on second-and-3. Two plays later, New England punted.
“I don’t know if surprised (is the right word), because you knew it was in there,” Babich said of Walker’s early impact. “It was a matter of how fast it was going to come. ... Certainly, we’re not as consistent as we need to be, but we’re getting more consistent. I think the thing that sticks out to me is the importance of not wanting to let your teammates down and how important his job is on each play.
”There was a play where I was like, ‘OK, this guy is starting to assert himself.’ ”
Walker’s role could have been minimal this season. The Bills drafted another defensive tackle, T.J. Sanders, in the second round, and they signed free agent Larry Ogunjobi in March. They rotate several linemen each game, but Walker was coming off an injury-plagued season that cast doubt in scouts’ eyes that he would be physically ready to meet the demands of the NFL.
His back injury was so problematic that he sat out many practices at Kentucky last fall, and Bills staffers told general manager Brandon Beane that Walker shouldn’t have been on the field during Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Ala. His talent tantalized, though. He was so impressive as a sophomore that he was viewed as a future first-round draft pick.
Beane and McDermott told Walker on his pre-draft visit that if the Bills picked him, he’d better be ready to work immediately. After they selected him in the fourth round, the team’s strength staff created a plan to get Walker through the injury and strong enough to make an impact as a rookie.
”If you name a lower-body workout, I’m sure I’ve done it since I’ve gotten here,” Walker said. “I put in a lot of work to feel like I do now. And feeling like I do now, it gives me the confidence to play the way I know I can.”
There was an emphasis on strengthening Walker’s core and lower back. Those exercises continued once the regular season began and, like most rookies, Walker is in the weight room almost every day. He played just 13 snaps in that Week 1 game against the Ravens, in part because of the way he played that double-team.
The Bills need him to occupy or beat those blockers, rather than lose containment and allow a hole to open in the middle of their defense.
As Walker earned more trust with the coaching staff, he began to play more snaps. Ed Oliver’s injury is one reason the rookie got an unexpected opportunity. Oliver has missed the past four games with an ankle injury. Sanders couldn’t play last week against the Patriots, either, and he has been limited at practice this week with a knee injury.
Walker played 34 snaps against the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago and 36 snaps against the Patriots. The latter was the first time he played more than 50% of the Bills’ defensive snaps in a game. There have been encouraging moments. Walker used a swim move to get past Dolphins center Daniel Brunskill and tip a pass from Tua Tagovailoa, allowing Terrel Bernard to intercept the ball to seal Buffalo’s win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 3.
Walker was a menace against the Saints in Week 4, overpowering Trevor Penning while the guard pulled to tackle Alvin Kamara. Walker also used a stutter-step and swim move to get to Kamara again later in the game.
But the mistakes are on Walker’s mind more than the positive plays. He wants to eliminate the errors and earn more snaps.
”I’m proud of myself for the work that I’ve put in to make those plays,” Walker said. “But I’ve made some bad ones, too. I’ve got to learn from those. I’m going to keep working to earn the respect of my teammates and coaches. I don’t want to let them down.”
Through five games, Walker has 10 tackles, including three for loss, and he has played 43.4% of the defensive snaps. He’ll be on the field less often Monday night in Atlanta if Oliver returns for the Bills (4-1), but Walker has earned a role. His eight run-stops are tied for second-most on the team, according to Next Gen Stats.
The best part of Walker’s emergence may be the fact that there is room for him to improve. He can’t lose contain against quarterbacks the way that he has, at times. The freelancing can’t happen anymore. But if Walker follows the coaches’ instructions and stays healthy, he can be a formidable presence in the middle of Buffalo’s defense.