Kentucky’s Deone Walker has gotten plenty of recognition so far this preseason. The defensive tackle is coming off of a terrific 2023 season, and has garnered plenty of accolades already.
Walker recorded 55 tackles last year, including 12.5 for a loss. He added 7.5 sacks, despite being 6’6″ and 345 lbs.
Heading into this season, Walker has already made the preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, the Nagurski Award, and the Outland Trophy. He was also named a preseason All-American by ESPN and The Athletic.
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Now, another outlet has posted some love for the Kentucky defensive tackle. Pro Football Focus recently released their top 50 players for the 2024 season, and Walker made the list, coming in at number 11. They had plenty of interesting things to say.
Walker is an alien sent to Earth to terrorize SEC backfields. He’s 6-foot-6 and 348 pounds and revealed in a recent PFF interview that he aims to run in the “high 4.6s” in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. For reference, the record for an interior defensive lineman is 4.67 seconds by Calijah Kancey, who is nearly 70 pounds lighter than Walker.
Most defensive tackles of Walker’s size are limited to being run-stuffers. While he earned an 81.7 PFF run-defense grade last year, Walker is also an incredibly productive pass-rusher. His 51 pressures in 2023 were the most by any interior defensive lineman in college football, while his eight sacks led the Power Five.
Big things are expected out of Walker for 2024, and he could become a very high draft pick if he plays well. Fans should be excited, and PFF thinks he’s going to be a star.