*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Teams Had Day-Two Grades on DeMarcus Walker
Updated June 27, 2016By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
Florida State’s DeMarcus Walker was one of the breakout pass-rushers in college football in 2015. He had 10.5 sacks with 15.5 tackles for a loss, five passes batted and 58 tackles on the season. Many expected the junior defensive end to skip his senior year and enter the 2016 NFL Draft. In the passing-driven NFL, edge rushers who can get after the quarterback are always in demand, so Walker had early-round potential. While some were projecting Walker to be a first-round pick, however, league sources were giving Walker second-day grades.
The 6-foot-3, 281-pound Walker is a bit short on length to be a 4-3 defensive end in the NFL. His body type also isn’t a great fit to be a 3-4 outside linebacker or defensive end. A similar body type in Florida defensive end/tackle Jonathan Bullard helped push him down to the third round in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Walker decided to return for his senior year, and that could turn out to be a wise decision. If he continues to play on the same level, he won’t be labeled a one-year wonder player. If he builds on his junior season, that could cause his grade to be elevated for the 2017 NFL Draft. Some sources felt he would have been a late second- or early third-round pick had he entered the draft, so perhaps his stock will rise as a senior.
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