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Buffalo Bills' draft pick Deone Walker's highlights show he's a huge steal

The Buffalo Bills draft Kentucky Wildcat DT Deone Walker with the 109th pick in the NFL Draft. They may have gotten first-round value.

Brian Letscher

Sep 28, 2024; Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball as Kentucky Wildcats defensive linemen Deone Walker (0) pursues.
Sep 28, 2024; Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball as Kentucky Wildcats defensive linemen Deone Walker (0) pursues. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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The Buffalo Bills clearly are making a commitment to clogging the middle of their run defense and collapsing the pocket from the inside when opponents throw the ball.

After picking T.J Sanders in the Round 2 at the NFL Draft, he Bills double-dipped at DT, using the 109th pick to select the physically massive Deone Walker from Kentucky.

Walker stands at 6'7" and 331 pounds with 34.25-inch arms — the long arm of the pass rush. He kicked off his Kentucky career starting 12 games and making the All-SEC Freshman Team. His sophomore year, he started all 13 games and exploded, leading the team with 12.5 TFLs and 7.5 sacks.

RELATED: Buffalo's 2nd-rounder TJ Sanders fills very specific need in Bills defense

After 2023, Walker was a projected as 1st or 2nd round pick but apparently a back injury derailed his 2024 campaign, causing him to play more upright — not a desirable trait in a 6-foot-7 defensive tackle. If Walker is healthy and can regain his bend and pad leverage the Bills may have gotten a massive steal.

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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