Bills Rookie Standout Named Early Breakout Candidate for 2026 Season

The Buffalo Bills found a stud on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL draft, and he could be even better next season.

Buffalo Bills LB Shaq Thompson and DT Deone Walker react to a tackle during first-half action at Highmark Stadium. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane was focused on fixing the defense during the 2025 NFL draft, selecting defenders with their first five selections.

Their first pick, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, performed well, but he wasn't their top rookie. Instead, that distinction belongs to his former Kentucky teammate Deone Walker, the massive defensive tackle who was selected in Round 4.

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Walker quickly developed into a full-time starter and recorded 39 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four pass deflections, and one sack. His performance was so impressive that PFF's Dalton Wasserman selected him as the Bills' early 2026 breakout candidate.

"Walker was a fourth-round pick who always had the potential to outperform his draft slot. He did so immediately, playing 549 snaps this season and placing second among Buffalo’s defensive linemen with a 78.3 PFF pass-rush grade," Wasserman wrote.

"Walker tallied 20 pressures, two sacks, five batted passes and even an interception in the team’s playoff game against the Broncos. His development will be a major storyline in 2026 as the Bills try to improve their defense for a Super Bowl run."

Deone Walker could be a building block for Bills' defense

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker applies pressure on Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Walker was on his way to becoming a first-round pick following a huge 2023 campaign with the Wildcats. That year, the 6-foot-6, 345-pound Walker had 55 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks.

His numbers dropped in 2024, due to Walker playing through a stress fracture in his back. Buffalo rolled the dice at No. 109 overall, and they were rewarded with a stellar rookie campaign.

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Now looking ahead, the Bills could lean heavily on Walker as a building block for their defensive line. With Walker and Ed Oliver in the middle, Buffalo has a highly disruptive interior that will make life miserable for opposing offensive lines.

Should Buffalo find another quality edge to line up opposite Greg Rousseau, they could be dangerous up front for years to come.

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