One Buccaneers Player Who Missed Last Season Has Jason Licht Fired Up

We've been hearing his name all training camp, and the Buccaneers' general manager is loving it.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buccaneers 2025 fourth-round pick David Walker has been very impressive throughout training camp to this point. Walker has been able to make a great number of plays in practice, having plenty of would-be sacks against backups and starters alike.

One person who is very excited to see what Walker can do this 2026 season is general manager Jason Licht. According to Jason Licht, when speaking to WDAE, the excitement for Walker is "on an even plane" with that of rookie Rueben Bain Jr.

Now that is a pretty bold comparison for Licht to make, as Bain was the fifteenth overall pick in the most recent NFL Draft and Walker was a fourth-round selection last year. However, both players have looked very impressive in training camp so far and should be a very bright spot in a hopefully new and improved pass rush for the Bucs' defense this season.

Aug 6, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles talks to media after training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Licht is not the only person in the Buccaneers organization to give praise to Walker. Speaking to the media on August sixth after practice, here is what head coach Todd Bowles had to say about what he's been impressed with regarding Walker.

"Just his energy and his athleticism [have] showed up," Bowles said. "We didn't get to see him in pads last year, but to see him out there and the way he moves. He moves like an inside [linebacker], but he plays outside [linebacker] and he [has] great power. To see him out there playing fast and not worried about his knee is great."

Aug 6, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad (97) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another player who had a very good impression of Walker was veteran pass rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad.

"He has a motor. The good ones, as far as [defensive] linemen and pass rushers, and all that good stuff, they play with a motor, and he plays with a motor. For his size, he knows who he is and the things that he [does], he [does] well. He's been having a [great] camp, so it's impressive."

Time will tell how much of an impact Walker will have this upcoming season. He's still competing for reps with a lot of players, including Muhammad, Bain Jr, and other veterans like Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson and even Chris Braswell if he does make the final roster. However, the organization certainly has a lot of high hopes for the young second-year player.

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