{"id":154976,"date":"2025-06-24T14:34:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T14:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/154976\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T14:34:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T14:34:10","slug":"special-bills-rookie-thankful-for-buffalo-they-believe-in-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/154976\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Special’ Bills Rookie Thankful For Buffalo: ‘They Believe in Me’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker was viewed as a potential first-round prospect<\/a> after a dominant 2023 season at the University of Kentucky. A back injury caused his performance to drop off considerably during his final college campaign with the Wildcats, though.<\/p>\n

The Bills still saw enough from the mammoth 6\u20197\u201d, 331-pound interior lineman to select him in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Now the three-time Second Team All-SEC selection is aiming to pay Buffalo back for their faith in his ability to bounce back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just got to trust that I\u2019m going to get better every day,\u201d Walker told Lance Lysowski<\/a> of the Buffalo News. \u201cI\u2019ve got to trust that I\u2019m going to get back to, or be even better than, how I played in my 2023 season. They really took a chance on me here. They believe in me, and I\u2019m going to show them what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Detroit native faces a crowded depth chart<\/a> in Buffalo. That said, his upside can match anybody on the Bills defense if his back problems are firmly in the rear-view mirror.<\/p>\n

\"DeoneFeb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky defensive lineman Deone Walker (DL38) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
\nBills\u2019 Deone Walker Could Emerge as 2025 NFL Draft Steal
\nFormer Coaches Praise Walker<\/p>\n

Kentucky defensive line coach Anwar Stewart confirmed the defensive tackle opted to play through the lingering injury despite the negative impact it had on his draft stock.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2023, he was definitely the best defensive player in the entire country,\u201d Stewart told Lysowski. \u201cHe fought through that back injury because he didn\u2019t want to let his team down. It showed his resilience and toughness. Did it hurt him? Now, looking back, yes, but he wanted to play with his boys and win. \u2026 He\u2019s special, and when this kid is healthy and he\u2019s 100 percent, he\u2019s a handful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wildcats assistant added Walker is motivated to prove doubters wrong: \u201cHe\u2019s ready to show those 31 other teams what they missed out on.\u201d<\/p>\n

“He was viewed as a top-10 guy”<\/p>\n

\u27a1\ufe0fNFL Films’ @gregcosell<\/a> on #Bills<\/a> DT Deone Walker and his “rare size and athleticism”#BillsMafia<\/a> #NFLDraft2025<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/gimQQ7WrjI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 One Bills Live (@OneBillsLive) April 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Marvin Rushing, the head coach at Detroit\u2019s Cass Tech High School where Walker emerged as a 4-star college recruit<\/a>, is also bullish on the lineman\u2019s NFL future.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a freak athlete,\u201d Rushing told Lysowski. \u201cEven at some points with us, he probably weighed 350-plus pounds, and the way he was able to move at that size just let you know he\u2019s built different. \u2026 He\u2019s not sitting there looking for a handout. He\u2019s not expecting anything. I know the best is yet to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where Walker Fits on Bills\u2019 Depth Chart<\/p>\n

Buffalo has five defensive tackles who\u2019ll fight for playing time to open the season. It\u2019s a group that also includes Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, DeWayne Carter and Walker\u2019s fellow rookie, T.J. Sanders<\/a>. The number will increase to six once veteran free-agent signing Larry Ogunjobi returns. He\u2019ll serve a six-game suspension<\/a> to open the campaign.<\/p>\n

Oliver is locked into a starting role. Beyond that, however, there are a lot of snaps up for grabs based on how training camp and the preseason play out. Jones\u2019 struggles last season could even make him an under-the-radar cut candidate. That would create plenty of opportunity.<\/p>\n

#Bills<\/a> DC Bobby Babich on rookie DT Deone Walker<\/p>\n

“He does things at his size that you’re not expecting someone at that size to be able to do” pic.twitter.com\/KSE2WXnPve<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Carl Jones (@Jones11_) June 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Walker is the perfect complement to the smaller, more agile Oliver on paper. His space-eating size and ability to take on double teams was impressive in 2023. That\u2019s exactly what the Bills have been searching for in recent years. They\u2019ve so far been unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

Although the fit is promising, Buffalo rarely leans heavily on rookies. General manager Brandon Beane<\/a> and head coach Sean McDermott<\/a> prefer to slowly work in first-year players. It would take some truly special play from Walker to buck that longtime trend.<\/p>\n

What Are Fair Rookie-Year Expectations?<\/p>\n

While the Bills are hoping Walker eventually develops into a key defensive piece, the short-term predictions should remain modest. Buffalo is in championship-or-bust mode, so it\u2019s going to lean heavily on veterans to carry the load.<\/p>\n

That said, the former UK standout should still carve out a weekly role. He\u2019ll likely see most of his playing time on the early downs, at least initially. Emerging as a situational run-stuffing weapon would be a successful outcome for his rookie year.<\/p>\n

“That may be the steal of the draft\u2026the kid is a unicorn.”<\/p>\n

Kentucky Co-Defensive Coordinator Chris Collins on #Bills<\/a> draft pick DT Deone Walker. <\/p>\n

Walker is 6’7″, 331 lbs. and had 10 sacks, 22 TFLs in 3 seasons. pic.twitter.com\/8WcSfGTWVr<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Andy Young (@AndyYoungTV) April 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be interesting to see how his snap share trends throughout the year, though. There are a wide range of possibilities. If he\u2019s all the way back to full strength and plays like he did in 2023, however, it\u2019s possible he\u2019ll be a crucial part of the Bills\u2019 defensive line come playoff time.<\/p>\n

All told, Walker is an intriguing talent who could emerge as one of the league\u2019s best defensive tackles during his peak years. Showing he\u2019s 100 percent healthy would be the first major step toward that outcome.<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Vasha Hunt \u2013 Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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