The 2025 rookie class for the Buffalo Bills got off to a slow start with Maxwell Hairston missing nearly all of training camp and a good chunk of the season. T.J. Sanders and Landon Jackson have not made an impact and it remains to be seen when Sanders might return to the lineup.
But over the last few weeks, the class has started to look better and better for Brandon Beane. Hairston was outstanding against the Chiefs and Jackson Hawes continues to have a big role in the offense. But the one rookie who has been consistently good for Buffalo this season is Deone Walker, the massive defensive tackle from Kentucky.
Despite all of the injuries on the defensive line for the Bills, Walker has been able to make an impact and help lessen the blow from the Ed Oliver injury.
Walker has been the best DT in the 2025 NFL Draft
While it’s too soon to make any definitive claims about a player, Walker has performed like a first-round pick through eight games. In fact, he’s been the best defensive tackle in his class by a wide margin.
In a recent article by Dane Brugler of The Athletic, he named his All-Rookie Team midway through the 2025 season. And to no one’s surprise, Walker made the list as the top defensive tackle in the class. Here is a snippet of what Brugler had to say about the former SEC star:
"Eight games into his NFL career, Walker has looked like a steal. Not only has he proved himself as a viable starter, but he is commanding double teams and helping create congestion on the line of scrimmage (go watch some of his goal-line snaps versus the Chiefs from Sunday). Time will tell if he can continue playing at this level, but he has changed the narrative around him."Dane Brugler, The Athletic
What is so incredible about Walker is that he is one of the youngest players in the league (turned 21 in March), and his upside is so high. He is still figuring out how to play with leverage and needs to work on counters as a pass rusher, but he has all the physical traits to be a star in the NFL.
Walker has been a revelation for Buffalo, and the hope is that he can be the long-term solution next to Oliver for the foreseeable future. But based on what we’ve seen in the first nine weeks of the season, the future is now. He’s already performing at a Pro Bowl level, and he’s only begun to scratch the surface of his potential.