When you look back on the draft classes for the Buffalo Bills under Brandon Beane, there have been some solid hits, and of course some bad misses as well. One thing that is confusing is how the Bills haven’t brought in a ton of great talent early in the first round. The only exception is Josh Allen back in 2018.
Other than Allen, the Bills tend to miss on their early first round picks. However, Beane and his staff have done a great job at selecting players in the later rounds especially on Day 3. Some players that have selected in Rounds 4-7 during Beane’s time include CB Taron Johnson, WR Gabe Davis, WR Khalil Shakir, CB Christian Benford, RB Ray Davis, TE Jackson Hawes, and DL Deone Walker.
Last year, Hawes and Walker were drafted to Buffalo and they are the two latest Day 3 picks that became immediate hits for the Bills. When it comes to Walker specifically, he broke out and became a starter right off the bat. Even though the Bills selected DT T.J. Sanders in the 2nd-round, Walker was the one that shined above him.
Walker finished last season with 39 total tackles, 1 sack, and 4 pass deflections. He also managed to pick of Bo Nix in the Divisional Round of the playoffs that helped spark the Bills making a comeback in the second half.
While Buffalo’s run-defense was atrocious, Walker showed off his talents to create a mess in the trenches and he can create interior pressure. Even though he’s only going into his second year, he has already proved himself to be a rising star, and Mike Phillips from FanSided.com recently listed Walker has the Bills’ biggest breakout candidate going into training camp.
"Fourth-round pick Deone Walker played a key contributing role as a rookie on Buffalo's defensive line, earning more snaps as the season progressed and racking up 39 tackles. Walker showed up to mini camp in great shape and is projected to be a starter this season, which could line him up to become a cornerstone on the Bills' defensive front for years to come." said Phillips.
Deone Walker set up to take another big step forward in 2026
Even with a switch to a 3-4 defense, Walker should continue to be dominant as he will be moved to a true nose tackle. With his power and quickness, having him over the center will help the defense make a mess and stop the play before it starts to develop.
With the Bills only drafting Zane Durant as the most notable addition to the defensive line, the expectation is that Walker will help lead this defensive line and perform at a high level under new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard.
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