One of the Buffalo Bills' priorities during this past offseason was to upgrade their defense, particularly at the defensive line position.
With already having Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, DeWayne Carter, and Larry Ogunjobi filling the role, the Bills decided to draft Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker with their fourth-round pick. They liked his size and talent.
This leaves just one question.
Can the Bills count on Deone Walker to help improve an underachieving defensive line?
At 6 feet, 7 inches and 331lbs, Walker is a mountain of a man with freak athleticism that most men his size don't possess. That caught the attention of defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, who was singing Walker's praises.
When he was at Kentucky, Walker was named to the All-SEC honors for three consecutive years to include 2024. He showed grit and toughness by playing with a stress fracture in his back.
He managed to record 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and two pass breakups while starting in 11 games. Buffalo moved up in the fourth round to take Walker, and is very positive that his physical stature may be able to close a hole in the Bills' d-line.
The Bills knew they had to improve in the middle of the trenches of the defensive line. Current starters Oliver and Jones struggled at times last season and even during the playoffs.
The Bills have already added free agent Ogunjobi and second-round defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, and both should already help. The Bills felt they weren't done; therefore, they drafted Walker in the fourth round.
With his massive size and quickness, teammate Oliver refers to him as a "Dancing Bear", along with a big guy on "ballerina legs."
The team is looking for a player who can cover while being double-teamed and be a space-eater for teams who try to run up the middle, and the skilled lineman is your man.
General Manager Brandon Beane did his homework in free agency and the draft. The Bills added more depth on the d-line by improving their talent without having to overpay. With both seasoned linemen and young rookies on their roster, the Bills' Brass will focus on stern competition among its d-linemen going forward.
While rookie d-linemen are slower to develop, it sometimes pays off in the long run, so the future at the defensive tackle position looks on the upswing when it comes to how much better the d-line will perform this season.
As for "The Dancing Bear", it may not be a Nutcracker-worthy performance right away, but as Walker gains more composure and adjusts to the NFL game, he should earn his flowers for his performances when his time comes.