2022 NFL Draft Player Profiles: Penn State OT Rasheed Walker

From now until the 2022 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling Penn State OT Rasheed Walker.

#53 Rasheed Walker/OT Penn State – 6055, 313 lbs.

The Good

— Great size and length, looks the part of a NFL tackle with a thick upper body
— Aggressive mentality in run and pass game, desire to put hands on defender early and win battle right away
— Strong anchor and excellent grip strength, able to lock on once he engages with proper hand placement
— Shows violent initial punch to take control of pass rushers
— Varies his pass sets and will quick/jumpset defenders, keeps them on their toes
— Angry demeanor and desire to finish through contact, pancakes litter his film and plays with chip on his shoulder, doesn’t quit once player gets to the ground
— Displays good burst out of stance with ability to seal the edge with size, length, and explosiveness, rarely beaten around the edge against speed/outside rushes
— Looks comfortable in stance and displays good bend, doesn’t sit high
— Shows hip and knee bend in pass protection, able to sit and doesn’t play tall despite his height
— Size and strides helps him at second level
— Highly effective down blocker able to wash out opponent and create lane, engulfs smaller linebackers and runs them down the line
— Good IQ and identifies stunts and twists well and consistently while maintaining his base
— Has traits and tools to be a highly effective NFL tackle
— Held own against elite competition (Aidan Hutchinson)
— Room to grow, still young and game isn’t maxed out

The Bad

— Struggles most with inside rushers and counters, sits on outside moves and vulnerable when defenders cross his face
— Turns shoulders too early before the top of the rush and gives pass rusher lane to turn back inside, isn’t quite quick enough laterally to recover
— Ability to defend the edge may be skewed by his desire to sit and anticipate those moves
— Tends to fall off blocks too easily in the run game, especially at the second level
— Was not asked to work much in space in run game on combo blocks, zone schemes, pulling, or screens, shows burst but not a fluid or easy-mover in space
— Didn’t display versatility and played just one position (left tackle) in school
— Showed some regression his final season compared to 2020
— Did not have accolades in school, never an All-Conference selection (first or second team)

Bio

— Three-year starter at left tackle, roughly 32 career starts, all at LT
— Redshirt junior who declared a year early, turned 22 earlier in February
— Missed final three games of 2021 due to undisclosed lower body injuries, missed bowl game due to it (was spotted on crutches)
—  Media All Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2020 and 2021 but never a 1st/2nd team selection
— Four-star recruit out of high school, had 28 offers, chose Penn State over Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Pitt, among many others
— Three-time captain in high school, played o-line and d-line, had 11 sacks on defense

Tape Breakdown

Walker is an interesting prospect in a sea of highly touted offensive tackle prospects. He’s an impressive-looking body with a big upper half and long arms with the look of an offensive tackle. What he should be best known for overall is his physicality and demeanor. He’s a nasty player overall in the run and pass game who seeks to finish his blocks. And he’ll let you know about it too.

The best clip to show that and who Walker is is this one that’s floated around Twitter a time or two. Pancake + two pumps on the defender.

But it’s far from the only example of him putting a guy and keeping a guy on the ground. Lots of gems like that on his tape. Watch him bury the DE here and as the defender starts to give up, Walker gives him another shove to keep him on the ground. Walker is the type of dude who will piss off a lot of helpless-looking defenders at the next level.

Walker is the LT, #53, in all these clips.

Here he is against Aidan Hutchinson, a Top 5 pick in this year’s draft, sealing off the edge.

Make no mistake, Walker isn’t just a guy who can bury people. In pass protection, Walker uses his length, size, and strength to consistently seal the edge against speed and outside rushes. Several examples of what I’m talking about. In the four games I watched of Walker’s, I only saw him get beat cleanly around the edge once against Auburn in 2021.

The biggest and most consistent weakness in Walker’s game is giving up the inside. He is so urgent to seal defenders upfield that he will turn his shoulders and hips and give up the inside. When he lost, it was often due to allowing the inside rush/counter. Cut-up of those issues.

The Big Ten is full of talent but it is unusual for a Day Two tackle like Walker to never be an All-Conference selection. Honorable mention by media and no love from coaches. Again, lots of good talent in the Big Ten but it is something to note. Usually these Top 100 guys are pretty decorated. He also has only played left tackle and his experience is very limited to there.

Conclusion

Overall, my NFL comparison to him is Daryl Williams, another big, long, nasty tackle who has enjoyed a solid though not elite NFL career. Williams has been a right tackle while Walker has played on the left side. I do think Walker’s issues are correctable and if he cleans up his technique a bit and not open the gate so quickly, he will be better in pass protection. Although, I do wonder if doing that will cause him to lose more along the edge because he is so intent on not getting beat to the outside.

Walker’s aggressive sets, anchor, and punch along with his length should endear himself well to new o-line coach Pat Meyer who prioritizes all those things. Still young with room to grow, I can see Walker on the Steelers’ radar come day two if they target a QB in the first round.

Projection: Mid-Late Day Two

Depot Draft Scale: 8.3 – Future Quality Starter (2nd Round)

Games Watched: vs Ohio State (2020), at Iowa (2021), vs Michigan (2021), vs Auburn (2021)