MOBILE, Ala. — Kentucky DL Deone Walker isn’t hard to pick out in a crowd. In fact, he’s probably been the easiest player to spot on the practice field this week at the Senior Bowl.
Walker came in at 6072, 340 pounds, making him easily the biggest presence on the defensive side of the ball in Mobile this year. Given his size, Walker has few choices when it comes to current NFL guys to model his game after. However, when asked who he likes to watch in the pros to refine his craft, Walker mentioned a current Steeler.
“I try to model my game after Dexter Lawrence, Cam Heyward, and my favorite player growing up was Calais Campbell, so those are a few guys that I like to watch,” Walker said.
Steelers DL Cameron Heyward is notably smaller than Walker (isn’t that quite the statement), checking in at 6045, 295 pounds at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine. Still, Heyward plays much bigger than that that, having a signature move that Walker looks to mimic while getting after the quarterback.
“Kind of my No. 1 pass rush move is his, the 2-to-1 stab lift,” Walker told me. “Yeah, it’s crazy how he executes that, and using it in my game is something I try to learn from him.”
Heyward is known for his signature long-arm move, forklifting his opponent into the backfield to put pressure on the quarterback. When looking through Walker’s, tape you see similarities of him executing a similar move. He uses his size, strength, and length to knock back offensive linemen into the lap of the quarterback.
Pittsburgh has a type when it comes to interior defensive linemen: big, tall, and long. Walker fits the bill, boasting 34 1/2-inch arms and 10 3/4-inch hands. Walker is a unique case study as a prospect because he is so big and tall. He can overwhelm blockers at the point of attack as well as flash his impressive athleticism at that size, but he can struggle with leverage as he naturally likes to play upright, leading to a big target offensive linemen can get their hands on.
Walker is aware of this tendency and knows that is the top priority he needs to focus on to be more consistent.
“I would say just keeping my pad level down, playing with leverage, and getting off the ball,” Walker said. “Just being in the offensive backfield. I’m so big, I’m always going to focus on that aspect of my game.”
Walker burst onto the scene as a true sophomore in 2023 with 55 total tackles and 7.5 sacks. However, Walker’s production drastically dipped in 2024. He posted just 1.5 sacks as the true junior struggled to get into a rhythm and live up to the previous year’s tape.
Walker played all over the defensive front during his time with the Wildcats, lining up anywhere from the nose tackle to outside the offensive tackle as a stand-up edge rusher. His movement skills at his size jump off the tape, Walker having the quickness and hand usage that show promise as a future pro. However, his inconsistent pad level, lack of playing to his size regularly, and the fact that his motor ran hot and cold at times last season are causes for concern.
Walker is one of the more polarizing prospects in this draft class, and his play here at the Senior Bowl has followed suit. There are moments where he manhandles his competition to get into the backfield. Others times he gets put into the ground or exposes his chest, going multiple reps without making an impact.
The potential is there for Walker to become an impact player in the league, and he fits a lot of the measurables the Steelers desire in their defensive linemen. Whoever drafts him will have to be patient and have a plan to develop him. Having a guy like Cameron Heyward in the room wouldn’t hurt, as he and DL Coach Karl Dunbar could help Walker realize his potential in Pittsburgh should he be in consideration with one of the Steelers’ first three picks come April.
