Bills traded up with the Bears to select Kentucky DT Deone Walker with the No. 109 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Bills traded picks No. 132 and 169 to move up 23 spots. A very, very large man, Walker (6’7/331) arrived on campus in 2022 as a fully formed interior defensive lineman with a basketball background and proceeded to earn Freshman All-American recognition with 40 tackles and an 81st% pass rush grade. He officially broke out in 2023 when he generated 12.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 55 tackles and a sensational FBS-leading 51 pressures while lining up at three tech and over tackle. The Second Team All-SEC DT played in the A-gap more often last year and suffered a back injury which affected his production recording 22 pressures with a modest 71st% defensive grade. Walker also didn’t test particularly well with sub-20th percentiles 40-yard dash, 10-yard split and vertical jump marks for a lowly 3.75 Relative Athletic Score. He was most effective at three tech where he could take advantage of 1-on-1 outside matchups and outmaneuver opponents with his sheer size and power. Long 34.¼” arms help him engulf rushers and he’s agile enough to circumvent blockers and create havoc. His long cut frame makes it difficult to get low and drive blockers, and he sometimes will give low-effort when stuck on blocks. While there are effort and weight concerns, Walker has the prototypical combination of length and girth to be a linchpin member of a successful NFL defensive line.
