Rasheed

Walker

The Packers replaced long-time starting LT David Bakhtiari with 2022 seventh-round draft pick, LT Rasheed Walker last year, who admirably produced a 74.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. Walker’s 56.3 PFF run-blocking grade reflects his incomplete profile though, giving the well-rounded Morgan an advantage over the incumbent. Morgan’s first-round draft capital also works in his favor. Packers coaches are surely hoping Morgan asserts himself as the team’s best blindside protector before Week 1 kicks off.

Walker (6'6/313) made 32 starts at left tackle over three years for the Nittany Lions, unfortunately losing the final three games of 2021 with a bone bruise. He contended with three different offensive systems and two different line coaches while at Penn State but still managed to make All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2020 and 2021, even though he played through the aforementioned injury for a while before being shut down. Injuries and his lack of consistency may explain his average PFF grade (60 overall in 2021) and a consistent NFL system could really help hone his talents. Walker’s main trait is his pure, often overwhelming, power. He’s got a big, thick frame and uses every bit of it when he gets his hands on you. He can explode out of his stance to bury opposing rushers and definitely doesn’t lack anything in the physical department. He can struggle with range, however, often getting beat on the outside, which then leaves him vulnerable on the inside if he overcompensates. He won’t be beaten by a bullrush, though. Walker’s struggles in setting the edge consistently may call for a move inside, but he never played anywhere except the left tackle in college. Regardless of where he ends up, Walker has the prototypical build for a tackle, and if he improves his technique he can be a starter at the next level.

Walker (6'6/320) played a big role in helping protect Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford after making a lot of offseason progress ahead of the season. What Walker’s shown on the field has caught the eye of several NFL scouts -- according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Walker had Top 30 visits with a list of teams that included the Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

In a post on his Twitter account, Walker (6'6/320) announced his intentions to go pro. A three-year starter for the Nittany Lions, Walker was a stalwart force on the outside but missed the final three games of the season due to an undisclosed injury. In a class that has a few impressive tackles, Walker has a chance to make a case to be a first-round selection.

While Penn State has an established starter at right tackle in Will Fries, the jury is still out at left tackle with Walker (6'6/324) being one option. The former four-star recruit appeared in four games in 2018, thus preserving a season of eligibility, and the Nittany Lions will need him to hit the ground running this fall. He’s made progress this offseason, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by those within the program. “Rasheed’s done a lot of great things to put himself in position to be one of those guys competing for that spot,” center Michal Menet said. He’s put on weight and done it gracefully, and he’s still moving around. He’s still moving well and has quick feet and fast hands.”

Walker (6'6/290) enrolled with the Nittany Lions as a four-star recruit last winter -- Rivals ranked him as the No. 65 overall prospect in the 2018 class -- and went on to appear in four games during the past season while taking a redshirt for the campaign. He is tracking toward a starting left tackle gig in the fall so long as nothing goes awry in August camp. Penn State HC James Franklin likes his line depth and believes that there is enough talent on roster to paper over for the departures of Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern. Count the Nittany Lions’ offensive line as a work-in-progress that will be ironed out in full later this summer.

Walker (6'6/290) was a four-star recruit signed in 2018 and considered one of the top offensive lineman in that class. Unfortunately, his freshman year was highlighted not for his play, but with an arrest for stealing a mountain bike on the Happy Valley campus. Will Fries is currently slated for the right side, but if Walker struggles at the spot, he could move over there as he has experience on the blind side.

Walker (6'6/290) admitted to the authorities that he had stolen a mountain bike that had been reported missing (it was caught on surveillance camera). The bike was valued at $150, so we’re not exactly talking about one of Ocean’s 11, here. Walker signed on with the Nittany Lions as a highly-regarded four-star recruit over the winter. Discipline figures to be handled in-house with this one given the relatively minor nature of the indiscretion. Walker’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 31.

“He’s much stronger in the upper body and more patient and disciplined pass blocking,” Friedman explains. The 6-foot-6, 350-pounder’s strong work during the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp in New Jersey earlier this spring earned him an invitation to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. He ranks as the outlet’s No. 209 overall player for the 2018 cycle.

Walker (6'6/350) is also kicking around potential officials to Maryland and Florida. Rivals ranks the Waldorf, Maryland, native as the No. 49 overall prospect in the 2018 class. He’s shown a fantastic development in high school, most notably in terms of his patience and discipline.