The New York Jets need to add more bodies around Quinnen Williams this offseason.
In Dane Brugler’s 7-round mock draft for The Athletic, he predicted that the Jets would use the No. 110 overall pick in the fourth round on Kentucky defensive lineman Deone Walker.
Walker is listed at 6-foot-8 and tips the scales at 331 pounds.
After his 2023 season, Walker earned some first-round buzz. However, Brugler explained that “his junior season wasn’t nearly as dominant or consistent (pressures created dropped from 51 in 2023 to 21 in 2024), partly because of his back injury.”
According to Brugler, Walker was diagnosed with “pars defect” which is “a fracture between two vertebrae in the spine, during the 2024 season.”
The range of treatment plans varies from rest, back braces, and physical therapy to corrective surgery, according to Washington University Orthopedics.
Brugler graded him as a fourth-round draft choice ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.
Defensive Tackle Is One of the Biggest Needs on the Jets Roster
So far this offseason, the Jets have added warm bodies at the defensive tackle position. Some fine rotational players that are making close to the veteran minimum, but not game-changers.
Walker, 21, played in 37 games during his three years at the collegiate level. During that run, he totaled 132 tackles, 10 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, and six pass deflections.
His best season came in 2023 when Walker dominated with career highs in sacks (7.5), tackles for loss (13), and solo tackles (28).
Head coach Aaron Glenn said at the Annual League Meetings that if he has seen it on tape in your past, he knows they, as a coaching staff, can get it out of you in the future.
That is the risk of the draft. On paper, they are getting Walker on a discount, a first-round player on day three of the draft, but it’s only a value if you can find that 2023 player again in 2025.
A Former Basketball Player With Unique Traits
Brugler revealed that Walker was born and raised in Detroit. The big man’s first love was basketball.
On top of his affinity for basketball, Walker also competed on the track team and played football in high school, Brugler said.
The potential and athletic profile is clearly there.
In the first three rounds or the first two days of the NFL draft, you are looking for starters or significant contributors. However, on the third and final day of the draft, you are chasing traits and upside.
Maybe a player is elite in one key area but lacks in others. Or perhaps a situation like this, where a player with a medical history has shown dominant football in his past, and you believe you can get it out of him again.
“A defensive lineman with rare traits, Walker might require a heavier lean on projection over tape. He’s tight-hipped and too upright to really sink in and command the gaps as an even-front defensive tackle. His success rate rises once he’s able to kick out wider in the alignment and engage in more man-to-man battles,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein said. “The tape was better in 2023 and there were times in 2024 that his conditioning showed up as an issue. Walker’s traits and upside could make him a more consistent NFL talent if he improves his technique and ramps up his motor.”
