Could Kentucky DT Deone Walker help solidify the Chiefs’ defensive line?

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to add defensive line talent — and on Day 2, they could be considering Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker.

Background

A four-star college recruit out of Detroit’s Cass Technical, Walker chose Kentucky after receiving offers from 30 schools across the country. With the Wildcats, he started 35 of 36 games over three seasons, collecting 132 tackles (53 solo, 23 for loss), 10 sacks, six passes defensed and a forced fumble.

Checking into the NFL Combine at 6 feet 7 and 331 pounds, this enormous man was measured with 34 1/2-inch arms and 10 5/8-inch hands.

Because of his size, his athletic testing hasn’t been great — but these metrics don’t tell the story of his game.

Film evaluation

Weight room strength and testing speed are much different than strength and speed on the football field. When Walker is on his game, there aren’t many players who can overpower him.

The one-arm tackle we see here is impressive, but there is much more to his game. His film reveals one of the more interesting players in this year’s draft class.

He is tough to double-team — and even harder to beat one-on-one.

On this snap, Walker stays stout on the line of scrimmage, giving up little movement. As the center picks up the run blitzer, Walker stands up to lock out the left guard. The running back decides to hit a small hole opening in the B-gap, but Walker quickly works his way off the block to make the stop.

Walker’s size is so overwhelming that without a solid double-team, it is nearly impossible for offenses to move him from his spot.

Here, Walker aligns a shade over the center. On the snap, the right guard attempts to create movement off the ball — but the extra help does no good. Walker makes contact and bullies the center three yards into the backfield, blowing up any lane the running back would have had. The rest of the defense quickly swarms the back, ending the play before it can really get started.

To be sure, run defense is where Walker will make his NFL money. But with his length and strength, he also has the potential to become an effective interior pass rusher.

Even as such a big man, Walker can play quickly in bursts. Many interior offensive linemen try to work their sets quickly against him — hoping to shut down his powerful bull rush — but this is where Walker’s long arms and quick twitch come into play.

On this snap, the right guard attempts to work a quick set on Walker. But with a heavy hand and good speed off the snap, Walker executes a beautiful hand swipe and flushes the quarterback from the pocket.

Walker collected seven and a half sacks as a sophomore in 2023. As a junior, he recorded only a sack and a half. But in 2024, it was apparent that opposing offenses were giving him a lot of respect, frequently double-teaming him and sliding their protections toward him.

To match these looks, Kentucky used Walker all over the line of scrimmage. The Wildcats also used his mass to help create pressure with stunts and twists.

On this tackle-end twist, Walker is the penetrator. He first forces the right guard off balance, giving the looping edge a good lane to the quarterback. Then he gives the right tackle a big shot and barrels through the B-gap. He and the looping end meet at the quarterback for the sack.

Walker’s bursts of quickness don’t come often — but when they do, they are sight to behold. If he can bring consistency to his game, he could develop into a fierce pass rusher.

The bottom line

With his massive frame, the 21-year-old Walker will likely be selected on Day 2. While his upside is immense, he does have some red flags.

The first of these is his general conditioning. On film, we see multiple snaps where Walker is either gassed or not giving 100%. On these reps, Walker either plays too high or shuts off his motor too early.

On some long drives, there are also snaps where Walker doesn’t even get a hand down before the ball is snapped — and he is consistently one of the last players to the line of scrimmage.

In college, his size allowed him to get away with all of this. In the NFL, he won’t be as lucky.

When he flashes, Walker looks like a future All-Pro. But when he is slacking, he resembles a player who will be out of the league before his rookie contract is up. So there will be some risk in selecting him — but if he lands on a team with the right atmosphere, he could flourish.

Under Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (and defensive line coach Joe Cullen), Walker could develop into an above-average starter. Early on, he would probably play on running downs, where he would replace Derrick Nnadi — and eventually, Mike Pennel. This would help him build his endurance — and under the tutelage of Chris Jones, continue to develop as a pass rusher.

The Chiefs need long-term stability at defensive tackle. During head coach Andy Reid’s tenure, the team has shown it can get the most out of its players. Taking a gamble on a player like Walker seems like a fairly safe bet.