Tampa Bay’s fourth-round pick and standout FCS defender suffers major injury during practice, sidelining him for entire 2025 season
July 28, 2025: Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie edge rusher David Walker will miss the entire 2025 NFL season after tearing his ACL during practice on Friday, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Walker, who was selected by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, sustained the non-contact injury during a team session. His diagnosis was first reported by The Tampa Bay Times on Monday.
The 6-foot-2, 260-pound pass rusher out of Central Arkansas was expected to play a rotational role this season, backing up newly acquired veteran Haason Reddick and rising second-year talent Yaya Diaby at outside linebacker.
Despite being a small-school prospect, Walker entered training camp with high expectations after an electric college career. He was a three-time All-American and dominated at the FCS level in 2024, leading the nation with 23 tackles for loss and racking up 10.5 sacks. His performance earned him the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Buccaneers camp insiders had noted his steady development and physical upside during the early stages of camp. The injury comes as a significant setback both for the player and the team’s depth at edge rusher.
As of now, Tampa Bay has not announced a roster move to fill Walker’s spot, but with preseason games approaching, the team will likely look to add depth through free agency or internal options.