Walker continues to be one of the top NFL prospects for the 2025 draft.
The Kentucky Wildcats defense has earned a reputation as one of the toughest in the country this season, and Deone Walker has been at the center of that success.
Coming off a dominant defensive performance in a victory against Ole Miss, where Kentucky held the Rebels to season-low numbers across the board, Walker’s rise as an NFL prospect is beginning to take shape.
Walker, a towering presence on the defensive line, has been a consistent leader for the Wildcats over the past few seasons and has put himself in position to be a likely early-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Although his stats—0.5 sacks and 2.0 tackles for loss—may not immediately jump off the page, Walker’s impact can’t be measured by those numbers alone. The Michigan native has played nearly every snap through three SEC games, missing only 13 defensive plays. He leads the team with 11 quarterback pressures and nine hurries, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), despite facing constant double-teams from opposing offensive lines.
Walker’s size and agility is a rare commodity in the NFL Draft landscape. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds, he possesses the quickness of a much smaller player, allowing him to disrupt plays in both the run and pass games. His combination of raw power and athleticism has not gone unnoticed by NFL scouts, and many mock drafts continue to project him as a first-round selection in 2025.
CBS Sports has Walker going seventh overall to the Arizona Cardinals, while Yahoo Sports has him going to the same team but via the ninth overall pick.
As the season progresses, Walker will have more opportunities to solidify his position as one of the top defensive prospects in the country.
In addition to Walker, the SEC is expected to be well-represented in the 2025 draft, with 15+ players projected to go in the first round.
As the season progresses, Big Blue Nation will be watching closely to see if Walker can further elevate his draft standing before the 2025 NFL Draft.