Buccaneers rookie linebacker David Walker out with a torn ACL

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Buccaneers rookie linebacker David Walker tore an ACL and likely will miss the rest of the season.

Walker, a fourth-round draft pick out of Central Arkansas, sustained the knee injury in Friday's practice. He had 10 1/2 sacks last season and was expected to bolster Tampa Bay's pass rush. The Buccaneers finished tied for sixth in the NFL with 46 sacks in 2024.

“He was making a big impact early,” coach Todd Bowles said Monday. "Obviously, we were counting on him to do a lot of things. We’ve got other guys that have to step up. I told him he has to look at this as a redshirt year. It’s unfortunate. It didn’t look like it was too much on film, but it ended up being that.”

Walker was competing for snaps with veteran Anthony Nelson behind starter YaYa Diaby in Tampa Bay's 3-4 defense. The Buccaneers signed two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Haason Reddick and veteran linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. in free agency.

“I thought we had a lot of depth with (David) Walker," Bowles said. "There’s still some spots to be had. I think we still have a lot of depth. Obviously, you’ve got Yaya, you’ve got Nelson, you’ve got (Chris) Braswell Jr. and you’ve got Haason. You’ve still got (Markees) Watts and you’ve got Jose (Ramirez) and you’ve got a bunch of guys still fighting for that spot. We still feel like we’ve got some depth there.”

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