DeMarcus Walker, Defensive Line
When Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett were dealing with injuries in training camp, the Denver Broncos decided to put second round defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker at the outside linebacker position.
There was little to no reason to think that position switch would be effective, but the Broncos did it anyway to save themselves from having to make a roster move.
On the surface, the decision didn’t seem like a big deal. After all, Walker was an edge player coming out of Florida State, right? How hard could it be?
As it turns out, Walker is not a fit for the OLB position whatsoever, and over the last month of the season, he proved to the Broncos’ coaching staff that he can be incredibly effective as a rusher from the interior defensive line, and is much stronger at the point of attack than his size indicates.
Walker had the highest game grade of any Broncos player according to Pro Football Focus, and was credited with three stops, two hurries, a hit, and a sack. The sack was the first of Walker’s career, and it was reminiscent of his days at Florida State, coming up the middle of the defensive line and wreaking havoc.
Walker’s play stood out to me in this game, and I can’t wait to see what he does when placed on the defensive line on a full-time basis.