Getty DeMarcus Walker
DeMarcus Walker was full of zeal following the Denver Broncos‘ preseason victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game.
Too much zeal.
The third-year defensive lineman, enjoying a rebirth under head coach Vic Fangio, was bragging about his performance in the preseason lid-lifter, which saw Denver score a late comeback en route to a 14-10 vanquish of the Falcons.
Which is all well and good, except Walker’s prideful boasts were directed at Fangio. And they were a little too on the nose.
“Yeah, that’s what he told me. He came right up to me after the game and he was talking some smack,” Fangio said. “We’ll see, I’m anxious to see—you don’t see everything during the course of the game, especially where I’m standing now. But he did tell me he played well.”
Walker recorded a solo tackle, tackle-for-loss, sack and two quarterback hits, often penetrating Atlanta’s second- and third-team offensive line. He earned the second-highest grade (89.5) among all Broncos defenders, behind only rookie Dre’Mont Jones, according to Pro Football Focus.
It certainly was solid tape from Walker, a 2017 second-round draft pick who, to some within the fan base, is bordering on bust status.
But Fangio, responding to Walker after Sunday’s training camp practice, took a page from Bill Parcells’ quote book: Let’s not fit him for a gold jacket just yet.
“I think he exaggerated a little bit,” he said, laughing. “It wasn’t bad, but he had me thinking he was getting nominated for Canton. It was good, but not great.”
Walker’s Impact
Wasted by the previous coaching staff, which first tried him at outside linebacker before moving him back to defensive end, Walker is “stronger and heavier” than he was in 2018, prepped for a key rotational role in Fangio and new coordinator Ed Donatell’s defense.
The likely season-ending injury to Billy Winn further clears a path for Walker, who was listed as the direct backup to starting DE Adam Gotsis on the team’s initial depth chart, released earlier this week.
A devastating interior rusher at Florida State, he will bring a much-needed element to a Denver unit that flows through star edge rushers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.
Assuming, of course, he remains consistent, and his Falcons performance wasn’t a flash in the ol’ pan.
Walker vs. Jones
Though among the game’s standouts, Walker was arguably outshined by Jones, who collected three solo tackles, a tackle-for-loss, and three QB hits. The Ohio State product is a more polished pocket-pusher than Walker, and there’s a sense he fits the scheme better.
“Well obviously, Dre’Mont had some nice plays there at the end,” remarked Fangio, whose praise is hard to come by.
Both players should receive sigificant snaps this year, but the (figurative) field is tilted in Jones’ favor.
Walker closed the gap with his play but may have as quickly widened it with his mouth.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter @KelbermanNFL.