There was some panic around the Buffalo Bills in the hour leading up to their Week 2 home opener against the Detroit Lions when star defensive lineman Ed Oliver was ruled out with a pregame hip injury.
Missing Oliver, widely recognized as 1 of the NFL’s best at his position, put the Bills at a massive disadvantage.
“Ed Oliver out is huge,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on his official X account on Thursday. “Bills will need ascending DL Deone Walker to come up big.”
Have no fear, Bills fans, because 2nd-year defensive tackle Deone Walker is here.
Deone Walker Takes Star Turn Against Lions
Walker was the breakout star on defense for the Bills in a 41-31 win that pushed them to 2-0, and the 6-foot-7, 331-pound Kentucky product and 2025 4th-round pick (No. 109 overall) took a star turn against the Lions with an incredible 3 pass deflections and 3 QB hits.
“Deone Walker going to be named All Pro this year,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick wrote on his official X account on Thursday night. “So good.”
“Deone Walker has looked like a TOP-10 NFL DT through two weeks of the season,” Rookie Watch wrote on its official X account on Thursday. “95 total defensive snaps (leads Bills DT’s), 9 total pressures (leads Bills DT’s), 7 total tackles (2 TFL’s), 8 total QB hurries (leads Bills DT’s), 4 QB hits (leads Bills DT’s), 1 sack (leads Bills DT’s), 3 batted passes (leads Bills DT’s). The Bills sophomore DT is easily one of the NFL’s BIGGEST RISING STARS.”
“Deone Walker‘s first 2 weeks look like an All-Pro player,” Buffalo Plus’ Mike Catalana wrote on his official X account.
“Deone Walker has been a PROBLEM this season so far,” NFL reporter Sam Monson wrote on his official X account. “Dude that big moving that fast. Instant wins at his size is crazy.”
Deone Walker Became Surprise Starter as Rookie
Walker enters his 2nd season after a surprise rookie season in which he became a plug-and-play starter — 16 starts in 17 regular-season games — and was playing his best football down the stretch.
BUFvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on @NFLPlus
Mostly made possible by an injury that cost Oliver 14 games in the 2025 regular season.
It all figures into why Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Gordon McGuinness had Walker at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Breakout Candidates” headed into 2026.
“A fourth-round draft pick last season, Deone Walker showed some encouraging flashes during his rookie campaign,” McGuinness wrote on August 18. “Despite what you might expect from a player his size, the former Kentucky Wildcat made his biggest impact as a pass-rusher, earning a 78.3 PFF pass-rush grade while generating 20 pressures on 283 pass-rushing snaps. A full NFL offseason should allow him to take another step forward and make an even bigger impact along the interior of the Bills’ defensive line.”
Buffalo Bills’ 6-foot-7, 331-Pound DT Called NFL’s ‘Biggest Breakout Star’