Detroit Lions Draft 2017: Day Three Options to Consider
By Ash Thompson
Anthony Walker Jr., LB, Northwestern
He looked spectacular as a sophomore, but he put on weight for his junior year. He looked slower and less athletic. At his sophomore size he is likely a coverage specialist, but that’s not a bad thing to pick up on day three of the draft. Walker has the build of a weight lifter. He gained muscle, but of the variety that saps endurance as much as it builds strength.
Walker is the kind of linebacker that flows from sideline to sideline. He does need to be kept clean in order to impact the run game however. He is a field general, and regarded as a good locker room guy. Walker explodes in to his hits, and keeps his feet moving after initial impact, allowing him to finish the job when impact doesn’t take the ball carrier down.
If he had continued down the path he was on earlier in his career, Walker would likely have been a high pick this season. In stead he hurt his draft stock y trying to change his DNA as a player. A team will need to rehabilitate him, but he will be a special teams dynamo straight out of the box. His weight gain turned him in to a straight line runner, with stiff lateral movement.
Once he diagnoses the play, he is there in a heartbeat, but his initial steps are labored. His instincts in zone coverage are very good.