Mike Tomlin, Steelers Show Interest In Behemoth NFL Prospect

It’s easy to see why the Pittsburgh Steelers were drawn to Kentucky’s Deone Walker at last week’s Senior Bowl.

Rarely does have a defensive lineman with Walker’s size and athleticism come along.

Walker stands at an eye-popping 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds and showed strong explosiveness while going through drills, according to PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh. That was more than enough to catch the Steelers’ eye as head coach Mike Tomlin made sure to let Walker know that he is on Pittsburgh’s radar.

“It’s scary. I got butterflies in my stomach a little bit,” Walker told Farabaugh about an interaction he had with Tomlin. “It was good knowing that he wants to get down, you know he said they need a trench player, so he wants to get down and know the player I am. That says a lot about a head coach.”

Walker had a down season as a junior compared to what he compiled as a sophomore. Walker notched 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2023 but only tallied 1.5 sacks and five tackles for loss this past season. He’s projected to be a Day 2 draft pick.

Walker said he models his game after Steelers star Cameron Heyward and the Steelers getting another version of Heyward would be a big win for their defense.

“I love his speed to power,” Walker said. “His two to one bull and stab and his lift, that’s one of my best moves I would say in my arsenal. So, emulating that is game-wrecking.”