Tracy Walker was a rising safety for the Lions, and then he was falling. Last year he plummeted. Assigned a new role in the NFL's worst defense -- and the worst defense in franchise history -- Walker looked nothing like the player who popped in year one and commanded Detroit's secondary in year two. Like most of his teammates on defense last season, Walker looked lost.
At his best, Walker is a ball hawk. He roams the field, follow his eyes and swoops in to make plays. That's how he finished his rookie season as one of the highest-graded safeties in the NFL. He slipped a bit the next season, weighed down by more responsibilities in the box. And last season, when Matt Patricia and Cory Undlin used Walker more often in the box than in the backfield, when they clipped his wings by keeping him closer to the line of scrimmage, he graded out as one of the worst safeties in the game.
Per Pro Football Focus, Walker went from an overall defensive rating of 89.8 in 2018 to 50.1 in 2020, which ranked 59th out of 64 qualifying players at his position. He played 76 percent of his snaps at free safety in year one compared to 16 percent in year three. These numbers are not unrelated. Nor is it a coincidence that as Walker moves back to free safety under new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, he says "life, for me, is at an all-time high."
"I'm looking forward to the season and trying to make some believers out of a lot of people," Walker said Thursday.
Walker never publicly condemned Detroit's defense last season. But he dropped plenty of hints along the way. He declined to answer questions about his role, because he knew the truth would get him in trouble. He owned his own struggles, without owning the scheme. The tape on Walker was bad. But if the tape doesn't lie, the coaching was worse.
Already the coaching is better. Walker sounds rejuvenated under Glenn -- a former Pro Bowl corner -- and defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant. He said he's "enjoying the company when I come to work," because he's doing the job he does best. He's using his legs and his length to make plays. Back where he belongs, Walker looks more like the player he was poised to become.
"Honestly I'm just excited for my opportunity to go out there and showcase what I can do," he said. "As far as last year, I put last year behind me. I'm not worried about last year. Like I said, my play will speak for itself. Last year I was put in some hella tough situations and I had to try to adapt. Unfortunately I wasn't able to adapt to every situation. But this year? Sh*t, I'm ready to go ball out, man."
Walker plays hard for his pride. It was bruised last season. This season, he's also playing for his next contract. The Lions are thin at safety, but Walker says he and Will Harris can be "one of the best safety duos in the NFL." Walker has the ability to hold up his half of the deal, because his ability can shine again in Detroit's defense. This is the season his future come into focus.
As he reprises his old role under a new staff, the 26-year-old smiled and said, "I couldn't ask to be in a better position."