After two years spent buried on the Demon Deacons’ depth chart, Walker broke out in a big way during his lone season at Michigan State, leading all Power Five ball-carriers with 1,636 rushing yards, the most by a Spartan since Le’Veon Bell in 2012. Despite being snubbed for the Heisman Trophy (for the fourth year in a row, no running backs were chosen as finalists), the Wake Forest transfer came away with plenty of postseason hardware, becoming MSU’s first recipient of both the Walter Camp and Doak Walker Awards. Raised in Arlington, Tennessee (a Memphis suburb), Walker was named a unanimous All-American, turning heads with monster performances against Northwestern (23 carries, 264 yards, four touchdowns), Rutgers (29-233-1) and in-state rival Michigan (23-197-5).
Measurables: 5’9”/211
School: Michigan State
2021 stats: 263 carries, 1,636 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 13 catches, 89 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
Accolades: Walter Camp Award (2021), Doak Walker Award (2021), Unanimous All-American (2021), First-team All-Big Ten (2021)
Strengths:Walker flashed plenty of lateral quickness in college and was just as potent in the open field, displaying game-breaking speed (among running backs, only Pierre Strong and Isiah Pacheco clocked faster 40 times at last month’s Scouting Combine) with runs of 58, 75 and 94 yards last season. Crafty with X-ray vision and a nose for the end zone (36 combined rushing and receiving scores), Walker carries a workhorse mentality, welcoming contact while routinely grinding for extra yards. Superb at protecting the rock, Walker’s ball security is off the charts, fumbling just once on 499 collegiate touches.
Weaknesses: In the NFL, blowing your blocking assignment is a sure way to end up in the coach’s doghouse and Walker remains a work in progress on that front. Walker’s receiving struggles are well-documented (he logged just 19 catches for 136 yards and a single touchdown over three seasons) with some fearing he might be typecast as an early-down thumper with little to no involvement in the passing game.
NFL comp: Walker’s measurements and athletic profile are almost identical to Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins, a fellow Big-Ten product who loves leaving defenders in the dust.
What experts are saying
“Walker brings day-one starting potential as an explosive, make-you-miss runner with good vision and creativity to pick up yards on his own.” – Danny Kelly, The Ringer
“He possesses enough ability to be a feature ball carrier in a zone-blocking system, but Walker must be more productive as a pass catcher to have a long career in the NFL.” – Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network
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