|
Rasheed Walker NFL Draft Profile
|
Rasheed Walker Scouting ReportRasheed possesses excellent size, and with that frame comes long arms and a wide blocking radius. He is also a relatively easy mover. He has an explosive get off on the line. He owns exceptional lateral burst, which he can use to adjust his blocking angles at a moment's notice. He might not be an elite in space, but he still has more than enough mobility. He has solid recovery athleticism. Rasheed is flexible, both in his upper body and his hips. His flexibility and foot speed allow him to recover and guide edge rushers outside the pocket. It also helps him absorb contact, recoil, and impose his natural power. When in position, Walker has the tensile strength to negate edge rushers, and his grip strength holds up to resistance. Rasheed is an exceptional physical talent at the tackle position, but the operational part of his game might be even more impressive. Here, he boasts the scouting report of a complete tackle. He plays with good knee bend, and he’s able to lower his pad level and increase his leverage without struggle. He consistently keeps his shoulders square to his target and possesses solid leg drive blocking in motion. With his leg drive and grip strength, Walker’s mauler DNA shines through, especially as a run blocker. He always blocks to the whistle and isn’t shy about sending defenders into the dirt. Rasheed works extremely well in imbalanced situations. Explosive edge rushers can sometimes get a step on him and create displacement. Still, he has the balance, blocking range, and leverage awareness to hold his ground even at a geometric disadvantage. His awareness is apparent in other situations as well. The Penn State OT easily recognizes stunt His hands also generate plenty of excitement. When Walker has proper positioning, he has the wherewithal to get under his opponent’s pads and extend quickly, establishing a robust anchor in pass protection. In addition, Walker’s hands can be extremely fast and violent, and he actively uses hip rotation to quicken his punches. |
Areas for ImprovementRasheed needs to control his balance and anchor better against stronger opponents. There are times when he is caught out of position and is forced to lean, this further detracts from his balance. He sometimes lurches when trying to match defenders around the edge. His footwork can be a bit choppy and staggered. Walker can be a bit more consistent with his hand precision. His arms can be made vulnerable to swipes if he strikes too low. Moreover, his outside hand seems to be more inconsistent than his inside hand. Particularly against Michigan, there were a couple of instances where his left hand was wrenched down due to unstable placement. |
Rasheed Walker Career at Penn StateWalker saw playing time as a true freshman, but it wasn’t enough for him to shed his redshirt designation. After playing in just four games in a reserve role in 2018, Walker returned as a redshirt freshman for the 2019 season. Despite being just a redshirt freshman, Walker was thrust into an important role in just his second year. After losing left tackle Ryan Bates, the Nittany Lions needed a new blindside blocker, and they called on Walker to be the successor. Walker took his new responsibilities in stride, quickly becoming one of the better tackles in the conference. The Penn State OT started all 13 games at left tackle in 2019 and carried that role into 2020, starting all nine games in his redshirt sophomore season. He earned All-Big Ten recognition for his play in 2020’s COVID-impacted season, garnering third-team honors from the media and an honorable mention from the coaches. In 2021, Walker will be playing for more than an honorable mention. In fact, he’ll be playing for more than conference recognition altogether. Walker will be playing for a spot in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. His preseason scouting report bodes well for him, but the journey isn’t over yet. |
Rasheed Walker NFL Draft Player ProfileOn the proverbial prospect checklist, Walker covers most of the bases. At 6’6″, 320 pounds, he’s an exceptionally-sized player who’s reasonably athletic and flexible. On top of his athletic traits, Walker is smart, methodical, and malleable in the face of deception. Moreover, he has a tangible mauler mentality on run blocking reps. Walker’s hands are already sudden and violent, and as he continues to refine his precision, he’ll only get better. As it stands, The Nittany Lion is a well-rounded tackle prospect with the potential to start and thrive at the NFL level. |
 |