Pewter Report’s Camp Diary series is back for the Bucs’ 2026 training camp in a new format with video interviews in addition to partial transcriptions.
This year’s Pewter Report Camp Diary participants are undrafted free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels, who will represent Tampa Bay’s offense and the rookie class, as well as outside linebacker David Walker, who represents the veterans and the defensive side of the ball.
OLB David Walker was drafted in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after racking up 39 sacks in four years in college, including the last two at Central Arkansas. At 6-foot-1, 258 pounds, Walker has freaky athleticism and a wide array of pass rush moves. Yet he has yet to truly showcase his ability, as he suffered a season-ending knee injury on the third day of training camp during his rookie season.
David, who was the subject of last year’s Training Camp Diary for just one installment, is back with a vengeance for year two in Tampa Bay. Now healthy and stronger after a year of rehab and learning Todd Bowles’ defense behind the scenes in the classroom and the film room, Walker is ready to make up for lost time, let it rip in training camp and earn some playing time as a situational pass rusher behind starters Yaya Diaby and Rueben Bain Jr.
David Walker Camp Diary: Bucs Pass Rusher Is Back!
The following is an excerpt from Scott Reynolds’ exclusive pre-training camp interview with OLB David Walker. For the rest of the interview, including his thoughts on his new Tampa Bay teammates, his ability to backflip at nearly 260 pounds, his thoughts on the Bucs uniforms, and his message to Buccaneers fans – watch the entire David Walker Camp Diary episode by clicking here.
SCOTT REYNOLDS: Once again, you’ve generated some buzz this offseason, especially the last week of OTAs and during the mini-camp when you were really able to turn it on. Even Todd Bowles was saying, ‘Yeah that looks like the old David Walker that we saw this time last year.’ Do you feel like the old David Walker? And how did the knee hold up this offseason when you got back out there on the field?
DAVID WALKER: “I feel better. I just thank God for giving me another opportunity to play the game that I love. I feel better than I was when I first got here last year, so that’s good upside. I feel like that’s good for my mental going into this year just because of the injury. But man, I feel ready.”
Bucs OLBs Al-Quadin Muhammad and David Walker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
SCOTT REYNOLDS: Let’s talk about the defense. There could be as many as five new starters from a year ago as Haason Reddick, Logan Hall and Jamel Dean are gone via free agency and Lavonte David retired. If Jacob Parrish moves to outside cornerback to replace Jamel Dean that could free up the nickelback job for say, Keiont Scott. There’s a lot of change that is going to be coming to the defense this year, hopefully for the better. Is that right?
DAVID WALKER: “Change is better. I feel like change [better]. The guys that did leave, they cemented themselves here, and we’re going to miss [Lavonte]. We’re going to miss Mike [Evans]. We’re going to miss all those guys, but I feel like Todd [Bowles] and them, they brought in some really good dudes to back those guys up. So I feel like, man, we’re hungry. We’re coming with a with a different tenacity. Like you said, we’re so deep right now. So man, it’s going to be fun. it’s going to be a fun training camp.”
SCOTT REYNOLDS: What are your impressions of some of the veteran newcomers, specifically Alex Anzalone, who comes over from the Lions to replace Lavonte David at linebacker, and then A’Shawn Robinson, who comes over from the division-rival Carolina Panthers? He brings an attitude and an edge with him that defensive line position, replacing Logan Hall.
DAVID WALKER: “A’Shawn, man, I like his grit. He’s a vet, like you said. He’s a veteran. He knows how to play the game. He knows to play it with physicality, and I feel like that’s just going to trickle out throughout the whole D-line. And then Anzalone, he’s fast. He’s fast, he’s vocal and he’s always getting to the ball. I feel like that those habits are just going to make us even better because we’re going to look at those guys say like, ‘They’re 10 years in, and man, we want to be in that same position when we get there, too.”
SCOTT REYNOLDS: Do you see some similarities in your game and in Rueben Bain’s? I’ve talked to some of your teammates and some of the coaches and scouts as well, and when you see this bend from you, David – and of course you’ve got that knee brace on right there, is that something that you are going to continue to wear during training camp or are you going to be free from that?
Bucs OLB David Walker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
DAVID WALKER: “As far as right now, we’re going to wear it and see how it feels. I feel good in it, so we’re going to go with that right now.”
SCOTT REYNOLDS: You certainly look good in it. You’re got that low center of gravity very much like Rueben Bain Jr. Is that kind of freaky to see somebody that has that low center of gravity like you do and the ability to bend and dip? It really makes for a nice 1-2 punch for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having two type of edge rushers that have that ability.
DAVID WALKER: “Yeah man, he and I were talking this about a couple weeks ago, and we’re like, ‘Man, we’re Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis 2.0’ because we’re similar to those guys and we look up to those guys. So man, we’re excited about what they’re going to do with the group that we have this year.”
Watch The Exclusive David Walker & Jalon Daniels Camp Diary VIDEOS On PewterReportTV
Subscribe to the PewterReportTV YouTube channel where you’ll find all of the David Walker and Jalon Daniels Camp Diary video episodes, as well as Scott Reynolds’ Pewter Pulse videos, and the Pewter Report Podcasts, which go live each day at 4:00 p.m. ET when there is a Buccaneers training camp practice.
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