2025 NFL Draft prospect Deone Walker might be the next Dexter Lawrence — or something even scarier

Now that Aaron Donald is retired, Dexter Lawrence has a legitimate case as the best defensive tackle in football. Sure, Chris Jones is probably a better, pure pass-rusher. But the Giants‘ 6-foot-4, 340-pound nose tackle plays more effectively against the run and is a nightmarish upfield rusher in his own right. 

Lawrence’s emergence from quality first-round pick in 2019 to undisputed superstar playing head-up on the center most of the time came precisely when we all were ready to label nose tackles — and many classic defensive tackles that aligned one gap over inside — strictly two-down, run-halting specialists once and for all. 

While Lawrence feels unicorn-ish because 95% of the rest of the nose tackles in football fit that limited archetype, there is another gargantuan nose tackle prospect with Lawrence-ian athleticism and collegiate production whose set to play what will almost assuredly be his final season in the SEC in 2024. 

He’s Deone Walker of Kentucky, and, at 6-6 and 348 pounds, he led all defensive tackles in Division I with 51 quarterback pressures in 2024. That rarely, if ever happens. And it’s 10 clear of Lawrence’s career high at Clemson. 

I planned to demonstrate Walker’s astoundingly freakish combination of size, width, nimble feet, and athleticism, rep-by-rep. This cutup I found on Twitter/X does the job much more efficiently. Behold. 

Now, in every draft, there are a few enormous nose tackles many marvel at because of their movement capabilities relative to their size. Essentially none of them move — and use counter moves — like what you just witnessed in that video. And more critically, none have been as productive rushing the passer as Walker was in the SEC, the Triple A of the NFL. 

Because of that, we’re clearly onto something with Walker as a legitimate and unique draft prospect, but he can be more than just those things. He can be legitimate, unique, and a valuable draft prospect. Yes, even as a nose tackle.  

The NFL is in the throws of a defensive tackle revolution. The stocky trench players primarily known for their run-stopping efforts and scoring the rare Big Man Touchdown are growing exponentially in importance as the logical counter to the way offenses have quietly been trending right before our eyes. 

And the idea of the growing value at defensive tackle isn’t just an opinion. The money bears it out. And nothing speaks…