27 Days, 27 Picks: OT Kenyatta Walker
In 27 Days, 27 Picks, Bucs Wire will analyze the last 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft picks, one for each day leading up to the 2023 NFL draft. We’ll take a look at the player’s college stats, their pre-draft numbers (either via the NFL Combine or their Pro Day), their NFL stats, some player footage and analysis at the end on whether the pick itself was a good one.
The Bucs would give up their first-round picks in 2002 and 2003 for coach Jon Gruden, so we go back to 2001 for the next player in our series. That player was OT kenyatta walker, who failed to live up to high expectations after the team traded up to select him.
Check out the draft rundown on Walker below:
College Accolades
Jamie Squire/ALLSPORT
Kenyatta Walker played college football at Florida. He was named to the All-SEC second team in 1999 and the first team in 2000. He was named an All-American by multiple outlets in 2000.
Pre-Draft Measurements
Ezra Shaw/ALLSPORT
Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
6 ft 5 in | 311 lbs | 5.23s | 4.60s | 7.70s | 31 1/2 in | 9 ft 1 in | 24 |
Pick Selected
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Kenyatta Walker was selected with the No. 14 pick in the 2001 NFL draft.
Player selected before him: DT Marcus Stroud, Jacksonville Jaguars
Player selected after him: WR Rod Gardner, Washington Commanders
NFL Accolades
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Kenyatta Walker played six years in the NFL, all for the Bucs. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team in 2001.
Pick Analysis
(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
So here’s the kicker with this pick: the Bucs traded up with the Buffalo Bills to select Kenyatta Walker, and gave up their second-round pick to do so.
Was it worth it in that context? Not quite. Would it have been worth it if the Bucs had the No. 14 pick to begin with? Probably not then, either.
While Walker was a reliable starter, starting 73 of the 75 games he played, his play was marred by numerous penalties in particular — he amassed 52 penalties in the 75 games he played for 459 yards across his career. With the quick math, that’s 6.12 penalty yards per game across six years.
He was eventually moved over to right tackle, but after the Bucs released him in 2006, he never played football again. All-in-all, Walker’s play wasn’t phenomenal for a player drafted so high up.
