Joe Walker Provides Depth for 49ers Linebackers

Walker might not be the flashiest signee, but he should provide depth and stability to a very young reserve linebacker unit.

Although the San Francisco 49ers offense has seen a few changes this offseason, their defense remains almost untouched. Only one starter, DeForest Buckner, will not return, and he was replaced by first-round pick Javon Kinlaw.

The 49ers instead tried their best to retain current starters and build on existing depth with inexpensive veterans and unproven talent. One such acquisition was former Eagles and Cardinals linebacker Joe Walker, who signed for a modest $900,000.

If Walker’s name sounds at all familiar, it is likely from his collegiate career. At Oregon, Walker won both a Rose Bowl and an Alamo Bowl, and played in the 2015 College Football Playoff. He also made one of the most memorable plays of the 2014 season, when he scooped up a premature spike by Utah’s Kaelin Clay, and returned it 100-yards for a touchdown.

After entering the NFL as a seventh-round selection by Philadelphia in 2016, Walker’s been mostly a special teamer (812 special teams snaps to 634 defensive snaps). Yet, he proved capable of contributing on defense last season with Arizona. According to Pro Football Reference, his defensive snap count jumped from zero to 537 (47%) in 2019. This was the result of taking over at left inside linebacker for the benched 2017 first-round pick Haason Reddick (the Cardinals since declined Reddick’s fifth-year option).

Despite Walker’s adequate production in Reddick’s stead (65 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and a forced fumble), the Cardinals underwent a linebacker makeover this offseason. They signed former Atlanta linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and drafted the extremely athletic Isaiah Simmons out of Clemson. And an under-the-radar move that replaces Walker’s special-teams contributions is the sixth-round pick of Cal linebacker Evan Weaver.

One reason Arizona likely chose to upgrade over Walker was his limitations on the field. Even though he can get the ball carrier down, he’s not great at blitzing or covering. In 2019, Walker recorded just two pressures and one QB hit on 31 blitzes. In coverage, Walker allowed 24 completions on 33 attempts for 234 yards and a touchdown. Campbell and Simmons, although more expensive, are major improvements in both aspects.

If things go well for San Francisco, Walker won’t be asked to cover or blitz much. Kwon Alexander, Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner are locks to start, and Walker, or any other reserve linebacker, would only see the field if a starter were to go down.

Yet, as we learned last season, it doesn’t hurt to have experienced depth around. The 49ers lost Elijah Lee in free agency, which makes Mark Nzeocha (three career starts) and Azeez Al-Shaair (UDFA in 2019) the only other reserves with NFL game experience.

Like last season, if a starting linebacker goes down, the 49ers might just rely on nickel defense more often while utilizing their third linebacker in run-heavy situations. Walker, an experienced tackler, would compete with Nzeocha and Al-Shaair for snaps, similar to what Lee did last season.

Walker might not be the flashiest signee, but he should provide depth and stability to a very young reserve linebacker unit.