Packers Add to Banged-Up Edge Room With One of Deion Sanders’ ‘Dawgs’

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With rising undrafted rookie Nyjalik Kelly missing practice with a knee injury and Dani Dennis-Sutton out for a week due to illness, the Green Bay Packers claimed rookie edge defender Arden Walker off waivers from the Vikings on Tuesday.

The Packers released quarterback Kyron Drones a couple days ago so didn’t have to make a corresponding roster move.

Walker started 11 games during his senior season at Colorado. He had 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for losses among 46 tackles. He had 4.5 sacks for the Buffalos in 2024. Walker opened his career at Missouri in 2021 in 2022. In five college seasons, he had eight sacks and 14 TFLs.

At Colorado’s pro day, he measured 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds. He ran his 40 in 4.78 seconds and finished with a Relative Athletic Score of 4.14.

“I was hoping just to prove that I’m able to be a football player and play on Sundays, simple as that,” Walker said after pro day. “They expected me to test well and I feel like I did, so now it’s more about interviewing and (showing) my personality.”

He went undrafted this year and signed a contract with the Vikings that included a $2,000 signing bonus.

“Arden is a dawg, one of our leaders,” Buffs coach Deion Sanders said. “I’m trying to figure out if he's a dawg or a leader. D or L, he's earned that.”

For signings like Walker, who have the scantest of NFL resumes, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst leans on his college scouts.

“Our college guys when they’re out there, they do so much work and good work on not only the evaluations but the background information, the medical stuff, personality stuff,” Gutekunst said before Tuesday’s practice.

“So, those are important to us, and we weigh heavily on that as we kind of narrow down some of the guys we might be looking at to claim or trade for, but that’s important. At the same time, if they have a lengthy history in this league, that’s going to override that.”

Arden Walker’s History

Walker’s father, Arthur, played for Colorado in the 1980s.

“It’s an honor,” he said. “I’m one of the legacy Buffs on this team, so I look at it a different way. With me wearing the CU emblem on my helmet and on my jersey, like I feel just knowing the history and just how much it means to the people before me, I take pride in what I do. So every time I step on the field, it’s just like, I can make a difference.”

Walker had a career-high 27 pressures in 2025, according to PFF.

“The production side, I got to continue just to keep stepping up,” Walker said last season. “I kind of hate that I did miss a game because I want to help my team, but I’m glad we was able to win and I’m glad I had people in my position group to step up who did well.

“I really want to take it to the next level, so I’ve got to continue to keep stepping up, no matter what it is: pass rush, playing the run.”

Productive Debut

Walker played 17 defensive snaps in the Vikings’ preseason game against the Giants. He had three assisted tackles (one was nullified by a teammate’s penalty).

He will have at least one familiar face in the locker room with former Colorado receiver Will Sheppard.

“You’re talking about a good kid and a good human being, just a good person and a good man," Sanders said. “Works his butt off every day in practice. He's preparing to have a good year. He practices like ‘I'm going to have a big year.’”

Walker embraced the leadership aspect before his final season.

“Personally, I feel like I've hit a learning curve,” he said. “I think I've always done it [lead] from just from little league and growing up and being around certain guys and people gravitating towards me, but now I think just in terms of how to lead and how to get to guys, especially grown men, getting them to put their pride aside and listen to me.

“I feel like I've taken certain steps to relate to guys, no matter where you come from, and then obviously having a common goal, which is to win.”

Off the field, he plays the piano and is into fashion.

Packers Play and Player of Day: Unstoppable Star at Practice 13 of Training Camp ⬇️https://t.co/mKHjv8qk8F
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 18, 2026

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