An in Depth Film Review of Detroit Lions Defensive Tackle Tyrunn Walker

Tyrunn Walker’s bread and butter is his pass rushing ability. He had the 17th highest Pass Rushing Productivity (7.3) of 72 qualifying defensive tackles. His versatility to play any position on the line and quickness will be huge in Teryl Austin’s aggressive scheme. In Detroit, he will be able to shoot gaps up the middle instead of reading and reacting to the play. He won’t be tasked with two-gapping or playing 0-1-tech anymore which should only improve his pass rushing numbers. He has already openly stated his love for the scheme per the teams website:

"“It’s kind of free roam for the defensive tackle,” Walker said of his early impressions of Teryl Austin’s scheme. “Get off and do your thing and play football. It’s always good when you can take the reading out of it and get up the field and do your thing."

This play below showcases his quick first step, violent bull rush, and his versatility to rush the passer from any position. He is lined up as a 5-tech defensive end and is clearly to strong for the left tackle to handle. His first punch is very effective, he does not allow the tackle any chance to slow him down or reroute him. He is in the linemans teeth taking the fight to him, this is exactly what you want to see from your defensive tackles.

This next play is the complete package. Tyrunn displays excellent hand use and really protects his frame from the blocker. He swats away his hands with ease and drives him back into the pocket. He then disengages from his blocker and chases down Colin Kapernick for a sack fumble. This is the type of game breaking play the Lions would be missing without Fairley and Suh. The hardest type of pressure for a QB to avoid is up the middle and we need to replace that element if we want to compete against Green Bay next year.

Tyrunn’s most effective pass rushing move is his bullrush, when you combine his quickness with his violent hand use he is very hard to stop. Very few offensive lineman could anchor against this power and he is a prime candidate for the “Disruption is Production” theory. He gets into the backfield very quickly and can straight embarrass offensive lineman like he did to the player below. His first punch immediately tosses the defender to the ground and he creates some serious pressure up the middle. He was not quick enough to make the play but he forced a bad throw which led to an incompletion.

While he mostly utilizes his quickness and bullrush when rushing the passer, it does not mean he is a one trick pony. Tyrunn shows some advanced moves, like this spin move below, to beat offensive lineman if he does not win off the line of scrimmage. He displays the tenacity to play through the whistle and great ability to recover when his quickness is matched. This is incredibly impressive considering how little reps Tyrunn has had in his career and should only improve as next season progresses.

Next: Run Defense