Film Study: What safety Wesley Walker brings to the Wolverines

There isn’t much the sixth-year senior hasn’t seen during his collegiate career.

The Michigan Wolverines bolstered their secondary in the month of May with four new versatile defensive backs entering the fold. We have already broken down FCS All-American Aamir Hall , East Lansing refugee Jaden Mangham , and UNLV project Ricky Johnson . To conclude our film breakdown of the newest Wolverines is Tennessee transfer safety Wesley Walker.

Background

A former three-star from Tennessee, Walker is well-traveled. A member of the 2019 recruiting cycle – the same cycle that included David Ojabo, Dax Hill, Mike Sainristil, and Cornelius Johnson – Johnson originally committed to Georgia Tech and spent three seasons with the Yellow Jackets playing nickel corner.

During his time in Atlanta, Walker played in 23 games (started 13) and racked up 95 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, six pass deflections, and two forced fumbles. Following his redshirt sophomore season, Walker hit the portal and went back home to join the Volunteers in Knoxville.

At Tennessee, despite playing in a below-average secondary, Walker hit his stride after switching positions to safety. Over the last two seasons, Walker accrued 89 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, six pass deflections, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception.

With a whopping 2,237 snaps played over the last five seasons and steady improvement throughout his career, Walker was expected to turn pro after last season. However, a late-season injury forced Walker to miss the final few games and behooved him to return to college for his sixth and final season of eligibility.

Measurables

Listed at 6’1, 200 pounds, Walker has average size for the position, but could benefit from adding another five or so pounds. Furthermore, a player that is quicker than fast, top-end speed should be a focal point for Walker this summer in anticipation of playing against high-octane teams such as Texas, USC, and Ohio State .

Georgia Tech/Tennessee Scouting

Best film: South Carolina

Worst film: Florida

Wesley Walker is a high-floor veteran who excels on the margins. Never the biggest or the fastest on the field, Walker has relied on instinct and preparation to succeed at multiple positions in both the ACC and SEC. However, some of his tape leaves me equally encouraged and discouraged at the same time.

Continuing the theme of Hall, Mangham, and Johnson, Walker is a versatile player, but he lacks the imposing physicality of the formers. What is baffling about Walker is that he actually excels as a blitzer and weapon off the edge, but struggles as a reliable tackler in space. As a blitzer, he consistently shows polish, finesse, and decisiveness when attacking beyond the line of scrimmage. But in the open field, sometimes he shows acceleration, closing speed, and finishing ability.

Other times he is left hugging air like he did repeatedly against Trevor Etienne and Florida. As a tackler, Walker plays like a defensive end trapped inside a corner’s body: comfortable exploding into a phone booth and shaky in space. Fortunately, his inconsistencies are mostly due to correctable technique issues and should be addressed early in the summer.

In coverage, despite not possessing any elite trait, Walker is a well-seasoned presence who is rarely out of position. Walker is a little scheme-dependent – playing him in too much Cover 2, Cover 1, or God-forbid Cover 0 is asking for trouble – but his IQ and experience mitigate most athletic limitations.

Expectations at Michigan

Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals… That is all Walker should be focused on from now until the start of fall camp. Playing in this NFL scheme compared to whatever the hell Tennessee was running on the back end is like going from high school to graduate school based on rotations, coverage variations, and snap-to-snap responsibilities. Moreover, this emphasis on fundamentals will carry over into tackling technique: pursuit angles, positioning, and helmet placement especially.

Now, I know it sounds like I have been critical of Walker, but – similar to Anthony Fantano spending 12 minutes hating on an album before delivering a soft 8 – there is a lot to like about Walker’s game.

Walker’s competitiveness is relentless (and disciplined, he has not been called for a penalty since 2021) and his experience puts him ahead of any transfer on Michigan’s roster. Furthermore, Walker has shown the ability to steadily improve throughout his robust college tenure. From playing out of position at Georgia Tech to emerging as one of the top safeties in the SEC entering last season, growth has been a part of Walker’s journey every step of the way; expect no different in Ann Arbor.

Next season, Walker will have the opportunity to start alongside Makari Paige or at least rotate frequently with returner Quinten Johnson. Fellow transfer Jaden Mangham has the highest ceiling of these three players but also possesses the lowest floor, which could hold him back this season until he gets his bearings.

Walker, however, is ready to go. At the worst, he is a B minus player with the ceiling being B plus. Walker is a low risk product who is the perfect stop-gap player until some of Michigan’s youth is able to acclimate and prove themselves reliable.