Undrafted rookie outplays Dallas Cowboys top pick in preseason debut

The Dallas Cowboys may have lost their first preseason game against the 49ers on Saturday, but this young defender put up a surprise performance.

The Dallas Cowboys defensive line is one of the deepest in recent memory. Especially at defensive end, which will feature a pair of two-time Pro Bowlers in DeMarcus Lawrence and Robert Quinn. Although both Lawrence (shoulder) and Quinn (hand) are currently sidelined due to injury and the latter just got hit with a two-game suspension.

But the Cowboys also have a very talented set of defensive tackles patrolling the middle of their line this year. That group is being led by a resurgent Maliek Collins, who appears to finally be healthy after struggling with foot issues through his first three seasons. Collins is having an excellent training camp so far and appears to be set to have a breakout performance in the final year of his rookie contract.

Alongside Collins is defensive tackle Antwaun Woods, a player defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has now lovingly nicknamed The Woodshed. A free agency find last May, Woods was a surprise 15-game starter last season.

This offseason, the Cowboys signed former Houston Texans defensive lineman Christian Covington to join the depth chart alongside veteran backup Daniel Ross, who is entering his third season in Dallas. Then the Cowboys used their top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the 58th overall selection in the second round, on UCF defensive tackle Trysten Hill, who is viewed as the future of the three-technique position.

Yet, in Hill’s debut on Saturday night in the Cowboys’ exhibition against the San Francisco 49ers, it was another rookie that took the spotlight. Here’s what former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus wrote on DallasCowboys.com in his Scout’s Notebook about the play of Ricky Walker following the team’s first preseason contest.

"“Look for Ricky Walker to get more opportunities with the second defensive line. I felt like he outplayed Trysten Hill and Daniel Ross inside. Physically, Walker might not look like the ideal body type, but he was the most disruptive player that the line had at tackle. The 49ers backups had trouble with him due to his ability to get up the field and defeat blockers.”"

Undrafted out of Virginia Tech, the 6-foot-2, 295-pound Walker recorded 49 total tackles,10.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and forced two fumbles in 11 games his senior season. He was known for playing with a great motor, his quickness off the line, and his low center of gravity.

Against the Niners Saturday night, the rookie flashed his ability to be an interior disruptor and posted three tackles including one for a loss in his debut. Hill, the Cowboys’ top pick, failed to make a blimp on the stat sheet.

Obviously, it’s only one game. And a preseason one at that. But the name Ricky Walker is likely one Dallas Cowboys’ fans didn’t know going into the matchup. Now they do. If the former Hokie can continue to make a name for himself in the coming weeks, he may land on the Cowboys’ final-53 man roster and be on his way to making a difference when the games actually count.