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Mike Walker
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 209 | Position:WR | College: UCF
 Player Profile Draft TrackerOther WR
 
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Overview

Returning to action as a senior after missing his final two games of the 2005 season due to a knee injury, Walker was not expected to have the breakout season he produced. Called by the coaching staff the team's best all-around athlete, Walker quietly went about his business, but while he might not get much media attention, the split end finished third in Division I-A with an average of 7.50 receptions per game and was tied for fifth with an average of 98.17 receiving yards per game in 2006.

The Orlando Edgewater High School product starred on both sides of the ball in his final two seasons and helped his team to a 24-4 record. Defensively, he intercepted 13 passes and recorded 77 tackles in his junior and senior seasons. He was equally impressive on the offensive side of the ball, as he grabbed 40 receptions for 812 yards (20.3 avg.) and 10 touchdowns as a senior. He grabbed seven passes for 138 yards in the Class 6A state championship game.

Walker was selected to play in the Cali-Florida Bowl, where he had five catches for 75 yards. He earned all-district, all-county and All-Central Florida honors while placing No. 33 on the Orlando Sentinel's Top 100. He was also selected as a member of Bill Buchalter's "Dandy Dozen." Rivals.com rated him as the No. 27 receiver in the nation, as Walker was also named to the all-state and All-Gridwire teams.

As a true freshman at Central Florida in 2003, Walker appeared in 12 games. In reserve duty, he caught 21 passes for 337 yards (16.0 avg.), but did not have any touchdowns. He also made one tackle on special teams. In 2004, Walker started the team's first six games at left cornerback before splitting time between defense and the receiving unit during the second half of that season. He caught nine passes for 191 yards (21.2 avg.) with a score and led the team with three interceptions. Walker recorded 29 tackles (23 solos) with seven pass deflections and forced one fumble.

Walker moved back to split end full-time in 2005. He earned All-Conference USA second-team honors, as he totaled 855 yards receiving, ranking second on the team with 64 receptions (13.4 avg.), including nine touchdowns. Walker also rushed once for seven yards, made four solo tackles and had one stop for an eight-yard loss. A knee injury would keep him on the sidelines for the team's final two games.

Showing no ill effects from his 2005 knee injury, Walker caught 90 passes for 1,178 yards and seven touchdowns in his final season.

In 46 games at Central Florida, Walker started six times on defense and 23 times on offense. He caught 183 passes for 2,547 yards (14.0 avg.) and 17 touchdowns. He ran once for a 7-yard gain and picked up 59 yards on three interception returns. Walker was in on 34 tackles (28 solos) with two stops for losses of 10 yards and caused one fumble.

Analysis

Positives: While his frame can certainly use additional bulk, he has a long, lanky frame with good overall muscle tone, tight waist, defined shoulders and low body fat … Shows very good field savvy and vision, as he is alert to coverages and has a knack for executing head fakes and generating enough hip wiggle to elude after the catch … Smooth open-field runner who might lack timed speed, but has the change-of-direction agility, balance and body control to make proper adjustments to get to off-target throws … Shows good hip flexibility and knee bend to plant and drive out of his cuts … Has the ability to take plays from the chalkboard to the playing field … Excels at making adjustments according to what the defense gives him, and is alert to coming back when the quarterback is pressured … Is best when given room to get into his routes, but has the movement skills and hand/eye coordination to separate after the catch … His long stride makes him look a bit slow coming off the line, but he can accelerate out of his breaks and is smart enough to gear down and time his leaps to get to the short-area throws … Usually crisp when trying to cut … His body control is evident when he runs disciplined patterns … Does a very good job of sitting down underneath and knows where the chains are … He can find the sticks and maintains eye contact so he knows where the cornerback is positioned … Better when utilizing his moves to elude rather than to trying to generate a second gear that is lacking … Natural ball catcher who will extend and reach away from his frame … Catches with ease when he goes for the ball and shows good hand strength to secure the ball before turning up field … While he can use more bulk, he is effective at using his body to shield defenders and shows no flinch going for the pass in a crowd, even when he knows the defender is going to deliver a crunching hit … Will assert himself well to combat for the jump balls … Has just adequate deep speed, but tracks the ball well in flight and can sneak up on a lethargic defender and separate … Very effective at tracking the ball over his outside shoulder … Is more of a build-up speed-type of runner, but demonstrates good concentration to look the ball in … Very smooth making twisting moves to get to the off-target throws while maintaining his stride … Won't put on the afterburners to separate after the catch, but has enough lower-body strength to break the initial tackle … His shake and loose hips lets him gain positive yardage up the seam … Puts in the extra hours after practice and is known to spend considerable time in the film room … Does a nice job of locating defenders on the field and knows how to settle into the field's soft areas … Showed improvement using his frame to shield defenders from the ball in 2006.

Negatives: Needs to add at least another 10-15 pounds of bulk and strength to his frame to be more consistent powering through the jam at the next level … Has a small waist, lacking the lower-body power to maintain position and sustain when blocking for the ground game … His long stride and lack of second gear makes him adequate on routes into the deep secondary … Needs to use his hands with force in order to defeat the press, as he does not generate an explosive initial step … Needs to learn to vary his stride (must take pitter-patter steps instead of long ones) … Comes out of his breaks cleanly, but will take some false steps at times … Has the determination to compete for the passes inside, but a lack of bulk sees him get ping-ponged by second-level defenders … Has to surprise the cornerback to slip past his opponent, as he does not have the sudden moves to separate after the catch … Will get stymied by a strong wrap-up tackle … Marginal blocker who will get pushed back into the pocket when trying to clear space for the ground game … Makes only a passive effort to sustain and takes poor angles in the open when asked to cut block.

Compares To: Greg Jennings, Green Bay -- Walker does not have Jennings' speed, but both are field savvy pass catchers who use an array of moves to elude tacklers … Despite his timed speed, Walker is more effective on short-to-intermediate routes, as he tends to lose sight of the ball when utilized deep into the zone … His experience on defense will prove invaluable if he has to fight for one of the team's final roster spots.

Injury Report

2002: Suffered a broken collarbone during the summer.

2005: Tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee vs. Rice (Nov. 19), undergoing surgery that forced him to sit out the final two games vs. Tulsa and Nevada.

Agility Tests

Campus: 4.58 in the 40-yard dash … 32 1/8-inch arm length … 9½-inch hands … Right-handed.

Combine: 4.45 in the 40-yard dash … 1.58 10-yard dash … 2.59 20-yard dash … 4.39 20-yard shuttle … 6.92 three-cone drill … 36½-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-1 broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times.

High School

Attended Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.) High School, playing football for head coach Bill Gierke … Starred on both sides of the ball in his final two seasons and helped his team to a 24-4 record … Defensively, he intercepted 13 passes and recorded 77 tackles in his junior and senior seasons … Was equally impressive on the offensive side of the ball, as he grabbed 40 receptions for 812 yards (20.3 avg.) and 10 touchdowns as a senior … Grabbed seven passes for 138 yards in the Class 6A state championship game … Selected to play in the Cali-Florida Bowl, where he had five catches for 75 yards … Earned all-district, all-county and All-Central Florida honors while placing No. 33 on the Orlando Sentinel's Top 100 … Also selected as a member of Bill Buchalter's "Dandy Dozen" … Rivals.com rated him as the No. 27 receiver in the nation, as Walker was also named to the all-state and All-Gridwire teams.

Personal

Liberal Studies major … Son of Barbara Walter and Michael Sims … Born Nov. 21, 1984 … Resides in Orlando, Fla.

 
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