Packers claim edge rusher Arden Walker, fill roster

Several days after the Green Bay Packers opened up a roster spot by waiving quarterback Kyron Drones, the team finally filled the position today by claiming pass-rusher Arden Walker off waivers. Walker, an undrafted rookie, was waived by the Minnesota Vikings — who also run a 3-4 defense — after the team replaced Walker with former UFL edge defender Kenny Dyson yesterday.

Walker is a relatively unknown prospect, as he was not one of the 2,700+ players ranked by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler in his “The Beast” series. Walker also only signed with the Vikings for $2,000 in guaranteed money following the draft, which is significantly less than any of the UDFAs the Packers signed immediately after the draft. For perspective, edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly received $262,500 in guarantees when he signed with Green Bay.

According to NFL Pro, Walker played 18 snaps in the Vikings’ preseason opener last week, first appearing in the game with two seconds left in the third quarter. 17 of those 18 snaps came on defense, with the other coming on special teams.

Below are some highlights from Walker during his college days at Colorado:

Per NFL Draft Scout, Walker, who was a non-combine invite, measured in at 6’2”-flat and 242 pounds at Colorado’s pro day. There, he ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash, a 7.20-second three-cone drill and had a 31” vertical jump. Walker began his career at Missouri as a backup before transferring to Colorado, where he played his final three years. He was a full-time starter in only his senior season.

There could be two reasons why the Packers might want to add at the edge rusher position right now. First, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Green Bay’s fourth-round rookie, is going into his second week of missing practice with an illness. Second, the aforementioned Kelly has been missing practice with a knee injury. At the moment, we don’t know the severity of Kelly’s knee injury.