ORCHARD PARK — As the ball was snapped and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Brandon Smith broke off the line of scrimmage, Kani Walker never took his eyes off Smith’s hips.
Walker never flinched as Smith made a stutter step, followed before a step up and toward the sideline. The Buffalo Bills cornerback’s eyes were locked on Smith as he flipped his hips subtly and ran step for step along the sideline, giving no room for quarterback Drew Allar to fit the ball in.
It was just a preseason game — the last preseason game — but Walker was prepared. Teams do little game planning for exhibition games, but Walker was prepared for Pittsburgh’s receivers.
Walker rarely looks into the eyes of a receiver, instead focusing on feet, hips or shoulders, all depending on the type of receiver he’s facing and what tips they can provide to give him an advantage.
“Some people emphasize certain things in different ways,” Walker told GNN Sports at his locker after a 28-27 win Thursday. “... So that’s just a lot of film study from Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Of course, for us this week, it was Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and even a little bit of Thursday before the game started. So it’s just being able to take some details from them that’s not showing in my notes.”
Walker’s preparation is paired with a confidence rarely shown in rookies, especially undrafted free agents. He tells himself that he only needs to make one play, which has led consistently to a series of plays throughout training camp. It’s to the point where Walker has a good chance of making the Bills’ 53-man roster when final cuts are made at 6 p.m. Sunday.
If Walker does make the team, he would be the fourth undrafted free agent to make the Bills’ Week 1 roster as a rookie in the last decade, joining Joe Andreessen (2024), Reggie Gilliam (2020) and Robert Foster (2018).
Since the spring, Walker has maintained a role as the team’s fourth boundary cornerback. He has shared time with seventh-round pick Toriano Pride Jr. at times, but if the Bills are using someone on the roster to fill the role, signs point to Walker being the guy.
The biggest sign was the Bills only needing to see 12 snaps from Walker against the Steelers. But that won’t make the wait easier.
“You really never know,” Walker said. “I just also still pray for my opportunity and just make sure I am what I need to be, regardless if it is here. Of course that’s what I want. That’s where I desire to be. That’s really why I work so hard. But if push came to shove, I’ll still bust my tail anywhere else.”
Oddly enough, Walker doesn’t plan to spend the wait thinking about what might happen. The Douglasville, Georgia, native plans to spend it with his family, who he admits has been neglected since he signed with the Bills after the draft in April.
“I’ve kind of been shut off from them for a little bit since rookie minicamp,” Walker said. “I’m like, ‘Look, bro. I’m locked in. Don’t call me, don’t do none of that. This is me right now. Like, I need this right now.’ So really, just catch up with my family.”
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