A Denver native who chased his father's footsteps to Colorado, Arden Walker turned a breakout senior pass-rushing season into a rookie shot with the Vikings.
Arden Walker grew up in Denver dreaming of playing for the Buffaloes, following his father Arthur, who rushed the passer for Colorado's national championship team in the late 1980s. After a brief, unproductive stint at Missouri, Walker transferred home and turned himself into one of the Big 12's most disruptive edge rushers. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with the Minnesota Vikings, betting his college production translates to a linebacker or edge role at the next level.
Path to the league
Walker starred at Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado, before beginning his college career at Missouri, where he saw minimal playing time. He transferred back to his hometown Colorado Buffaloes in 2023, joining a program his father Arthur helped lead to a national title decades earlier.
Career highlights
Across three seasons in Boulder, Walker played in 36 games with 15 starts, racking up 91 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and a safety. His coaching staff moved him to a full-time edge rusher role as a senior, and the production spiked as a result, making him one of Colorado's most productive defenders down the stretch.
2025 season recap
In his final season at Colorado, Walker recorded eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss in eight games after his position shift to edge rusher, a marked jump in disruptiveness from his earlier seasons. Despite the strong finish, he went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent, entering camp as a linebacker and pass-rush depth option.
Sources
- ESPN: Arden Walker player page
- SI: How Colorado Helped Defensive Lineman Arden Walker Land on an NFL Roster
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Colorado
- Hometown
- Denver, CO, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
