Down to 238 pounds at the end of the 2017 season, DeMarcus Walker didn’t look or feel like himself.

“Even my mom, when she saw me, didn’t like it,” Walker said.

The Mom knew The Son was not a stay-light, play-in-space guy. Walker’s game is all about power.

The Broncos selected Walker number 51 overall in 2017 because he was a 280-pound one-man wrecking crew for Florida State, posting 16 sacks (second nationally) as a senior.

Walker, 23, is back at defensive end this year, the right decision for both player and team.

“I feel like my normal self, back how I was running around in Tallahassee,” Walker said.

Walker is at his normal weight — 275 at last check and 280 is the target by the season opener.

And he is at his normal position — working toward being a regular pass-rushing threat.

“He looks good,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. “Last year, he was kind of bounced around from outside linebacker to defensive line, but having him at one position has helped him a lot.”

After last year’s draft, Walker was trained to be a defensive end. But linebacker Shane Ray injured his wrist early in camp and the Broncos moved Walker to Ray’s spot. He dropped weight to make it work. When Ray returned at midseason, Walker moved back to defensive end. Related Articles Broncos Briefs: After fine, Vic Fangio vows to be more aware of wearing mask

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“I was quick as heck, but …,” Walker said.

It is a big but: He was too small to play defensive end.

Early this off-season, Joseph said Walker was moving back to defensive end.

“It was great,” Walker said. “Back to my natural position, the position I dominated at in college.”

To earn the chance to dominate, Walker needed to regain the weight he lost last year. The key for Walker and the Broncos’ strength staff was making sure the added weight was good weight, the kind of pounds that allow him to bully opposing offensive linemen but also retain his quickness.

“A lot of lifting and eating the right stuff and eating a lot of meals,” Walker said. “In college, I had 2-3 meals a day, but when I got to the NFL, the workload is more so those 2-3 meals were nothing. Now it’s like 4-5 a day.”

Breakfast is usually a bowl of scrambled eggs, tomatoes and sausage, sometimes chased by French toast.

Lunch No. 1 is simple.

“Carbs,” Walker said.

Lunch No. 2?

“Something to carry me over for the next 2-3 hours,” Walker said.

And then dinner.

“Being on a weight-gain program is fun,” Walker said. “It’s getting back to being comfortable, which I am, and playing the double teams and being an athlete.”

Walker is also back in defensive line coach Bill Kollar’s meeting room full-time, which Joseph said is a benefit.

“Having him with Bill all the time has helped him,” Joseph said. “He understands what Bill wants. Bill is obviously a demanding coach so being with Bill has helped DeMarcus play harder and obviously being bigger is going to help him play better.”

The OTA workouts are beneficial to Walker as he re-acclimates himself to his preferred position.

“Just fine-tuning my craft, working on my pass-rush moves, getting the playbook down,” he said.

The presence of pass rush specialists Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Ray, among others, should provide Walker with plenty of one-on-ones this year.

“I’m going to take advantage of any match-up I can get,” Walker said. “It’s all gas, no brakes for me.”