2024 was not the best year for Tampa Bay’s outside linebackers. While Yaya Diaby emerged as one of the better edge defenders in the NFL, the rest of the group proved to be a weakness for one of Todd Bowles’ worst defenses since he started calling the Buccaneers defense.
After leading the Bucs in sacks as a rookie last year, Yaya Diaby was the Bucs’ best outside linebacker and arguably their most consistent defender in 2024. Though he recorded fewer sacks than in 2023, Diaby improved as a pass rusher. According to Pro Football Focus, Diaby won 18.1% of his pass rushes, which is the eighth-best in the NFL among full-time edge rushers. He also accounted for 70 pressures, nearly one out of every five pressures the Bucs defense generated all season. Diaby also led the team with 13 tackles for a loss and missed just 4.4% of his tackles in run support.
The dropoff in production from Diaby to the rest of the Bucs’ outside linebackers was steep. 2021 first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka did little to make the Bucs regret forgoing his fifth-year option. He recorded just two sacks and 24 total pressures. He was so invisible that he was relegated to a part-time role after the Bucs’ Week 11 bye.
He was replaced in the starting lineup by veteran Anthony Nelson, who continued to be solid depth if a less than ideal starting option. Nelson notched four sacks and 33 total pressures as well as six tackles for a loss.
Rookie Chris Braswell flashed some potential in a rotational role. He only had modest pass-rush production, collecting 1.5 sacks and 20 total pressures, but he had a 13.6% pass-rush win rate per PFF, second only to Diaby.
Pass rush specialist Markees Watts spent most of the season on injured reserve, and 2023 sixth-round pick Jose Ramirez barely saw the field. Shaq Barrett returned to Tampa Bay in the season’s final week but played only 17 snaps between Week 18 and the Wild Card round.
The outside linebackers accounted for just 12 of the Bucs’ 46 sacks and 23 of their 81 tackles for a loss. The edge rush, or lack thereof, was a big piece of the Bucs’ struggles in pass defense.
Diaby and Braswell are the only outside linebackers that are assured to be on the roster in 2025. Diaby is a legitimate starter and Braswell proved he can fit into an edge rotation.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is not likely to play in a Bucs uniform next season. The upside that got him drafted in the first round did not manifest into a high-end NFL player.
Anthony Nelson’s future is in doubt as well. He is due to be a free agent and had one of his most productive seasons yet. He averaged $5 million per year on his expiring contract and could be in line for a modest raise. Due to the void years on his contract, extending Nelson would save $1.76 million against the cap.
Watts and Ramirez have not proved enough to secure a roster spot before training camp. They will have a leg up on any tryout players, but there is no proof in the pudding to ensure that they play for Tampa Bay next season. Shaq Barrett could return on a minimal contract, but the Bucs won’t pin much hope on a 32-year-old linebacker.
The Bucs’ main goal will be to find a premiere edge rusher to pair with Diaby. With just $2.2 million in available cap space, the Bucs are not really in a position to get into a bidding war for a top-edge rusher. Moving heaven and earth to trade for Myles Garrett is not a realistic option. Even trading for Trey Hendrickson would be a surprising move, given his age and his demand for an extension.
The Bucs could pursue a designated pass rusher like Haasan Reddick or Josh Uche, both of whom had down years in 2024 on new teams. Their lack of production could make them cheap, but neither is the starting caliber edge defender that the defense lacks.
Instead, the Bucs will surely return to the well that has stocked their roster for years and draft an edge rusher. With the 19th pick, the Bucs’ ideal pick would be Marshall’s Mike Green, who was a downright dominant pass rusher with 17 sacks in 2024. Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. does not really fit the mold of an outside linebacker in Todd Bowles’ defense, but he is a proven pass rusher with 107 total pressures over the last two seasons.
Georgia’s Mykel Williams is an athletic specimen, but his lack of production for the Bulldogs begs the question of whether he is ready to be a full-time NFL pass rusher. One dark horse option is Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer, who may not have the best athletic traits of the class but has a proven track record and a mean streak missing from the Bucs’ defense in 2024.