Among the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ roster needs heading into this offseason, edge rusher ranks near if not at the top. After cutting veteran outside linebacker Shaq Barrett, the Bucs have no true leading edge defender, and perhaps just one candidate to take his place on the roster.
Barrett led the team in total pressures last season according to Pro Football Focus, accounting for 15.6% of the team’s pressures, and almost double the next outside linebacker Yaya Diaby. As a rookie, Diaby was sensational, leading the team with 7.5 sacks. However, he was anything but efficient as a pass rusher, winning a meager 6.7% of his pass rushes, worst among Tampa Bay’s edge defenders. Diaby still has lots of room to grow, but the Bucs will need to plan in case he does not reach his potential, like 2021 first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
Diaby and Tryon-Shoyinka do provide some important insight into what the Bucs value at outside linebacker. While Diaby is a more explosive athlete and Tryon-Shoyinka has more length, they essentially share the same key qualities: size and speed. Head coach Todd Bowles asks a lot of his edge players—dropping into coverage, playing from a three-point stance or standing up, playing across the defensive line. Being big and fast are essential for Tampa Bay’s outside linebackers.
The outlier was Barrett, who is 6’2 and 250 pounds. The key difference between him and what the Bucs have typically targeted was Barrett’s technique and bend. He knew how to beat offensive linemen without being a superior athlete.
The Bucs need an upgrade at edge rush, and they need it now. Their moves this offseason suggest they intend to remain competitive for the NFC South title. Drafting a high-upside, developmental outside linebacker may yield better long-term results, but the Bucs’ 2024 goals may be better served saving their premium draft picks on immediate contributors.
Here are some of the Bucs’ draft scenarios for outside linebackers this year:
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In virtually every facet, Latu meets the Bucs’ needs for an outside linebacker. Most of Latu’s 2024 classmates are smaller than what general manager Jason Licht typically targets in the draft, and none are half as polished as pass rushers.
Unlike most of the top edge defenders, there is not a question of upside or potential with Latu. No full-time edge rusher had a better pass rush win rate than Latu in 2023 according to Pro Football Focus, and no edge defender recorded more sacks over 2022 and 2023. Latu does not win with overwhelming athleticism. He wins with technique and tenacity.
The Bucs have several developmental edge rushers on the roster as is. What they lack is a real source of production. Of all the players in this year’s draft, Latu is the most likely to remedy that problem.
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The Bucs certainly have a type when it comes to their outside linebackers. They like them big, fast and explosive, even if their college production did not match their athletic potential. Western Michigan’s Kneeland fits that mold to a tee.
At 6’3″ and 267 pounds, Kneeland looks a lot like Bucs linebackers Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Yaya Diaby. While he is not as fast or explosive as Diaby, he does have the best overall length of the draft’s edge defenders.
Kneeland’s college production is not terribly impressive, recording just six sacks and 37 total pressures last season. That is unlikely to deter the Bucs, who gambled on Diaby in the third round last year despite similar concerns. Kneeland’s upside is the real prize, and it could be had with the Bucs’ second-round pick.
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As one of the top edge defenders in this year’s class, Robinson is a popular mock draft selection for the Bucs. While he’s extremely talented and could have a great NFL career ahead of him, he is not the ready-made fit for Tampa Bay’s defense that some make him out to be.
Robinson might be the most explosive defensive player in the draft, especially with his first step off the snap. The problem is, that is all Robinson has at the moment. He rushes the quarterback with no moves, no counters and no plan beyond running past the tackle. That is not going to work in the NFL.
Robinson has the athletic profile to be a devastating pass rusher, but it largely projection at this point. His immediate fit in Tampa Bay’s defense is hard to see. He is smaller than what the Bucs favor in their outside linebackers, and he can be pushed around in run defense, a no-no in a Todd Bowles defense.
With Robinson projected to go late in the first round or early in the second, the Bucs would be spending a first-round pick largely on a projection of an effective pass-rusher. Considering Tampa Bay’s immediate need for pass rush help, Robinson might not be their best option with their first pick of the draft.
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In the event the draft board does not fall in favor of the early selection of an edge rusher, the Bucs still have options with this deep edge class. Houston Christian’s Hunt is very much a developmental project, but his upside and his likely availability in the middle of the draft could make him a target for Tampa Bay.
A former safety transfer from Cornell, Hunt’s path to the NFL is anything but conventional. He put on over 50 pounds in college, transitioning from defensive back to linebacker, making the most use of his wide frame and length. He is also absurdly explosive, recording a 128″ broad jump and a 37.5″ vertical jump.
Hunt will end up going a little later in the draft due to his lack of experience and productivity as a pass rusher. Nevertheless, his potential is worth exploring with one of the Bucs’ late third-round picks, or even their fourth-rounder.
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The Bucs added some valuable experience by signing veteran Randy Gregory to a one-year deal, which helps them in the short term, but still leaves them needing upside for the future. Latu would be the ideal match of both immediate impact and long-term value, but it’s unlikely he falls to the No. 26 pick in the first round. Robinson has upside, but that’s about it right now, so if he’s the best option available in the first round, the Bucs might prefer to target better value with players like Kneeland and Hunt on Day 2 or beyond.
