Bucs Gameday

NFL Analyst Says Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rookie Should Be NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year

Tampa Bay's third round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft is already exceeding expectations in a big way for the Buccaneers.

Collin Haalboom

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Peter Schrager is one of the hosts of the NFL Network's hit show, Good Morning Football. He's also one of the most respected and recognizable NFL media reporters in the business. He's a busy, hard-working guy who is extremely plugged into all things NFL. 

He's also apparently a huge fan of one Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie defender.

When GMFB was aired on Tuesday, Schrager hosted a segment where he counted down the best rookie performances from week 16 in the NFL. In doing so, he credited Bucs' rookie edge rusher, YaYa Diaby, with having the fourth-best rookie performance in the league this past weekend.

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"If you watched this Jags-Bucs game, number 0, YaYa Diaby, was all over the field." 

He continued. 

"YaYa Diaby was in the backfield just harassing Trevor Lawrence. [He] was one of the best players in all of football this week. Listen to this, YaYa Diaby's numbers, you ready for this? 5 tackles 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery."

Nov 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) reacts after a sack against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Schrager then wanted to emphasize the fact that this wasn't just some one-hit wonder performance by Diaby. 

"YaYa Diaby, it's not just a one week thing. This guy right here has been one of the best rookies in all of football this season. Leads all rookies in sacks... Sorry, I know we love Jalen Carter and yes, Will Anderson has gotten a ton of love. The best pass rusher of all these guys? YaYa Diaby." 

Diaby was the Buccaneers' third-round pick (82nd overall) in the 2023 draft out of Louisville. And so far, he looks like he'll be an important part of what has already proven to be an impressive draft class for Bucs' GM, Jason Licht, with the potential to be a great one. 

The majority of Licht's draft picks, including Calijah Kancey (first round), Cody Mauch (second), and Trey Palmer (sixth) have each provided a strong return on investment already. Not to mention, UDFA defensive back, Christian Izien, has been rock solid as a starter for most of the season. 

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But when focusing on the 6 foot 3, 263-pound rookie edge rusher, YaYa Diaby, his production has been at the top of his class. Which is why Peter Schrager, in addition to a growing contingent of Bucs supporters, feels like he is deserving of serious consideration for Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

More importantly, though, it's now become obvious that YaYa Diaby has become a key building block for the future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. 

You can follow Collin Haalboom on X.

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.