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Top Defensive Breakout Candidates for the Buccaneers in 2022

Which defensive players for the Bucs are poised to breakout in 2022?

Collin Haalboom

It may be a bit early, but it's definitely not too late.

This statement could not only be used to describe my decision to identify breakout players for the Bucs just two weeks before the NFL Draft, but also the current status of the players I'm about to discuss.

As I've said before, the 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a well-balanced complement of both young and veteran players making up the foundation of the roster. 

In terms of the veterans, they are, for the most part, well-established players whose production in the year to come is much easier to project. The younger ones on the other hand--mainly those who will still be playing on their rookie contracts--present a more unpredictable forecast.

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That said, there are a number of players who fall into the latter category, each of whom I believe have a golden opportunity—for a number of reasons—to breakout for the Buccaneers this season. 

Time to discuss who those players are, and why I believe that's the case. 

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

After being drafted 32nd overall in the 2021 NFL draft, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (JTS) had a pretty cushy first season. Not only was he joining the defending Super Bowl Champions, but his expectations were quite tame—at least as far as first-round NFL draft picks go.

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With established edge rushers, Shaquille Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul already locked into their roles, along with every other starter from the previous season, Tryon-Shoyinka’s expectation entering his rookie season was to come in and be a rotational pass rusher in sub-packages and/or when either of the aforementioned players needed a breather. His job requirements were pretty straightforward—get to the quarterback when you’re on the field.

Right from the get-go, the physical traits that made him a first-round selection were on full display. Tryon’s speed, agility, and power were obvious. He registered multiple sacks in the pre-season, including a strip-sack vs the Houston Texans.

As impressive as his performance throughout the preseason was, the boxscore will unfortunately never reflect the massive hit he laid on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, Brandon Allen, that was inexplicably called back for roughing the passer. 

Regardless, it was plays like this that gave Bucs fans an enticing glimpse of their newest edge rusher, and the astounding physical ability that he possesses.

Once the regular season commenced, it became obvious that Tryon’s role would be as a reserve. Despite battling injuries all season long, and to be frank, underwhelming production, the Bucs’ loyalty to Jason Pierre-Paul did not waiver. As a result, Bucs fans weren’t able to see as much of the young, promising edge rusher, Tryon-Shoyinka, as they would have liked.

The 6’5”, 260 pound Washington Huskies product recorded 4 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, 5 tackles for loss, and 29 total tackles in his rookie season. Nothing spectacular, but certainly not disappointing when you consider the limited role he was given.

Fast forward to April 2022, almost a full calendar year since he was drafted, and the expectations for JTS entering year two are much different.

Jason Pierre-Paul is still a free agent. And despite his big heart and consistent effort on the field, it would make little to no sense for the Buccaneers to bring him back. He’s simply not productive enough anymore, and just as importantly, he would be taking away valuable snaps from JTS—a player who needs a real opportunity in order for the Bucs to discover the true extent of his capabilities.

One can assume that the presence of JTS makes JPP expendable. And the opportunity standing before Joe Tryon-Shoyinka currently is as prominent as his action-figure-like frame when he walks into a room.

If the Buccaneers are able to add some reinforcements to their interior defensive line via free agency (Ndumakong Suh perhaps?) and/or the draft, it would immediately make Tryon-Shoyinka’s path to a breakout sophomore campaign that much cleaner.

Hopefully, the team is also able to add another quality edge rusher to the group simply for the sake of stability and depth—a role similar to the one JTS found himself in last season.

There’s no denying the advantage that a formidable pass rush can bring to a football team. It’s equally as obvious that the Buccaneers’ success at rushing the passer this season will depend on the performance of their uber-talented, former first-round pick, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. 

Jamel Dean

© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Jamel Dean is one of the most intriguing players on the Bucs roster. His physical profile has always been unique for a cornerback, and his solid production over the course of his career makes him an enticing player moving forward, to say the least.

Because it’s draft season, and he’s still just 25 years old, let’s revisit some of the traits that made Dean such a fascinating NFL prospect, to begin with.

First of all, coming out of Auburn in 2019, Dean’s physical measurements were extremely impressive. Standing at 6’1”, and weighing 206 pounds, Dean entered the draft with an imposing physical profile for an outside corner.

In conjunction with his size, Dean’s athletic performance at the NFL combine was truly elite.

First of all, Dean ran the second-fastest 40-time of any player, at any position, clocking an official 4.30 (99th percentile amongst CBs). He also jumped an astounding 41” in the vertical testing (96th percentile), while registering a 130” broad jump (95th percentile). Each of those scores put Jamel Dean in rare company as far as NFL combine scores go for the cornerback position.

Dean ended up being one of the players selected by the Bucs on day three (94th overall), in 2019, a day after Sean Murphy-Bunting and just five spots before Mike Edwards. Talk about a "DB draft" for Jason Licht and co., one that surely appeased then defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles. 

Unfortunately for Dean, he was in and out of the lineup with minor injuries over the early course of his career. Still, he continues to earn the adoration of Pro Football Focus and other analytics models for his efficient production when he’s on the field. 

Despite his incredible natural gifts, ideal size, and highly efficient play, there are a few aspects of Jamel Dean’s game that leave something to be desired. He’s not as fluid of an athlete as you might expect, with certain limitations as it relates to his agility, and lateral movement skills. He often looks a bit mechanical and upright in his stance, which sometimes causes him to fall behind on double-moves. That said, his explosive speed usually allows him to quickly recover, close, and regain leverage on those receivers when they begin to accelerate upfield.

On the other hand, one specific play that Dean seems to be especially adept at defending is the short-out route. He’s usually all over the receiver from the start of the play in press-man coverage, or intentionally providing a cushion to bait the quarterback into making a throw that he knows he can close on. 

In this case, it was the latter.

With eleven starts in 2021 and five career interceptions under his belt, Jamel Dean seems to be hitting his stride at the right time. It’s obvious he has all the physical tools to become a top-tier corner in the NFL. He’s proven to make plays that not only help his team win but place him into an impressive category of highly efficient players based on various advanced statistics.

As long as he’s able to stay healthy, I fully expect Jamel Dean to not only be a breakout player for the Buccaneers' defense in 2022, but I expect him to be a major contributor to the team’s pursuit of a second Lombardi trophy in three years. 

Mike Edwards

© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Edwards was drafted in the third round (99th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of the University of Kentucky. He’s now entering his fourth season as a member of the Buccaneers, and the final year of his rookie contract.

Despite operating in a reserve role for the majority of his young career, Edwards has been highly productive when given the opportunity. Over the last three seasons, Edwards has deservedly earned a reputation for being a ball-hawk, a label that stems from his propensity to create splash plays and turnovers for his team. 

Who better to hear from than Mike Edwards himself, as here he details his two interceptions, two-touchdown performance vs the Falcons in Week 2 last season. Which by the way, all took place within just four minutes. 

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Greg Auman of The Athletic, where he takes a deep dive into Mike Edwards’ ball-hawking prowess, while also providing some context on the performance of all three defensive backs drafted by the Bucs in 2019.

“Edwards and Dean each have five career regular-season interceptions – in the entire 2019 NFL Draft class, only three players have more. Bucs corner Sean Murphy-Bunting, taken in the second round that year, has four in the regular season (plus three in last season’s playoffs). Twelve 2019 draft picks have four or more career interceptions, and the Bucs have three of those players. No other NFL team has more than one.”

This fact further emphasizes Jason Licht's impressive ability to attack a weakness through the draft, and find tremendous value in the process. 2019 is the perfect example.

Mike Edwards is also a player with good versatility—one who has showcased an innate ability to slide in and out of the starting lineup without missing a beat. It’s a unique trait, like a sixth man in basketball, and Edwards has consistently proven that he can step into the starting lineup at the drop of a hat without interrupting the sequence of familiarity amongst the rest of the starters.

Edwards is not only a good-sized safety with a well-built frame, who’s shown the ability to provide adequate run support, and even blitz on occasion, but he’s also [quietly] been really solid in coverage. In his last two seasons, Edwards has held receivers to a 52.1% completion percentage when targeted under his watch.

Despite his efficient performance in a limited sample size, the reasons why I deem Mike Edwards as a potential breakout player for the Bucs this season is less about what he’s done, and more about the opportunity I expect him to have. With Jordan Whitehead leaving in free agency, the opportunity for Edwards to earn more consistent playing time for the Buccaneers is as promising as it’s ever been.

Even with Jason Licht bringing in two versatile, veteran safeties in Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal, I still predict Edwards to have a legitimate chance to earn the majority of reps at the second safety position, alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. Based on their age, and positional versatility, I think Ryan and Neal may act more as swiss army knives rotating throughout different positions within the secondary.

If Mike Edwards is able to maintain the high standard of play he has exhibited over his first three seasons in Tampa, and continue to capitalize on his instinctive play, he could quickly establish himself as a starter within the Buccaneers’ secondary. If he does, there’s a good chance he could be poised for a breakout season in pewter and red. 

There's no guarantee that any, let alone all three of the players profiled above, will excel this season. But based on their respective talents, familiarity with the defensive scheme, and continuity with the rest of the roster and coaching staff, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Jamel Dean, and Mike Edwards each have a clear path in front of them that could lead to a breakout season in 2022. 

The question is, will they take it? 

Make sure you stay connected to BucsGameday for all of your Tampa Bay Buccaneers coverage, all year round. 

While you're at it, you can access more of my thoughts on the Bucs, the NFL Draft, and this list of breakout players by checking out the Bucs Banter Podcast. 

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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.