Buccaneers Defensive Position Group Named League's 'Shakiest' by ESPN

Could this defensive corps be a problem for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024?

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 / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made some moves to improve their edge rushing talent in 2024, but some aren't convinced they're going to help the team.

The Bucs drafted rookie Chris Braswell out of Alabama in the second round and signed Randy Gregory in the offseason, but Gregory still hasn't shown up during offseason work. And the volatility of that room was noted in a recent ESPN ranking, which went down the line on sorting every team by position group — and had the Buccaneers dead last in the edge rusher category.

Here's what ESPN writer Mike Clay wrote about Tampa Bay's pass rush:

"This position is in flux after Shaquil Barrett (45.0 sacks in five seasons) departed and replacement Randy Gregory ghosted the team during the offseason. Tampa Bay will now turn to a combination of Yaya Diaby, second-round rookie Chris Braswell, underperforming 2021 first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson as its core at the position. None of those veterans played more than half of his team's snaps in 2023. This is a rough situation for a team that finished 17th in pass rush win rate last season (40.4%)."

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It is true that Gregory's absence makes the team's depth shakier, but it was never really a given that he would fit in with the rotation in Tampa Bay. As a player who was unlikely to play special teams, Gregory would have been a bit far down in the order as far as rushing depth goes — and he still hasn't shown up, so he's likely to be released.

Chris Braswell has been benefitting from first-team reps for the last few practices, as both Yaya Diaby and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka are dealing with injuries. They won't keep those two out for too long, but as they recover, Braswell has been getting good experience playing against strong competition.

Finally, the Bucs will want to see what they have in both Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez. Both players are second-year prospects, with Watts a UDFA out of Charlotte and Ramirez a sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Eastern Michigan, and they could find themselves playing more often as they hone their pass-rushing skills.

It will be interesting to see how Tampa Bay attacks their pass rushing game this year, and both the team and fans will hope to see it improve when the regular season rolls around.

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