Top 10 Takeaways From Bucs Defensive Coach Pressers

Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said that despite being undersized with shorter arms, Calijah Kancey showed he could play the run last year as a rookie. Yet Kancey needs to keep making strides in that area and that will come with experience. Kancey, last year’s first-round pick, finished the season strong with 1.5 sacks in the Bucs’ two postseason games after missing all of training camp, the preseason and the first month of the season due to a calf injury.

YaYa Diaby led the Bucs in sacks as a rookie with 7.5 last year and came on strong towards the end of the season. He’s expected to be a starter in his second year and will need to continue to get used to rushing from the edge and operating more in space. Bucs outside linebackers coach George Edwards said Diaby needs to put together a pass rush plan and continuing to add pass rush moves to his arsenal and get comfortable dropping into coverage. Edwards said that Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is the team’s best zone dropper among the outside linebackers and could have a big season as he’s entering a contract year.

3. Logan Hall Needs To Be A Finisher In Year 3

The Bucs didn’t draft a defensive tackle in 2024 although they liked quite a few. That turned out to be good news for Logan Hall, a former top pick in 2022 who hasn’t lived up to his draft billing just yet. Drafted at the top of the second round due to his size, athleticism and pass rushing ability, Hall had just half a sack last year after notching 2.5 as a rookie in 2022.

Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said that Hall needs to work on finishing once he gets to the quarterback. He said Hall knows the defense and has added size since joining Tampa Bay two years ago. This a big year for Hall, who needs to step up as a pass rusher and get to the quarterback more often when he’s in the game.

4. K.J. Britt Has Something To Prove To Todd Bowles

Bucs inside linebackers coach Larry Foote raved about K.J. Britt’s serious, professional demeanor when it comes to football. Britt, who is entering a contract year, took over as the starting middle linebacker for Devin White at the end of last year. Yet Britt was primarily used on early downs and White still rotated in on third-and-long and on obvious passing downs.

That could continue this year, with Britt being an early-down starter unless he proves to head coach Todd Bowles that he has improved in coverage and can be trusted. If SirVocea Dennis or J.J. Russell prove to be better in pass coverage during training camp and the preseason, the Bucs could use a two-player platoon at Mike linebacker again, although that is not preferred.

5. The Bucs Missed Jordan Whitehead – Terribly

Bucs safeties coach Nick Rapone and cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross just raved about having Jordan Whitehead back at strong safety. Rapone said Whitehead has improved in coverage as well as his overall understanding of football as he’s in the “sweet spot” of his career in his prime. He says the reason why Whitehead and Antoine Winfield Jr. get along so well and are the same type of player is because neither one has an ego and both are effective communicators.

Rapone said the whole team missed Whitehead’s physicality after his departure in free agency following the 2021 season. He said that Whitehead loves contact, while Ross called him “the engine” of the Bucs defense during the team’s Super Bowl run in 2020.

6. Bucs Believe Bryce Hall Is A Starting-Caliber Cornerback

Tampa Bay cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross said that while Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum may be slated to start this year, they’ll get competition from Bryce Hall, who spent the last four years with the Jets. The Bucs scouting department has loved Hall since his college days at Virginia and Ross is also impressed with his skillset.

Ross believes Hall will compete for a starting job in training camp and the preseason and was dead serious about it. Dean and McCollum are listed atop the depth chart right now in pencil – not pen. Yet McCollum will be given the first shot at the starting job to replace Carlton Davis III and it will be his job to lose. “We believe in him,” Ross said about McCollum.

7. Tampa Bay’s Secondary Needs More Interceptions

The Bucs had only 13 interceptions on defense last year, including just 10 in the secondary. The coaches are emphasizing that, especially cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross, who is taking it personally. Neither Jamel Dean nor Zyon McCollum, the team’s returning starting cornerbacks from last year, had an interception. That needs to change and Ross has been on his cornerbacks to catch 50 balls per day to work on their hands and will incorporate more ball drills in OTAs and training camp practices.

Bucs safeties coach Nick Rapone was thrilled about the All-Pro season that Antoine Winfield Jr. had last year, calling him “Mr. Winfield” during the press conference. But Rapone thinks he can get seven or eight interceptions in a season rather than just the three he got last year.

Rapone, who just turned 68 on April 25, is still going strong after all these years, but he misspoke during his presser when he said he wants Winfield to get seven or eight picks per game. That would be nice, but virtually impossible, of course. Rapone called interceptions “invaluable turnovers” and said the team needs more of them in 2024.

8. Nickelback Job Will Be Hotly Contested In Tampa Bay

The Bucs are thrilled about the arrival of third-round pick Tykee Smith from Georgia, who will be cross-trained at nickelback and safety. Tampa Bay wants more big plays out of the nickel position where Christian Izien, who started all 17 games last year, started off the season with back-to-back interceptions in the first two games but then didn’t record a pick the rest of the season.

Izien will compete with Smith and newcomer Tavierre Thomas at for the slot corner duties, but will also be cross-trained at free safety, where he also played at Rutgers two years ago. If Izien is supplanted at nickelback, the Bucs will have three new starters in the secondary along with Jordan Whitehead at strong safety and either Zyon McCollum or Bryce Hall replacing Carlton Davis III at outside cornerback.

9. Coaches Rave About Rookies Chris Braswell, Tykee Smith

Bucs outside linebackers coach George Edwards loves Chris Braswell’s skillset. Braswell is physical, he can rush the passer and he can drop in coverage, noting that the second-round pick had a pick-six last year at Alabama. He likened Braswell’s skillset to that of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who is valuable because he can rush and drop in coverage.

The Bucs coaches love Tykee Smith’s winning pedigree at Georgia, where he won back-to-back national championships in 2021-22 and only lost one game last year. Smith, one of two third-round picks by Tampa Bay, “expects to win” and that’s a great attitude for a player to have coming to Tampa Bay. Bucs cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross called Smith “a hitter” and also praised Jordan Whitehead’s hitting ability in the secondary.

10. Bucs Are High On Undrafted Free Agent ILB Kalen DeLoach

Bucs inside linebackers coach Larry Foote was really high on Florida State inside linebacker Kalen DeLoach, who was a priority undrafted free agent signing. Despite being 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, DeLoach is fast with sub 4.5-speed and can hit, cover and blitz.

DeLoach had 212 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 11 pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a scoop-and-score touchdown at Florida State. He was a three-year starter for the Seminoles defense.

Foote said that DeLoach is a “modern day linebacker” due to the NFL being more of a passing league these days. He said that DeLoach needs to understand that size is just a mindset and play bigger, noting that Lavonte David is just 6-foot and weighs about 220 pounds. Foote would like to see DeLoach get up to 215-220 pounds eventually.