Pewter Report analyzes the highest gamers within the 2024 NFL Draft with its place previews – energized by CELSIUS, the official power drink of Pewter Report. Bailey Adams continues the previews with the skin linebacker/defensive finish place, with a complete take a look at what the Bucs have and what they want on the place.
Adams additionally supplies an in depth checklist of this yr’s high outdoors linebackers. As well as, Scott Reynolds presents up the Bucs’ draft wants and the annual Pewter Report Bucs Greatest Bets – the probably edge rusher for the Bucs to pick out in Rounds 1-3 and in Rounds 4-7.
What The Bucs Have At Outdoors Linebacker
Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photograph by: Cliff Welch P/R
What the Bucs have at outdoors linebacker is a number of guys. In different phrases, there’s an excellent little bit of depth on the place, with YaYa Diaby, Randy Gregory, Anthony Nelson, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez presently filling out the depth chart.
With the Bucs transferring on from veteran Shaq Barrett this offseason, Diaby — who notched 7.5 sacks as a rookie in 2023 regardless of not changing into a starter till November — seems to be the one one who has a beginning position locked down for 2024. That’s to not say he doesn’t nonetheless have some creating to do, as he’ll look to enhance upon his 7.5% move rush win fee and get within the backfield with extra consistency.
After Diaby, the Bucs have veterans in Gregory and Nelson (who’s extra of a rotational participant), in addition to a fourth-year participant in Tryon-Shoyinka, who will get one final likelihood to ascertain himself in 2024 after the group declined to choose up his fifth-year choice for 2025.
After which there are a few intriguing younger outdoors linebackers in Watts and Ramirez. Watts, an undrafted free agent in 2023, flashed in his minimal taking part in time on Sundays. Actually, he posted a team-best 23.1% move rush win fee and made a robust case to get extra snaps. As for Ramirez, Bucs common supervisor Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles have been fast to level out the work he did on the observe squad as a rookie towards offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke and proclaim their pleasure to see him proceed his improvement.
What The Bucs Want At Outdoors Linebacker
What the Bucs don’t have at outdoors linebacker is a real alpha-type. Diaby, who’s a methods away from being a completed product as a move rusher, is presently slotted in as their No. 1. And whereas there’s a number of depth on the place, there isn’t a participant who looks like an entire shoe-in for the opposite beginning position reverse Diaby.
The Bucs want an edge rusher who might be counted on to place up huge sack numbers yr in and yr out whereas affecting video games on a constant foundation. The group went effectively over a decade with no double-digit sacker, then it had one in three out of 4 years between 2018 and 2021 (with Jason Pierre-Paul falling simply quick with 9.5 in 2020). However within the final two years, Tampa Bay hasn’t had anybody come near 10 sacks. Vita Vea led with 5.5 in 2022 and Diaby led with 7.5 final yr.
If the Bucs are capable of finding that clear-cut alpha move rusher within the 2024 NFL Draft, it could do wonders for that place group as a complete. As a result of they’d then have their two starters, and it could permit Gregory, Nelson, Tryon-Shoyinka, Watts and Ramirez to spherical out the room in essential depth roles quite than banking on considered one of them to emerge as a viable starter. Take into account that Gregory, Nelson and Tryon-Shoyinka aren’t below contract in 2025.
High Outdoors Linebackers In 2024 NFL Draft
*Necessary Word: These gamers are NOT listed within the order of Pewter Report’s rating for them. Quite, the numbers are offered to point out you the tough order through which we count on them to come back off the board through the draft.
1. Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner – Junior – 6-2, 247 – 4.46
After splitting his highschool profession between American Heritage and St. Thomas Aquinas, Turner made an instantaneous affect as a freshman at Alabama. He racked up 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in his first yr, incomes Freshman All-American and All-SEC Freshman honors. That set the stage for a three-year profession with the Crimson Tide that noticed him tally 23.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. Turner is explosive and makes use of his fingers effectively, plus he boasts spectacular play power. All these traits make him the highest EDGE on this yr’s class.
2. Florida State EDGE Jared Verse – Redshirt Junior – 6-3, 254 – 4.58
Florida State EDGE Jared Verse Photograph by: USA Right this moment
Verse was amazingly a zero-star tight finish recruit out of highschool and commenced his faculty profession at Albany earlier than transferring to Florida State in 2022 and persevering with his domination. In 40 collegiate video games between the 2 faculties, he posted 32.5 sacks and 50.5 tackles for loss. Verse has an important construct and possesses an distinctive get-off, which he combines with good energy and excessive motor. Verse is a probable High 20 choose and had a High 30 go to with the Bucs.
3. UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu – Senior – 6-4, 259 – 4.64
Initially at Washington, Latu suffered a neck harm throughout a 2020 observe that triggered him to briefly medically retire. After lacking the 2021 season, he transferred to UCLA and put the neck problem behind them. Over two years with the Bruins, his manufacturing was off the charts, posting 23.5 sacks and 34 tackles for loss. He has an important move rush transfer set and exhibits elite hand utilization. Any questions surrounding Latu can be about his medicals – not his traits, tape or manufacturing.
4. Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson – Junior – 6-2, 254 – 4.48
Robinson has a persistently explosive first step and good athleticism, however he nonetheless wants some sharpening as a move rusher. He doesn’t have very best size, neither is he constant sufficient together with his fingers. Robinson’s numbers for the Nittany Lions weren’t precisely eye catching both, having totaled simply 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss over three years. However he did solely begin 11 of the 35 collegiate video games he performed in and even when the manufacturing hasn’t at all times been there, the potential is evident for the Penn State product.
5. Western Michigan EDGE Marshawn Kneeland – Redshirt Junior – 6-3, 267 – 4.75
One of many risers on this yr’s EDGE class, Kneeland has drawn comparisons to longtime Saints defensive finish Cameron Jordan. He has NFL measurement and size with the twitchiness wanted to achieve success. He’s bodily and converts his velocity to energy effectively sufficient to win, however he’s additionally nonetheless a piece in progress with a few of his move rush strikes. Kneeland is coming off his greatest collegiate season, but it surely very a lot seems like one of the best continues to be but to come back for him as he transitions to the subsequent degree.
6. Missouri EDGE Darius Robinson – Grad. – 6-5, 285 – 4.95
Robinson has prototypical measurement. His physique kind goes hand in hand with how he wins as a move rusher. His bull rush has spectacular energy behind it and his size helps in a giant method. He may line up in various spots. His 40 time on the NFL Scouting Mix confirmed what everybody already knew, and that’s that he received’t win with velocity. Robinson additionally doesn’t have a complete lot of bend to his recreation, however so long as he continues to show the kind of play power that led to an 8.5-sack 2023 season at Missouri (which included a seven-game sack streak), he’ll have a excessive ground within the NFL.
7. Penn State EDGE Adisa Isaac – Redshirt Senior – 6-4, 247 – 4.74
Penn State OLB Adisa Isaac – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
Isaac was truly extra productive than Penn State teammate Chop Robinson was. A two-year starter, he totaled 11.5 sacks and 27 tackles for loss between 2022 and 2023. He has nice fingers, each by way of quickness/violence and placement. That helps his move rush profile in a giant method, and it led to a number of his success with the Nittany Lions. He might stand so as to add on some weight and if he does, there are many athletic instruments there for him to develop right into a high-upside NFL move rusher.
8. Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell – Redshirt Junior – 6-3, 251 – 4.60
Braswell will get overshadowed somewhat bit on this class partially due to his personal teammate at Alabama (Dallas Turner), however the explosiveness that he performs with is difficult to overlook. He has the velocity and power to win, and with extra improvement inside his move rush repertoire, he can elevate his ceiling even additional. Because it stands now, he already has a fairly excessive ground as a rotational rusher. He performed behind Turner and 2023 Defensive Rookie of the 12 months Will Anderson Jr. for some time, however regardless of beginning simply two video games final yr, he racked up eight sacks and three pressured fumbles.
9. Kansas EDGE Austin Booker – Redshirt Sophomore – 6-4, 253 – 4.77
Booker hasn’t performed a number of soccer, first redshirting in 2021 at Minnesota earlier than taking part in simply 18 video games (one begin) between 2022 (Minnesota) and 2023 (Kansas). He solely performed 505 snaps in faculty, and his inexperience can generally present on the sector. Regardless of that, he’s trending upward and has the athletic profile to achieve success. When he provides some extra to his body and rounds out his recreation as a move rusher, he has the potential to soar previous the eight-sack, 12-TFL season he had for the Jayhawks in 2023.
10. Washington EDGE Bralen Trice – Redshirt Junior – 6-3, 245 – 4.72
Washington EDGE Bralen Trice Photograph by: USA Right this moment
Trice began for 2 seasons at Washington and confirmed a penchant for physicality irrespective of the place he lined up on the road. He had 16 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, displaying good fingers and competitiveness that coaches and teammates love. His edge velocity and size are lower than very best, however his first step is fast and he can overcome his weaknesses to be disruptive.
11. Utah EDGE Jonah Elliss – Junior – 6-2, 248 – N/A
Elliss went from being an off-ball linebacker in highschool to a two-year starter at defensive finish for Utah. He isn’t one of the best within the run recreation and lacks size, which might restrict his ceiling within the NFL. Regardless of that, he does use his fingers effectively and has good bend that might serve him effectively in situational roles. His 2023 All-American season was an excellent launching pad for his draft inventory, as he put up 12 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in simply 10 video games.
12. UCLA EDGE Gabriel Murphy – Redshirt Junior – 6-2, 247 – 4.68
Murphy has actually good technical capability, with fast toes and good hand utilization. That helped him overcome his lack of very best size from the skin linebacker place, and he proved to be disruptive as a move rusher all through his faculty profession. He began out at North Texas and after breaking out with a seven-sack season in 2021, he transferred to UCLA. In 26 video games (all begins) with the Bruins, he put up 9.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Murphy is more likely to be an early Day 3 choose.
The Greatest Of The Relaxation
13. Houston Christian EDGE Jalyx Hunt – Senior – 6-3, 252– 4.64
Hunt began his profession at Cornell as a 6-foot-2, 195-pound security, spending three years with the Large Purple from 2019-2021. Nonetheless, the pandemic value him his 2020 season, so it wasn’t till he transferred to Houston Christian in 2022 that he moved to a hybrid outdoors linebacker position and remodeled his physique. In 11 video games that yr, he notched seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. The DeBary, Florida, product then added 6.5 sacks and 9 TFLs as a senior. Hunt has good athleticism and foot velocity and with extra time to develop, his explosiveness might flip into sustained success on the place.
14. Ole Miss EDGE Cedric Johnson – Senior – 6-3, 260– 4.63
Ole Miss EDGE Cedric Johnson Photograph by: USA Right this moment
The youthful brother of Bucs large receiver Cephus Johnson, Cedric Johnson has the kind of athletic body and size that can serve him effectively on the subsequent degree. He has some instruments to work with, however he’s nonetheless on his approach to constructing out his move rush transfer set. The 21-year-old was steadily productive at Ole Miss, taking part in in 10 video games as a freshman and racking up three sacks earlier than beginning 11 video games as a sophomore and kicking that as much as a career-high 6.5 sacks. 4 after which 5.5 sacks over the subsequent two years gave him 19.0 for his profession over 46 video games (29 begins).
15. Colorado State EDGE Mohamed Kamara – Grad. – 6-1, 248 – 4.57
There’s no getting round the truth that Kamara is undersized, and he’s just about maxed out his body. His arm size isn’t very best both, however there’s additionally no denying that he overcame a number of that with physicality, motor and leverage. He launches out of his stance with explosiveness, and he put up big-time manufacturing during the last three years. He went from 7.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2021 to eight.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in 2022, then completed with a 13-sack, 17-TFL season in 2023 that earned him Mountain West Defensive Participant of the 12 months honors.
16. Washington State EDGE Brennan Jackson – Sixth-12 months Senior – 6-3, 264– 4.69
Jackson has performed a number of soccer during the last three years, taking part in in 38 video games at Washington State whereas beginning 37 of them. He had 18.5 sacks over these three years to go together with 30.5 tackles for loss and 9 passes defensed. His excessive motor and love for the sport are evident, however he doesn’t have high-level velocity or bend. Jackson tasks as a rotational participant within the NFL.
17. Houston EDGE Nelson Ceaser III – Redshirt Junior – 6-2, 254– 4.89
Ceaser blossomed right into a First Group All-Large 12 participant in 2023 as Houston made the leap to the Energy 5. Actually, he led the convention with 9.5 sacks over 11 video games whereas captaining the Cougars. He stopped the run higher than one may count on for a participant of his measurement, however he doesn’t have the size or power that he must beat highly effective blockers. His get-off additionally isn’t as constant because it must be, however the number of move rush strikes he has is a plus. If he sharpens these strikes, he’ll have the ability to carve out a spot on the underside of an outdoor linebacker depth chart someplace.
18. UConn EDGE Eric Watts – Senior – 6-5, 274– 4.67
If you search for the best measurement and general construct of an NFL move rusher, you’re on the lookout for somebody like Watts. His competitiveness is relentless and his bodily traits generally handle to do the work for him. Nonetheless, he’ll want to totally unlock the facility behind his construct and sharpen his move rush capability each by way of his transfer set and his get-off. He topped out at seven sacks in 2022 and blocked two area targets for the Huskies. A Day 3 choose, Watts has some intrigue to him largely as a consequence of his measurement and physicality.
Bucs Greatest Bets: EDGE
Bucs Greatest Guess – Rounds 1-3: Western Michigan OLB Marshawn Kneeland
Kneeland is huge, athletic, bodily pressure off the sting. His recreation has drawn comparisons to Cam Jordan’s recreation popping out of Cal over a decade in the past. Apparently sufficient, neither Kneeland nor Jordan was a big-time sack producer in faculty, however Jordan wound up changing into a multi-year Professional Bowler and had six double-digit sack seasons in New Orleans. The traits and energy are there for Kneeland, who had 12.5 profession sacks at Western Michigan, to have an analogous path and actually develop his move rush recreation on the subsequent degree.
Kneeland violently assaults his opponent and his motor at all times runs excessive. He’s a stout run defender and the Bucs seemingly respect the truth that he remained loyal to Western Michigan and withdrew his title from the switch portal and returned to the Broncos for his senior season regardless of initially committing to Deion Sanders and Colorado. The Bucs met with Kneeland formally on the NFL Scouting Mix and in addition had him in for a High 30 go to previous to the draft.
Bucs Greatest Guess – Rounds 4-7: Colorado State OLB Mohamed Kamara
After the second spherical there aren’t many nice choices for edge rushers, as this isn’t a very deep draft for the place. However the Bucs might draft Kamara within the fourth spherical on Day 3. Tampa Bay had one other profitable, fast, undersized move rusher from Colorado State in Shaq Barrett, who was additionally 6-foot-1, 250 kilos. Kamara’s measurement isn’t for each group, however Todd Bowles doesn’t thoughts shorter outdoors linebackers if they’ll actually rush the passer.
Kamara logged 45.5 tackles for loss and 25.5 sacks in his Rams profession and wins with unimaginable burst and bend across the deal with, and has violent fingers. Kamara has a wide selection of move speeding strikes and a classy rush plan. The Bucs have a equally constructed participant already on the roster in Markees Watts, in order that’s proof that Kamara may very well be an excellent slot in Tampa Bay as Todd Bowles can by no means have sufficient good edge rushers who can get to the quarterback.
