Boosted by veteran arrivals and Yaya Diaby’s emergence as a vocal leader, Tampa Bay’s revamped unit eyes a top-ten ranking to reclaim their dominant championship form.
The pressure is on head coach Todd Bowles to get his defense and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers overall back to their winning ways.
Last season, the defense was inconsistent at times and struggled to get off the field in big moments.
After a defense-focused draft and offseason, the unit should be much improved.
Edge rusher Yaya Diaby, who's entering his fourth season with Tampa, had high praise for the group, saying that the defense is the best he has been a part of.
Diaby was extremely confident in his remarks, saying that the unit has "a little bit of everything," and should make the jump into top-10 territory after this season.
The former Louisville standout mentioned some of the new additions, like A'Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches ("Nacho") as players who are "hungry" to perform.
Nunez-Roches and the Bucs agreed to terms on a one-year deal, reuniting after the veteran defensive tackle spent three seasons with the New York Giants.
Nacho started his career in Kansas City before playing for Tampa Bay from 2018-2023, helping the Bucs hoist the Lombardi in Super Bowl LV in 2020.
In his five seasons in Tampa, he appeared in 68 regular-season games and amassed 81 total tackles and two sacks, serving as a key rotational piece on the defensive front.
Robinson comes over from the division-rival Carolina Panthers, joining Christian Rozeboom on their new NFC South squad.
A 10-year veteran, Robinson posted his best season in 2024, totaling career highs in tackles (80) and sacks (5.5) in his first year in Carolina.
He followed that up with another strong showing last year, notching 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 31 pressures in 658 snaps, and grading in at 65.5 (42nd among 134 interior DLs), according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Following longtime Bucs DT Logan Hall's departure, Robinson looks to fill a similar role, playing alongside Pro-Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea.
Diaby himself should reap the benefits of playing next to Robinson, who has been called "scary" and menacing by Rozeboom.
For the fourth-year edge, he has taken it upon himself to become a leader in the locker room on defense, especially after Lavonte David's retirement.
On the field, Diaby was virtually unstoppable one-on-one last season, finishing sixth in the NFL with 51 total pressures, beating out some of the highest paid edges in the league, such as Jaelan Phillips (49), who signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Panthers in free agency.
According to NextGenStats, Diaby also had the most pressures in an individual game, matching the Green Bay Packers' Micah Parsons with 11 in Week 3.
With another big season, Diaby will be in for a payday and more national recognition as one of the top edge rushers in the NFL.
Alongside rookie Rueben Bain Jr. and the collection of talent on the edge, Tampa's defense should return to prominence in 2026.
