Diaby's rising production and league-leading pressures is gaining him traction within the organization. But, is Tampa Bay's standout defensive end being overlooked on the national stage?
As Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Yaya Diaby heads into the final year of his rookie contract, the front office will be keeping an eye on his production.
Diaby, who recorded seven sacks and 50 total tackles last season, has become a big part of Tampa's future, as general manager Jason Licht said at NFL owners meetings this past week in Phoenix, Arizona.
"I'd love to have YaYa here long term. He's a very good, young player that's probably a little bit underappreciated, I think, overall for what he's done," Licht said. "He's a good, young player. We like him a lot."
On a national scale, Diaby is definitely underrated. NFL insider John Frascella composed a list of each team's best defensive end and where each ranks among their peers in the league.
Not only did Tampa come in at No. 29 (fourth worst), but Diaby wasn't even listed as the Bucs' top defensive end.
Instead, former Detroit Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad, who the Bucs signed to a one-year deal on March 16, graced the list. (His contract is worth up to $6 million.)
Muhammad had a breakout season in Detroit last year, recording a career-high 11 sacks. He did most of his work as a rotational edge rusher, taking advantage of playing alongside 2025 second-team All-Pro edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
However, prior to last year, Muhammad failed to eclipse six sacks in any of his last seven seasons, seeing much less production when moving into a starting role.
Diaby, on the other hand, has continued to show growth over his time in the NFL, serving as one of the Bucs' brightest young talents.
Last season, Diaby was virtually unstoppable one-on-one, 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 Carolina 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.
Diaby dominated the New York Jets' offensive line, setting the line of scrimmage and getting to the quarterback. He added a sack and four tackles to go along with his double-digit pressures.
Roundtable's Demetrius Montero recently highlighted Diaby and his current contract situation with Tampa, where he wrote that Tampa doesn't need to rush to extend Diaby - rather taking a cautious approach to see how the former third-round selection fares.
Expect Diaby to have a big season as Tampa Bay looks to rebound from a poor finish down the stretch of last season. The additional veteran depth on the defensive line, like Muhammad, A'Shawn Robinson and most recently Rakeem Nunez-Roches, should also be beneficial for the Bucs' promising edge.
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