As the legendary Lavonte David considers retirement, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face a massive hole at linebacker. Is SirVocea Dennis the heir to David's legacy, or will Tampa use draft a star-in-the-making at No. 15?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have seen a lot of changes in the last 30 years.
Since 1995, the Bucs have had eight head coaches and 20 different starting quarterbacks, but the one near-constant throughout those decades has been Hall of Fame-level play from the linebacker position.
Other than for the three-year span from 2009 through 2011, Tampa Bay has become synonymous with elite-level linebacker play -- rivaling the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers -- because of Derrick Brooks and Lavonte David.
Now the Buccaneers face the possibility of having to replace the latter of those legends in 2026.
Although there has been no official announcement from David or the team, the 13-year veteran and unrestricted free agent hinted at retirement after Tampa Bay’s Week 18 win against the Carolina Panthers, saying he had yet to make a decision on his future.
Like Hall-of-Famer Brooks, David has been the heart and soul of the Buccaneers defense since being drafted in the second round in 2012. In 215 career games, David tied Brooks for No. 1 in career tackles (1,716), leads the franchise in career tackles for loss (177) and career forced fumbles (33), 42.5 sacks, and 14 interceptions.
If David does retire or signs with a different team, Tampa Bay could be in position to target other linebacker with the No. 15 pick in the 2026 draft.
Two potential rookie replacements are Ohio State’s Sonny Styles and Georgia’s CJ Allen.
Styles, who played 53 games for the Buckeyes, fits the mold of a linebacker who can handle multiple responsibilities. In four seasons in Columbus, Styles had 131 solo tackles, 22.5 TFLs, nine sacks and three FFs. Meanwhile, Allen projects as an immediate impact player, who appeared in 41 games for Georgia. He finished his college career with 117 solo tackles, 13.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks.
While Styles or Allen could be game-changers as soon as they step on the field in the NFL, as David and Brooks were -- Brooks came out of the 1995 draft as pick 28 -- an unheralded draft pick already on the roster might be primed to fill the giant hole David would leave. Despite playing in just 17 games in his first two seasons, SirVocea Dennis had a breakout season in 2025. The fifth-round pick out of Pitt appeared in 16 games this season and tallied 66 solo tackles, 10 TFLs, three sacks and an interception.
After earning praise during OTAs last year, the 6-foot, 230-pound Dennis was solid in zone drops, showcased his strength in blitzing, and was comfortable in helping lead the defense with calls and alignments.
If given the chance, Dennis might be the next face of the Bucs' vaunted defense.
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