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Tampa Bay's defensive line is the engine that makes the Buccaneers' defense run. Vita Vea makes everything Todd Bowles wants to do possible. The problem is, Vea is not getting any younger, and he is surrounded by uncertainty. For a variety of reasons, the Bucs' other additions to the defensive line have not really worked out, at least not yet. This offseason is an opportunity for the Bucs to set up the line's future beyond 2026 and possibly beyond Vea.
There is not much indication that Vita Vea is slowing down.
At 31 years-old, Vea can still dominate a line of scrimmage. Though his sacks were down in 2025, his value as an overall game-wrecker and immovable object remained steady. His tackling took a dip, missing nearly 20% of his attempts per PFF, but Vea's value is hard to quantify statistically. It is why it will be difficult to gauge Vea's continued future value to Tampa Bay's defense.
Vea is meant to make everything around him better. The problem is, it is unclear who he can make better. The Bucs invested their first picks of the 2022 and 2023 NFL drafts in their defensive line, but for a variety of reasons, Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey have not worked out for Tampa Bay's defense.
Hall was a risky bet for the Bucs in 2022 as he was an unpolished prospect with athletic upside. He flashed over the last couple of seasons, but he has yet to develop into either an impact pass rusher or a stout run defender. While he recorded a career-high 32 pressures in 2025 per PFF, he barely outperformed rookie Elijah Roberts, who recorded 27 pressures.
With his rookie contract finished, Hall is bound for free agency. His lack of production is not likely to make him a lot of money on the open market, but the Bucs probably are not eager to invite him back after last year's defensive collapse.
2023 first-round pick Calijah Kancey has a different problem: he cannot stay healthy. After calf injuries shortened his first two seasons, Kancey came into 2025 with huge expectations of a breakout season. Instead, he tore his pectoral muscle three games in and missed most of 2025. When he is on the field, Kancey has flashed tremendous pass-rush potential. However, his inability to get on the field is a major concern for the future outlook of the defensive line.
It also does not help that Kancey is all but a liability in run defense, down to down. While Kancey is typically a team leader in tackles for loss, the 10 to 12 run plays he blows up each season are overshadowed by the frequency with which he gets blown off the ball. Between his fragile health and his inability to play the run, the Bucs may have to plan for a future without Kancey.
Tampa Bay's defensive line depth chart is not all doom and gloom. Elijah Roberts was an immediate contributor, particularly as a pass rusher, making Logan Hall all but expendable. He should figure heavily into the Bucs' defensive line rotation for the foreseeable future.
Veteran Greg Gaines has been Vita Vea's primary backup for the last three seasons, but it would be hard to imagine the Bucs bringing him back. He recorded just four sacks in the last three years and is an average run defender. Tampa Bay will look to get younger, better, or both on the line, which makes Gaines the odd man out.
It will be tough for the Bucs to get both younger and better at the defensive line through free agency. More than half of the defensive line free agents are 30 or older, and the better young players will earn more than what the Bucs will be willing to pay for a backup nose tackle. The best fit would be Lions DT Roy Lopez, who is a year younger than Gaines and arguably a better run defender. Tampa Bay could also look at veterans like Sebastian Joseph-Day or Andrew Billings to bolster their line, even for just a year.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht prefers to build through the draft anyway. While their needs at both outside and inside linebacker are far more dire than at defensive tackle, there is a decent chance the Bucs will target a defensive tackle at some point during this year's draft.
If the Bucs are looking to just beef up the defensive line, they need look no further than Iowa State DT Domonique Orange. "Big Citrus" is incredibly athletic for a 325-pound defensive lineman, not unlike Vita Vea. What Orange is missing is a true pass rush profile. At the moment, he is more of a space eater and line dominator, which the Bucs could also use if Vea moves on after the 2026 season.
The Bucs might also target Texas Tech DL Skyler Gill-Howard. The 6'1", 290-pound lineman fits the Logan Hall mold about as well as anyone in the draft class, though he lacks Hall's length. Gill-Howard has the ability and twitch to play at just about any gap on the line, a quality that head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles appears to value.
A sleeper to keep an eye on is Southeastern Louisiana DT Kaleb Proctor. The FCS prospect was a dominant pass rusher last season, collecting nine sacks and 26 hurries per PFF. He bears a lot of similarities to Calijah Kancey, bringing impressive athleticism to the interior while struggling to hold up on the line due to his lack of size. Proctor would be a Day 3 gamble for Tampa Bay.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2026 NFL Offseason: Bucs defensive line preview
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There is not much indication that Vita Vea is slowing down.
At 31 years-old, Vea can still dominate a line of scrimmage. Though his sacks were down in 2025, his value as an overall game-wrecker and immovable object remained steady. His tackling took a dip, missing nearly 20% of his attempts per PFF, but Vea's value is hard to quantify statistically. It is why it will be difficult to gauge Vea's continued future value to Tampa Bay's defense.
Vea is meant to make everything around him better. The problem is, it is unclear who he can make better. The Bucs invested their first picks of the 2022 and 2023 NFL drafts in their defensive line, but for a variety of reasons, Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey have not worked out for Tampa Bay's defense.
Hall was a risky bet for the Bucs in 2022 as he was an unpolished prospect with athletic upside. He flashed over the last couple of seasons, but he has yet to develop into either an impact pass rusher or a stout run defender. While he recorded a career-high 32 pressures in 2025 per PFF, he barely outperformed rookie Elijah Roberts, who recorded 27 pressures.
With his rookie contract finished, Hall is bound for free agency. His lack of production is not likely to make him a lot of money on the open market, but the Bucs probably are not eager to invite him back after last year's defensive collapse.
2023 first-round pick Calijah Kancey has a different problem: he cannot stay healthy. After calf injuries shortened his first two seasons, Kancey came into 2025 with huge expectations of a breakout season. Instead, he tore his pectoral muscle three games in and missed most of 2025. When he is on the field, Kancey has flashed tremendous pass-rush potential. However, his inability to get on the field is a major concern for the future outlook of the defensive line.
It also does not help that Kancey is all but a liability in run defense, down to down. While Kancey is typically a team leader in tackles for loss, the 10 to 12 run plays he blows up each season are overshadowed by the frequency with which he gets blown off the ball. Between his fragile health and his inability to play the run, the Bucs may have to plan for a future without Kancey.
Tampa Bay's defensive line depth chart is not all doom and gloom. Elijah Roberts was an immediate contributor, particularly as a pass rusher, making Logan Hall all but expendable. He should figure heavily into the Bucs' defensive line rotation for the foreseeable future.
Veteran Greg Gaines has been Vita Vea's primary backup for the last three seasons, but it would be hard to imagine the Bucs bringing him back. He recorded just four sacks in the last three years and is an average run defender. Tampa Bay will look to get younger, better, or both on the line, which makes Gaines the odd man out.
It will be tough for the Bucs to get both younger and better at the defensive line through free agency. More than half of the defensive line free agents are 30 or older, and the better young players will earn more than what the Bucs will be willing to pay for a backup nose tackle. The best fit would be Lions DT Roy Lopez, who is a year younger than Gaines and arguably a better run defender. Tampa Bay could also look at veterans like Sebastian Joseph-Day or Andrew Billings to bolster their line, even for just a year.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht prefers to build through the draft anyway. While their needs at both outside and inside linebacker are far more dire than at defensive tackle, there is a decent chance the Bucs will target a defensive tackle at some point during this year's draft.
If the Bucs are looking to just beef up the defensive line, they need look no further than Iowa State DT Domonique Orange. "Big Citrus" is incredibly athletic for a 325-pound defensive lineman, not unlike Vita Vea. What Orange is missing is a true pass rush profile. At the moment, he is more of a space eater and line dominator, which the Bucs could also use if Vea moves on after the 2026 season.
The Bucs might also target Texas Tech DL Skyler Gill-Howard. The 6'1", 290-pound lineman fits the Logan Hall mold about as well as anyone in the draft class, though he lacks Hall's length. Gill-Howard has the ability and twitch to play at just about any gap on the line, a quality that head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles appears to value.
A sleeper to keep an eye on is Southeastern Louisiana DT Kaleb Proctor. The FCS prospect was a dominant pass rusher last season, collecting nine sacks and 26 hurries per PFF. He bears a lot of similarities to Calijah Kancey, bringing impressive athleticism to the interior while struggling to hold up on the line due to his lack of size. Proctor would be a Day 3 gamble for Tampa Bay.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2026 NFL Offseason: Bucs defensive line preview
Continue reading...
