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Much of the NFL offseason is spent focused on new additions to each roster, whether through free agency, trades, or the draft. What is often forgotten is the development of players already on the roster. The Buccaneers have long relied on this development to remain competitive and will need it to remain so in 2025.
The improvement from within is mostly needed on Tampa Bay’s defense, which ranked 16th in points allowed and 21st in yards per play in 2024. At every level of the defense, the Bucs need their young players to be better than they were last season.
Here are the Bucs who need to step up their game in 2025:
The Bucs have long struggled to find a reliable edge rusher in the draft. They took Braswell in the second round last year as a possible replacement for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who departed Tampa Bay this offseason. Braswell was solid in a rotational role, but his impact as a pass rusher was nominal, adding just 1.5 sacks on top of 20 total pressures per Pro Football Focus.
Though the Bucs brought in Haason Reddick to boost their pass rush, they still need Braswell to grow as a pass rusher in his own right. Having three reliable edge rushers, including Yaya Diaby, would dramatically improve Tampa Bay’s defense and playoff chances.
The Bucs’ decision to forgo any additions at inside linebacker this offseason is a testament to their faith in third-year linebacker SirVocea Dennis, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. With just 209 defensive snaps in the NFL, that faith also imposes significant pressure on Dennis.
While the Bucs are going to lean on Lavonte David to remain ageless at least one more season, Dennis is all that stands between the Bucs’ defense and a repeat of last year, during which the middle of the defense was a shooting gallery for opposing offenses. In the few snaps he has played, Dennis flashed potential as a pass defender, but he will need to improve his career 23.5% missed tackle rate to make the kind of impact the Bucs are expecting.
It is possible that all that is standing between Calijah Kancey and a double-digit sack season were his calves. Since the Bucs drafted him in the first round of the 2023 draft, Kancey has missed nine games over two seasons due to calf injuries while recording 11.5 sacks in the same span, including 7.5 last season.
Kancey made himself comfortable in the backfield last year, adding 11 tackles for a loss to his 40 total pressures. Like SirVocea Dennis, Kancey has a problem finishing plays, missing 20.7% of his tackles since joining the NFL. Some of this may be attributed to Kancey’s lack of length, so he will just have to learn to be even faster and more efficient getting to the ball.
As a rookie, Tykee Smith wasted little time making an impact. He started the 2024 season as a starter and generally made himself indispensable defending from the nickel cornerback spot. Entering 2025, Smith could have a new job as starting safety next to Antoine Winfield Jr., a spot where the Bucs struggled to find consistent play last season.
Unlike Dennis and Kancey, Smith had few tackling issues or technique issues in general. What the Bucs need from Smith is a jump from a good player to a great player. Playing next to an All-Pro like Winfield Jr. will afford Smith many opportunities to make plays that Tampa Bay needs to compete in 2025.
Barton is the only offensive player on this list, but that is not an indictment of the Bucs’ 2024 first-round pick. Barton’s rookie year was solid if uneven, allowing 24 total pressures per PFF, second-most on the team. He also led the offensive line in penalties with 13. While the Bucs had one of the NFL’s best offensive lines last season, Barton may have been a weak link, but he was always an upside bet.
The lack of precision was not unexpected when Barton moved from left tackle at Duke to center in Tampa Bay. Nevertheless, Barton will need to refine his game to keep the Bucs' offense humming in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 5 Bucs players who need to step up their game during the 2025 season
Continue reading...
The improvement from within is mostly needed on Tampa Bay’s defense, which ranked 16th in points allowed and 21st in yards per play in 2024. At every level of the defense, the Bucs need their young players to be better than they were last season.
Here are the Bucs who need to step up their game in 2025:
Chris Braswell
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The Bucs have long struggled to find a reliable edge rusher in the draft. They took Braswell in the second round last year as a possible replacement for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who departed Tampa Bay this offseason. Braswell was solid in a rotational role, but his impact as a pass rusher was nominal, adding just 1.5 sacks on top of 20 total pressures per Pro Football Focus.
Though the Bucs brought in Haason Reddick to boost their pass rush, they still need Braswell to grow as a pass rusher in his own right. Having three reliable edge rushers, including Yaya Diaby, would dramatically improve Tampa Bay’s defense and playoff chances.
SirVocea Dennis
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The Bucs’ decision to forgo any additions at inside linebacker this offseason is a testament to their faith in third-year linebacker SirVocea Dennis, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. With just 209 defensive snaps in the NFL, that faith also imposes significant pressure on Dennis.
While the Bucs are going to lean on Lavonte David to remain ageless at least one more season, Dennis is all that stands between the Bucs’ defense and a repeat of last year, during which the middle of the defense was a shooting gallery for opposing offenses. In the few snaps he has played, Dennis flashed potential as a pass defender, but he will need to improve his career 23.5% missed tackle rate to make the kind of impact the Bucs are expecting.
Calijah Kancey
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It is possible that all that is standing between Calijah Kancey and a double-digit sack season were his calves. Since the Bucs drafted him in the first round of the 2023 draft, Kancey has missed nine games over two seasons due to calf injuries while recording 11.5 sacks in the same span, including 7.5 last season.
Kancey made himself comfortable in the backfield last year, adding 11 tackles for a loss to his 40 total pressures. Like SirVocea Dennis, Kancey has a problem finishing plays, missing 20.7% of his tackles since joining the NFL. Some of this may be attributed to Kancey’s lack of length, so he will just have to learn to be even faster and more efficient getting to the ball.
Tykee Smith
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As a rookie, Tykee Smith wasted little time making an impact. He started the 2024 season as a starter and generally made himself indispensable defending from the nickel cornerback spot. Entering 2025, Smith could have a new job as starting safety next to Antoine Winfield Jr., a spot where the Bucs struggled to find consistent play last season.
Unlike Dennis and Kancey, Smith had few tackling issues or technique issues in general. What the Bucs need from Smith is a jump from a good player to a great player. Playing next to an All-Pro like Winfield Jr. will afford Smith many opportunities to make plays that Tampa Bay needs to compete in 2025.
Graham Barton
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Barton is the only offensive player on this list, but that is not an indictment of the Bucs’ 2024 first-round pick. Barton’s rookie year was solid if uneven, allowing 24 total pressures per PFF, second-most on the team. He also led the offensive line in penalties with 13. While the Bucs had one of the NFL’s best offensive lines last season, Barton may have been a weak link, but he was always an upside bet.
The lack of precision was not unexpected when Barton moved from left tackle at Duke to center in Tampa Bay. Nevertheless, Barton will need to refine his game to keep the Bucs' offense humming in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 5 Bucs players who need to step up their game during the 2025 season
Continue reading...
