Bucs’ Weak Links On Defense

Calijah Kancey, the Bucs’ first-round pick, is currently running with the second team defense during OTAs. That won’t last for long as Kancey’s elite speed and quickness will help him find his way into the starting lineup alongside Vita Vea and Logan Hall. But in the meantime, Kancey has to earn his promotion and do that by showing he has enough size and strength at 6-foot, 286 pounds to hold up as an every-down defensive tackle.

The Bucs think (and are hoping) that his lack of size will be overcome by his athletic traits. Yet, until he proves that his lack of size won’t be a hindrance, Kancey is the weak link on the defensive line. And he really won’t have that opportunity for another couple of months until the pads come on in training camp. Kancey’s physicality and durability in the trenches can’t be tested in OTAs or the mandatory mini-camp, where contact isn’t allowed.

Kancey will be targeted in the run game by opponents on a weekly basis until he proves he can hold up adequately and split double teams. Bucs defensive play-caller Todd Bowles will have to deploy Kancey as a three-technique defensive tackle designed to get one-on-one matchups against guards to safeguard him. But that won’t stop teams from creating guard-tackle double-teams in the B gap to try to steamroll Kancey. It will be interesting to see how Kancey fares during his rookie season.

Outside Linebacker – Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

The chiseled 6-foot-5, 265-pound Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is one heck of an athlete. But he’s just an average football player at this point. And he’s a below-average playmaker as he enters a pivotal third season. In 34 games with 22 starts, Tryon-Shoyinka has only posted eight sacks, 11 tackles for loss and five pass breakups. He has yet to force a fumble or recover one.

The Bucs are hoping that the former first-round pick in 2021 isn’t a bust, but after seeing him stall out at four sacks in each of his first two seasons, they’re bracing for that potential reality. That’s part of the reason why Tampa Bay doubled up at outside linebacker in this year’s draft with YaYa Diaby and Jose Ramirez. Tryon-Shoyinka has missed as many sacks as he’s made and needs to finish plays better. The Bucs are hoping that the added competition will force Tryon-Shoyinka to rise to the occasion.

Due to injuries at the outside linebacker position, Tryon-Shoyinka played virtually every snap of the team’s last six games in the regular season and only recorded seven QB hits and half a sack during that span. With more playing time, the Bucs had hoped that Tryon-Shoyinka would begin to take off and dominate down the stretch last season, but it didn’t happen. He needs to develop a better rush plan, and the hope is that new outside linebacker coach George Edwards will be the one to get Tryon-Shoyinka to live up to his full potential. Until then, he’s a weak link up front as a pass rusher.

Inside Linebacker – KJ Britt

This time last year, the Bucs were buzzing about KJ Britt, as the linebacker entering his second year was coming off a rookie season where he starred on special teams. Britt had a firm grasp of the Bucs playbook and was getting some first-team reps on defense during the OTAs whenever Lavonte David or Devin White didn’t show up.

But on the field in his second preseason and in spot duty on defense during the season, Britt’s lack of elite athleticism showed up. He’s a downhill linebacker without great change of direction skills or the ability to smoothly drop in coverage. Any hope of him elevating to a starting role and eventually replacing David when he retires became an afterthought. Now with the arrival of new linebackers SirVocea Dennis and Jeremy Banks, Britt will have to shine as a dominant special teams player just to make the team.

Britt could go from being the No. 3 linebacker to No. 4 or No. 5 on the depth chart by September depending on how the battle between he, Dennis and Banks plays out. Dennis has the instincts and fluidity to usurp Britt as the No. 3 linebacker on the depth chart this preseason. In order for Britt to hold off that challenge he’ll need to play out of his mind and become an impactful turnover machine – something he has yet to show he’s capable of becoming.

Secondary – Zyon McCollum

The Bucs hope Zyon McCollum isn’t the secondary’s version of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. But unless McCollum starts making plays in practice and in games, he’ll just be an uber athlete and a disappointing football player. McCollum proved to be the most athletic cornerbacks ever to come out of the draft, according to Kent Lee Platt’s RAS scoring. Yet he’s made zero plays on defense so far in limited playing time.

With Sean Murphy-Bunting moving on in free agency, McCollum will enter the season as the No. 3 cornerback behind Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean. History has shown that both Davis and Dean get banged up and miss some playing time. That means that McCollum will likely see more playing time this year and needs to be able to step in and make plays on the ball on defense. So far, despite elite athleticism, McCollum has been hesitant to make plays on the ball. Is it a lack of instincts or football intellect that is holding him back?

He and the Bucs need to find out what it is and try to correct it during training camp and the preseason. Otherwise, McCollum will only be known as a very good gunner on special teams in Tampa Bay. But the Bucs are expecting him to be much more than that.