YaYa Diaby Brings Juice To Bucs’ Pass Rush

While the Bucs’ pass rush still provided plenty of sacks in 2022 (45), much of that production came from non-traditional sources. Only 38% of the team’s sacks came from their outside linebacker room. By comparison, in 2021 the outside linebackers generated almost half of the team’s 47 sacks. Rookie YaYa Diaby should be able to help out with that.

With Shaq Barrett coming off of a serious Achilles injury and questions surrounding Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s lack of production increase over the past two years, the team decided to bolster the outside linebackers room through the 2023 NFL Draft with Diaby, a third-round pass rusher from Louisville, and Jose Ramirez from Eastern Michigan in the sixth round. While Ramirez has a chance to make the team, Diaby has a greater chance to make an impact.

YaYa Diaby’s Scouting Report

YaYa Diaby has a profile that includes an enviable blend of athleticism and production. This has led many to be very excited about the prospects of Diaby’s future. Diaby appeared in 33 games over his three years at Louisville. While he did not produce much in his first two seasons, Diaby broke out in 2022 with 37 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks. He tied Florida State’s Jared Verse for second in the ACC in sacks.

While Diaby’s 6-foot-3 frame is slightly below average for his position, his 33.875-inch arms are solidly above the norm for his position. And Diaby uses that length to his advantage. Diaby combines that length with impressive explosiveness and speed. His vertical and broad jump scores were in the 73rd and 86th percentiles respectively. And Diaby’s 40-yard dash and 10-yard split times were both above the 90th percentiles. It all adds up to an impressive MockDraftable spider graph and Relative Athletic Score.