The Tampa Bay Buccaneers werenât hiding their offseason agenda. Fix the pass rush. Cut down on blitzes. Force more turnovers. And if Todd Bowles gets his wish, the 2025 version of the Bucs defense will look a whole lot more like a hurricane than a sieve.
Step one came in free agency, when Tampa Bay brought in Haason Reddick. His résumé speaks for itself â 59 sacks, 17 forced fumbles â but the teamâs betting that the former All-Pro still has some gas in the tank after a disappointing stint with the Jets. If heâs anywhere near the guy he was in Philly two years ago, heâs an impact player from day one.
But the front office didnât stop there.
Double Trouble: Walker and Roberts Bring Juice to the Trenches
On Day 3 of the draft, Tampa Bay scooped up two high-upside disruptors with different toolkits but the same mission: wreck the quarterback. Central Arkansas standout David Walker came off the board in Round 4, followed by SMUâs Elijah Roberts in Round 5. Both were praised for their effort, motor, and production â and both have the versatility Bowles craves.
Walker may be coming from an FCS program, but donât let that fool you. He tallied 39 sacks in four seasons and looked every bit the part at the Senior Bowl. âTime and time again, David Walker showed up,â Matt Matera of The Pewter Report writes. âThere was a lot of positivity to take from his time down at the Senior Bowl, too.â
Roberts, meanwhile, is the kind of inside-outside hybrid who could see snaps right away. With Logan Hall in a contract year and the depth chart wide open behind Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, Roberts could stake his claim early. He racked up 17.5 sacks in two seasons at SMU and has the athleticism to line up anywhere from nose to five-tech. That versatility makes him a natural fit for sub-packages and early-down rotations.
If the Bucs get even solid rookie contributions from Walker and Roberts, this pass rush might just be the deepest itâs been in years â and finally allow Bowles to sit back and let four guys get home.
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