Buccaneers continue to redefine themselves with YaYa Diaby draft pick
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked themselves in the mirror this offseason, figured out what they needed to change/move away from and have done nothing but fortify their new beliefs. It all started with the hiring of offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who runs a completely different offense to that of Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich. And […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked themselves in the mirror this offseason, figured out what they needed to change/move away from and have done nothing but fortify their new beliefs.
It all started with the hiring of offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who runs a completely different offense to that of Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich. And now, through three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers continue to back up their philosophical tweaks with their latest pick in EDGE YaYa Diaby.
Diaby is much like Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in the fact that he's an elite athlete, but a raw one, as well. The main difference between the two, however, is Diaby has a lot more playing experience than JTS (around 200+ more snaps during his collegiate career, per PFF).
Either way, Diaby should immediately come in and factor into the Bucs' pass rush rotation. What makes the pick even better is the fact he allows Shaquil Barrett to ease back into his starting role. Barrett has recently stated that he expects to be ready to go by Week 1, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll immediately return to his previous Pro Bowl form.
Plus, let's be honest, Tyron-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson have questions about their respective games, as well. Having Diaby on the roster not only eases Barrett back into action, but he can possibly provide a spark in case JTS doesn't take a step forward and/or Nelson plateaus in 2023.
The Buccaneers are clearly seeking explosive athletes that add a dynamic speed element to their game, which backs up one of their offseason preaching points. It's encouraging to see this team accepting their faults and doing what it takes to change their ways.
Hopefully it leads to a much more exciting 2023 season.
