Buccaneers defensive pass rusher Yaya Diaby is a solid player. He is a two-way defender who can be effective both in rushing the quarterback and stopping the run. There’s one aspect of Diaby’s game that’s been holding him back from his true ceiling, however, and that’s actually finishing and sacking the quarterback.

Diaby has 19 career sacks heading into his fourth year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with a career high of 7.5 set in his rookie season. While that’s respectable for a starting pass rusher, it’s not the level Diaby or the Bucs want to see as a ceiling. The top pass rushers finish almost yearly with double-digit sacks, and that just hasn’t been Diaby’s game despite finishing in the top 15 in total pressures the last two seasons.

The numbers tell a frustrating story

Per Pro Football Focus, Diaby finished ninth in 2024 with 63 total pressures but only amassed 4.5 sacks during the regular season. In 2025, he again finished with 63 pressures, good for 14th, and only recorded seven sacks, which tied for 21st among all pass rushers.

That tells me Diaby is a top-15 player when it comes to generating pressure, but he drops to around 20th or even 40th (as in 2024) when it comes to finishing plays. That is a big deal. While pressures are a valued stat, a pressure doesn’t automatically mean the play turns into a negative outcome.

A sack does, however, because the quarterback is on the ground. A sack can totally derail a drive, whereas a pressure, while considered a win, could still result in a big completion, a big run, or whatever keeps a drive going and leads to points.

Per Next Gen Stats, only six of the 27 qualifying EDGE rushers with at least 50 pressures finished with a sack rate lower than Diaby’s 1.6% mark.

Diaby knows he has to get better at taking down opposing quarterbacks

Diaby knows he has to get better at putting the quarterback on the ground in 2026, and he recently told reporters that’s been his main focus for the offseason.

“Just focusing on the pass rush, man, you know, and finishing,” said Diaby. “You know, everybody’s been saying he can’t finish, he gets a lot of pressure. That’s been my whole thing this offseason, just trying to find ways to finish. Try and find ways to rush smart, you know, and having guys like Calijah Kancey, you have to be able to rush smart and where you need to be. And it’s going to help me out a lot.”

Like Rueben Bain Jr., Diaby has all the right pieces around him to become an effective, finishing pass rusher in 2026. He just has to make it happen. One of Diaby’s biggest issues when it comes to finishing is that he tends to overrun plays and blow past the quarterback. That requires discipline and overall smarts to decipher when to cut the jets and turn back upfield to make the play.

Week 1 against Cincinnati presents a golden opportunity

The good thing is Tampa Bay faces two Bengals tackles in Week 1, Amarius Mims and Orlando Brown Jr., who are susceptible to both power and speed rushers. Diaby is more of a power guy, but he does carry a slight speed element that can help him get around the edge, reach the top of the arc, and take down the quarterback.

The best and worst offensive lineman for the Bengals this year may be their tackles. Right tackle Amarius Mims started looking like a Pro Bowler late last season after Dalton Risner became the full-time starter at right guard. He’s expected to continue on that trajectory upwards and is the player the Bengals should trust the most in one-on-one pass blocking situations.

There’s more concern at the moment for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. He’s had an up-and-down time in Cincinnati since arriving as a prized free agent in 2023, and he was not inspiring in his very limited preseason action. He’s the one who may require the most help. There will still be good weeks for him, but it might be entirely matchup based as he struggles most against smaller and bendier rushers. 

To his point about rushing smart, though, Diaby will have to be very disciplined against Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow in Week 1. Burrow is exceptional at manipulating the pocket with his feet and moving around without having to take off as a runner. Coach Todd Bowles touched on this earlier in the week when he spoke with reporters.

The 2026 season represents a great opportunity for Diaby to finally turn those pressures into sacks on a consistent basis. Whether it happens in Week 1 against the Bengals or builds over the course of the year, the tools and the supporting cast are there. Now, it’s about execution.