For years, the Bucks Inside linebacker Lavonte David and wide receiver Mike Evans They were overlooked and underrated throughout their careers in Tampa Bay, and to some extent still are, but with David in his 13th year in the NFL and Evans in his 11th, they have at least established themselves in the history of the team and are garnering national acclaim as the season progresses.
So, with these two all-timers out of the way, is there a new Buccaneers player who might have more going for him than others realize? Apparently, the next one could be the team’s top football player.
From an article by Connor Ohl In a Sports Illustrated article, he named one underrated player from each NFL team. Split into AFC and NFC.
Yaya Diaby named Buccaneers’ most underrated player
Buccaneers OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch P/R
When it came time to choose the Buccaneers player of choice, the pick was Tampa Bay outside linebacker Yaya Diaby. Here’s what SI’s Connor Orr had to say about the second-year edge rusher.
“There was a great play from Diaby in his rookie season where he set the edge, bench-pressed Lions all-world offensive tackle Penei Sewell, and made the tackle when the run play came right up to his knees. Diaby made quite a few hard, spectacular tackles last year and is strong enough to push through multiple blockers. Another big tackle he made against the Tennessee Titans showed Diaby was able to read Derrick Henry’s tendencies well enough to know he was running away from him, push his outside shoulder in front of the blocker and sprint out onto the field for an easy (not so easy against Henry) tackle.
“Diaby recorded 7.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits in his rookie year and finished fifth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting despite playing just 46 percent of the Buccaneers’ defensive snaps. If you think of players as stocks, this is a good player to start with.”
Should Diaby be considered underrated?
Buccaneers OLB Yaya Diaby and 49ers QB Brock Purdy – Photo courtesy of USA Today
While local fans may not think Yaya Diaby is underrated, the national audience may. Yaya Diaby led the team. 7.5 sacks But the fact that he wasn’t named the starter until Week 12 in late November is likely why people outside of Tampa Bay didn’t pay him much attention.
Diaby certainly lit up as a rookie, but he was quiet in Tampa Bay’s two postseason games last season, with just four tackles and no quarterback hits or sacks. Come playoff time, those games will be nationally televised, meaning a much larger audience will get to see him play. The lack of production is not a cause for concern, and is likely temporary.
The good news for Tampa Bay and Diaby is that he looks bigger and better heading into the 2024 season. Diaby has already spoken about the training he’s been doing during the offseason, from lifting programs to Pilates classes to all kinds of tapes he’s studied. The only problem for Diaby is that when he tries to get into the gym at the team facility on a Sunday during the offseason, it’s closed.
The outside linebacker corps is deep, and Diaby is the only one who seems definitively eligible to be a starter this season. His snaps will certainly increase, and with the opportunity to start Week 1 instead of three months into the season, his numbers could soar and he could get off to a great start. His sack numbers could also increase in 2024, which could bring him national recognition.
