The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have drafted and developed high-end talent on the defensive side of the ball recently, including linebacker Devin White, defensive tackle Vita Vea and cornerback Antoine Winfield Jr. All three players played a role in the Buccaneers’ championship run during the 2020-21 season. Head coach Todd Bowles expects another recently-drafted defender to follow suit in 2022.
During a Wednesday press conference, Bowles said that outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is expected to be a major contributor for the team in his second season.
“He’s very athletic,” Bowles said. “Obviously, we took him in the first round. Going into Year Two, we expect him to have the nuances down with a lot of the things he did last year and expect him to come into his own. I don’t expect him to be [Jason Pierre-Paul], I expect him to be Joe. He has a skill set all on his own that he could be a good player.”
Tryon-Shoyinka, who played at the University of Washington, started in six games in 2021. He’ll likely take the place of Jason Pierre-Paul as a full-time starter on the edge this year.
Pierre-Paul has yet to re-sign with the Buccaneers, but the Cowboys had reported interest in signing Pierre-Paul earlier this offseason.
Tryon-Shoyinka, the final pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, showed glimpses of being a reliable linebacker in his rookie season. In 17 games, he had four sacks and 29 total tackles, including five tackles for a loss. The 23-year-old also had 10 quarterback hits and three passes defended.
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