Detailed view of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet against the New Orleans Saints. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Buccaneers franchise legend clocks in at No. 96 in NFL Top 100

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 11:05 AM ET

Lavonte David has been terrorizing NFL offenses for 13 years now, and he isn't done yet.

David is entering his 14th season in the NFL, and he's played all of them with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has certainly slowed down physically from the earlier stages of his career, but David's unrivaled football IQ and game-time instincts have still made him a terror in the NFL. With just one Pro Bowl and one First Team All-Pro, David has remained one of the NFL's most underrated players, but other NFL players certainly haven't forgotten just how much of a pain he can be.

The NFL Top 100, voted by the players themselves, is released every year near training camp, and the first few players have been revealed day by day. No. 96 is David, who comes in as the first Buccaneer on the list — David moved up three spots from his No. 99 position on the list last year.

NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@Buccaneers LB Lavonte David lands at No. 96! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/UD7My5aNIz
— NFL (@NFL) July 2, 2025

Multiple players spoke on David's skill and tenacity in his video, including teammate Tristan Wirfs, NFC South rival running back Bijan Robinson and former teammate and current New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston. One player, New Orleans Saints wideout Rashid Shaheed, spoke on just how prevalent he is to offensive opponents preparing to face the Bucs.

"Smart. Super savy. He uses his experience to his advantage," Shaheed said. "He's everywhere, and he's a guy that we talk about the entire week — 'Keep your eyes on this guy, because he can make a lot of plays.'"

David will not be the only Bucs player on the list, as players like Wirfs, Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield and Chris Godwin, among others, will likely be members as well. But his inclusion at 35 years old remains very impressive, and opposing players will have to deal with him for at least one more NFL season in hopes of leading the Bucs to a championship in 2025.