Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmets during pregame warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Buccaneers veteran names potential breakout defenders in 2025

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated May 29, 2025 12:42 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have some talented players on the defensive side of the ball, but some of them could take it to the next level in 2025.

Linebacker Lavonte David has been with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2012, and he's seen plenty of star players come and go for the Bucs. As a result, he has an eye for talent, and there are three players in particular who he thinks could take that next step in 2025.

David recently made an appearance on the Mina Kimes Show, and Kimes asked him which Bucs players he expected to have a breakout year in 2025. He named three, and they're players that Bucs fans have already seen make big strides in the last few years.

"[Cornerback] Zyon McCollum. [Outside linebacker] Yaya Diaby. [Defensive lineman] Calijah Kancey," David said. "For those guys, they know it's time to turn it up a notch. You've seen a glimpse of it already, but I think those guys are gonna take it to a whole 'nother level. Just because the way they work, how willing they are to learn, how willing they are to be great — when you see that out of young players at early stages, it's incredible."

McCollum, as David noted, has been with the Buccaneers for the longest after being drafted in 2022, but he's started the least amount of time. He had his first starting reps in 2024 last year and made the most of it, becoming a solid corner for Tampa Bay after Carlton Davis was traded to the Detroit Lions. McCollum will look to continue his momentum in 2025, and to make that next step, he'll want to focus on getting more takeaways and putting his hands on the football.

Diaby and Kancey enter their third year of football, and both have taken steps toward becoming dominant. Diaby saw his sack numbers go down last year, but his win rates and pass rushing prowess improved — if he can get to the quarterback at a better rate, he could turn into a complete edge rusher just like David predicts. Meanwhile, Kancey netted 7.5 sacks for the Bucs last year and has only gotten better as a pass rusher, so a big year for him could be trouble for opposing quarterbacks.

If all three players were able to put together a big campaign as David predicts, Tampa Bay's defense could jump from middling to dangerous — and that's exactly what it needs to do for a potential title run.