Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin in Week 6. Syndication Usa Today George Walker IV / USA TODAY NETWORK

ESPN tabs rising Bucs linebacker as a breakout candidate

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By JC Allen | Last updated May 27, 2025 2:30 PM ET

The Buccaneers made it a point of emphasis to add to the defense this offseason throughout the draft and free agency. They flooded the cornerback room and added to the pass rush but one area they didn't attack heavily was the inside linebacker position.

The Bucs re-signed Lavonte David at the start of free agency but outside of adding veteran Anthony Walker, they did little to reinforce the position as they did in other areas of the defense. A big reason behind that is the presence of SirVocea Dennis. The Bucs are extremely high on their 2023 fifth round pick and think he has the tools to develop into a complete player and a game changer.

Dennis has shown flashes over his two seasons as a Buccaneer, well-versed in coverage as he is attacking the quarterback. Before a season-ending injury last season, Dennis saw himself eating into K.J. Britt's snaps and likely would've replaced him in the lineup had he not gone down.

ESPN's Ben Solak recently put out an extensive column highlighting players and things to know, as well as predictions, with 100 days until the season kicks off. A player he made a point to highlight was Dennis.

"When Dennis was healthy last season, he was fighting -- and winning -- against K.J. Britt for the starting linebacker spot opposite Lavonte David," Solak wrote. "Dennis particularly impressed in coverage over the middle of the field, and after his Week 4 shoulder injury, the Buccaneers started getting hammered in the intermediate middle by opposing quarterbacks."

"Tampa Bay passed entirely on the linebacker position in the 2025 draft and let Britt go in free agency. With only Anthony Walker Jr. as depth, the Buccaneers have clearly placed their faith in Dennis to play the majority of the snaps opposite David," Solak added. "Tampa Bay's pass defense was the limiting factor in its postseason push last season, and Dennis should provide a boost there."

The Bucs have a lot riding on Dennis stepping up and becoming a key starter this season. David is another year older and the slow drop off already started in 2024. Tampa Bay doesn't have another young linebacker in the pipeline to develop and pushing their chips all in on Dennis could come back to bite them. However, if he looks anything like he did pre-injury, the Buccaneers may have secured David's future replacement and a core piece of their defense for years to come.