Let’s discuss Yaya Diaby, we could?
The extra thrilling durations of the Bucs offseason are over with, as pre-draft scouting, free company, the NFL Draft, OTAs and mini-camps are effectively previously. What’s thrilling, although, is that this Bucs Storylines sequence started when coaching camp was nonetheless weeks and weeks away, and now we’re below one week from Tampa Bay reporting again to the AdventHealth Coaching Heart to start out camp and start preparations for the 2024 season.
There’s nonetheless loads of time to speak storylines for the upcoming season, although, because the common season doesn’t kick off for an additional month-plus. So, with that in thoughts, this sequence rolls on as we slender in on a number of the Bucs’ largest stars and go player-by-player to dive into the large storylines which are in retailer for the 2024 season.
After having a look at six gamers on offense (quarterback Baker Mayfield, vast receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, operating again Rachaad White, tight finish Cade Otton and left deal with Tristan Wirfs), we flipped over to the protection with nostril deal with Vita Vea and defensive lineman Calijah Kancey. Right this moment, we proceed with exterior linebacker Yaya Diaby.
Bucs Storylines: Yaya Diaby
Listed below are three massive storylines surrounding Bucs exterior linebacker Yaya Diaby in 2024:
How Will Yaya Diaby Construct On His Sturdy Rookie Marketing campaign?
Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby and 49ers QB Brock Purdy – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
When the Bucs drafted Diaby within the third spherical of the 2023 Draft, they have been understandably excessive on the chiseled move rusher out of Louisville. However even they won’t have been anticipating him to maneuver forward of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka on the depth chart and be the starter on the opposite aspect of Shaq Barrett by the top of his rookie season. But, that’s what occurred. Diaby grew to become one of many nice surprises of a 2023 season that was stuffed with them for Tampa Bay.
Over the primary 10 video games of the season, Diaby performed extra of a rotational function and by no means noticed greater than 30 snaps in any of these contests. However all alongside, he was taking part in effectively and incomes a much bigger function. He acquired his first profession begin in Week 11 towards San Francisco, and although he performed simply 21 snaps (11 rush protection snaps, 10 move rush), he turned that into his best-graded sport of the season. Professional Soccer Focus graded him out with a 69.9 total grade, a 77.1 run protection grade and a move rush mark of 75.6 — all season-highs at that time.
Diaby’s two-sack sport towards the 49ers in his first profession begin gave him three over a two-game span and 4 on the season. And from there, he constructed on his momentum by including a sack towards Carolina in Week 13, notching 1.5 sacks towards Jacksonville in Week 16 and choosing up yet one more within the season finale towards Carolina.
By the top of his rookie season, his 7.5 sacks led the Bucs. PFF, which grades sacks otherwise than the usual, credited him with 9 quarterback captures on the yr. He additionally had a compelled fumble, two fumble recoveries and 12 tackles for loss — probably the most of any rookie in 2023.
So, how can Diaby construct on his sturdy debut season? Heading into coaching camp, he seems to be the one positive starter in an outdoor linebacker group that’s deep however missing in high-end move rushers.
Shaq Barrett was launched, leaving the second-year exterior linebacker because the lone remaining starter on the place from the top of final season. After tallying 7.5 sacks final yr with solely seven begins, the 25-year-old will look to take the subsequent step in 2024. He must construct out a extra elaborate move rush plan, and if he can achieve this, he’ll set himself up for fairly the encore in yr two.
Can Yaya Diaby Be The Bucs’ No. 1 EDGE?
Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photograph by: Cliff Welch P/R
With Shaq Barrett gone and a normal lack of readability relating to who will step in and substitute him in 2024, Diaby is basically the Bucs’ No. 1 EDGE by default. He’s the remaining starter from the top of final yr, with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka needing to earn again a beginning function by beating out 2024 second-round decide Chris Braswell, second-year gamers Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez and veterans Anthony Nelson and Randy Gregory.
Diaby had rookie season and actually got here on sturdy by the top of it, however is he able to be the man? Truthful or not, there’s quite a bit using on him given he’s only a second-year participant with single-digit NFL begins to his identify. And earlier than he can actually be a No. 1 EDGE, he’s actually going to want to spherical out his move rush arsenal.
Whereas the previous Louisville Cardinal led Tampa Bay with 7.5 sacks as a rookie, he did solely have a 6.7% move rush win charge. That was behind Barrett (15%), Tryon-Shoyinka (10.8%), Nelson (10.1%) and Watts (27.1%, although he performed far fewer snaps). Over the course of a full season as a starter, Diaby’s 6.7% win charge isn’t going to chop it — particularly if he’s going to be the crew’s No. 1.
The Bucs are in a singular place with their exterior linebacker room, as they’ve group of gamers that features some high-upside guys and a few high-floor rotational items. However they enter the 2024 season uncertain whether or not they have that alpha-type EDGE, and Diaby goes to get a shot at being that man. Whether or not he takes the subsequent step and secures that spot might very effectively have a ripple impact on the crew’s plans subsequent offseason. If he proves to be higher suited to a No. 2 EDGE or rotational function, Tampa Bay will discover itself available in the market for the man subsequent spring.
Is Yaya Diaby A Candidate For Double-Digit Sacks In 2024?
Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby and Payments QB Josh Allen – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
This storyline primarily goes hand-in-hand with the second storyline. As a result of if the reply to this query is sure, then the reply to the earlier query can be a sure. However what’s Yaya Diaby’s ceiling, anyway? Can he be a double-digit sacker for the Bucs? Or have been his 7.5 sacks as a rookie extra consistent with what the crew can count on from him?
In a latest article that included his 2024 sack projections for Tampa Bay, Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo truly had the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder failing to copy his 2023 sack numbers.
Queipo identified that Diaby had a really excessive pressure-to-sack conversion charge of 35% in 2023, which will probably be troublesome to repeat. And whereas Queipo projected a stress charge simply shy of 10%, chopping that conversion charge of 35% in half led him to a seven-sack prediction for Diaby this season. That’s a wonderful whole, however it might additionally result in a solution of “no” for the query of whether or not he is usually a double-digit sacker this yr.
The Bucs are definitely going to hope Queipo is fallacious. Head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles mentioned again in March that he can’t say for positive that Diaby will probably be a 10-plus sacker, however he did say that he is aware of No. 0 will “be in that neighborhood.” Once more, this largely comes right down to Diaby constructing out his move rush repertoire along with getting extra versatile and agile, all targets that he talked about to Pewter Report earlier than the offseason started.
A ten-sack season for Diaby in 2024 would make him the primary double-digit sacker since 2021 when Barrett had 10 in a Professional Bowl season. Diaby proving that he has a double-digit-sack ceiling can be enormous for the Bucs, as it might give them much more confidence in him as a reliable constructing block of the longer term.
