Elijah Roberts performed greater than anticipated throughout his rookie season out of necessity. Getting into his second season, Roberts may have extra competitors to carve out the same position alongside the Bucs’ line of defense. Introduced in as a fifth-round decide in 2025, the SMU product flashed the power to be a contributor, even when he admittedly was in his personal head at occasions.
This summer time, Roberts, who’s as much as 305 kilos after taking part in final 12 months between 275-290 kilos, is able to roll below new line of defense coach Marcus West, who helps him unlock his greatest in 2026.
Elijah Roberts Shares How Marcus West Is Serving to Him Turn into Sooner
A philosophical shift in power has been felt alongside the Bucs defensive teaching workers, with an exodus of veteran coaches over the offseason. Zyon McCollum spoke about how that has helped the cornerback room, and it has finished the identical for the line of defense. Elijah Roberts stays shut with former line of defense coach Charlie Robust, who was let go after final season. Robust was an skilled coach of the laid-back ilk.
One might say Tampa Bay introduced within the precise reverse hiring Marcus West.
Greater than every other place group, the trenches demand excessive power and managed madness. That has rubbed off on Roberts, who spoke about West’s early influence on the Pewter Report Podcast lately.
Bucs DL coach Marcus West and DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
“Coach West, he’s been great,” Roberts mentioned. “He’s only a ball of power, man, daily. That’s how he’s within the assembly room as nicely. How he’s on the sector is how he’s within the assembly room as nicely, however that’s in a great way. He’s a participant’s coach. He’s at all times attempting to see how we really feel about one thing, or he at all times desires to listen to us speak it out as gamers first earlier than we simply toss stuff in. On the sector, he’s 100 miles per hour.
“He’s in a full-blown sweat; we once had to stop and get him water [laughs]. He went the whole practice no water, no nothing, and he’s out there full-on sweating. He’s moving to the next drill and he’s the one trying to give the look. You can always have the young guys up doing looks but he’s doing it giving a look, talking it out with every single player. He’s really trying to get every person in the room better, and that’s something really stands out to me, and I’ve only had him for about a month. He’s been great.”
Bucs DT Elijah Roberts – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Having West has felt like a welcome addition, and his power has been noticeable on the times Pewter Report is readily available to observe observe. Underneath his tutelage for less than a month or so, Roberts has extra of an understanding that his change should at all times be on and prepared for battle.
“As a D-lineman, it’s kind of an easy job,” Roberts mentioned. “Daily you must flip it on; activate that change and inform your self, ‘It’s time to go.’ Each single day, each observe, each recreation as a D-lineman. Then you definitely roll with the following few guys, after which the following group has to have the ability to do it as nicely. That’s what Coach West is form of preaching, he doesn’t actually put guys in a field.
“He wants everybody to be able to do a bit of everything. Everybody has their own set of skills, everybody is good at one thing, and he wants you to master that one thing as well. He does want everybody to be ready to roll and that’s been his mantra.”
Elijah Roberts Needs To Be Extra Explosive And File Extra Sacks In 2026
Elijah Roberts entered the NFL with one of many strongest factors on his resume being his potential to get after and produce down the quarterback. Roberts led the nation in quarterback pressures and sacks throughout his remaining two seasons at SMU, displaying a promising set of strikes.
Bucs DL Elijah Roberts – Picture by: IMAGN Photos
In 17 video games (9 begins), Roberts solely had two sacks and thinks about his missed probabilities when going over his tape.
“The ones I actually missed and could’ve had, it should have been at least about four or five,” Roberts mentioned of what his sack whole ought to have been. “Just watching the film and being a competitor, every time you have a one-on-one as a D-lineman, you feel like you should win that. Just trying to win more one-on-ones is what I’m focusing on, and I know I have the ability to do so.”
As talked about, Marcus West is lending a hand in taking his recreation to the following stage. Pondering slower will enable him to play sooner.
Bucs DT Elijah Roberts – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
“His thing for me has just been – he wants to see the things that got me here,” Roberts mentioned. “Playing fast, not thinking as much. He said, he kind of hit it on the head when he talked to me the first time we met, ‘Man, I could tell that you love the game, but you were kind of in your own head last year.’ It was a long season, I was overthinking everything and if I’m doing good enough, if I’m doing enough… You lose the love of the game when you put so much stress behind it, so that’s been what he’s kind of helping me with.”
Sharing a line of defense room with Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, and A’Shawn Robinson means Elijah Roberts must earn each snap of taking part in time. That may come by aiding West’s recommendation and recognizing his skillset is one which the Bucs cross rush can use each little bit of in 2026.
“Being more explosive,” Roberts mentioned about his final objective for this season. “I feel like I have a lot of twitch, I have a lot of speed to my game, and I wasn’t really able to show that. When you think a lot, you are playing a little slower. Being able not to think as much, I feel like the game has slowed down a bit for me. I’ve learned a lot already with the veterans and Coach West. Next year, just playing faster and everything else will come. Technique has to be up to par but just playing faster, being explosive, and being disruptive.”
Watch Bucs DT Elijah Roberts On The Pewter Report Podcast
Pewter Report loved having Bucs defensive sort out Elijah Roberts on the present earlier this week. If in case you have not but, remember to try the whole lot he needed to say by clicking on this hyperlink or by watching it beneath:
