SR’s FAB 5: Bucs Might Have Discovered Their Edge Rusher In Indy

INTRO: The Bucs are ending up interviewing draft prospects on the NFL Scouting Mix and should have discovered the move rusher the staff wants, in addition to an inside linebacker or two. Discover out who the Bucs have interviewed in Indianapolis in Pewter Report Bucs Mix Interview Tracker proper right here. Plus, my ideas on how the return of Larry Foote as the skin linebackers coach in Tampa Bay is big, in addition to the return of Jon Gruden within the Bucs Ring of Honor. Take pleasure in!

FAB 1. Bucs Might Have Discovered Their Edge Rusher In Indy

The Bucs could have discovered their move rusher in Indianapolis.

Did you see the efficiency that Boston Faculty edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku placed on on the NFL Scouting Mix?

Boston Faculty edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku – Picture by: USA At the moment

He posted a 6.94 3-cone drill time and ran a 4.19 shuttle. Each of these occasions had been one of the best amongst all defensive linemen on the Mix. In reality, Ezeiruaku’s occasions had been additionally one of the best for all defenders on Thursday evening, together with the linebackers.

Ezeiruaku didn’t run the 40-yard sprint, however that drill really has the least quantity to do with move speeding, which occurs whereas working a brief arc somewhat than an extended, straight-line dash.

Ezeiruaku’s almost flawless on-field drills in Indy solidified his standing as a first-rounder to me, and possibly to a number of NFL groups. Hopefully Tampa Bay.

That’s what Ezeiruaku needed to perform in Indy.

“It would be important – obviously a dream come true,” Ezeiruaku stated about probably being drafted within the first spherical. It’s one thing I’ve needed to do since I used to be seven years previous taking part in this recreation. On the finish of the day, it’s on God’s timing.”

Throughout his Mix press convention, I requested Ezeiruaku what made him a first-round-caliber participant in his thoughts.

“My mentality,” Ezeiruaku stated. “My mental toughness as well. I’m a great person at the end of the day. I think teams want to invest in a great person as well as a great talent. My athletic ability as well. I take pride in stopping the run game and I can rush the passer for sure.”

After being completely impressed with Ezeiruaku through the Senior Bowl practices, I did a Pewter Pulse video on whether or not or not he was a first-round match for the Bucs. His Mix interview and his on-field efficiency answered that query for me.

And possibly for common supervisor Jason Licht, head coach Todd Bowles and director of participant personnel Mike Biehl, who oversees faculty scouting, because the staff had a proper interview with Ezeiruaku on the Mix. He was one in all seven formal interviews Tampa Bay had with edge rushers in Indy.

Boston Faculty edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku – Picture by: USA At the moment

Ezeiruaku is actually higher than some latest edge rushers taken close to the top of the primary spherical, similar to Tampa Bay’s personal Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (2021), New Orleans’ Payton Turner (2021), Cincinnati’s Myles Murphy (2023) and Kansas Metropolis’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah (2023). And I consider he’s higher than Inexperienced Bay’s Lukas Van Ness, who was taken No. 13 general in 2023.

For these of you who assume taking the Boston Faculty star at No. 19 is just too early, I believe he might be on par as a move rusher with – or maybe higher than – Miami’s Jaelan Phillips, who was taken at No. 18 in 2021, or Indianapolis’ Kwity Paye, who was drafted at No. 21 the identical 12 months.

Ezeiruaku recorded 30 sacks at Boston Faculty, together with 16.5 final 12 months, which was half a sack away from tying Marshall’s Mike Inexperienced for the FBS lead. He additionally had 47 tackles for loss, together with 21 in 2024.

And bear in mind how Bowles has said he desires ballhawks this offseason? Ezeiruaku pressured eight fumbles during the last three years for the Eagles.

With pterodactyl-like 34-inch arms and large agility and skill to bend, Ezeiruaku looks like a really perfect complement to Yaya Diaby’s energy speeding type in Tampa Bay the best way Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul complemented one another through the staff’s Tremendous Bowl run in 2020.

I do know a few of you need Tampa Bay to seek out its move rusher in Philadelphia (Josh Sweat) or Los Angeles (Khalil Mack). And I do know a few of you even need the Bucs to surrender draft picks to seek out that move rush in Cleveland (Myles Garrett), Cincinnati (Trey Hendrickson) or Las Vegas (Maxx Crosby).

However one thing tells me that the Bucs aren’t going to spend massive cash on an edge rusher this 12 months. If Tampa Bay opens its checkbook up in free company, I believe it is perhaps for a veteran cornerback to assist in the secondary.

No inside info, simply my intestine feeling having coated this staff for 30 years.

I believe the Bucs discovered their first-round choose in Indy in Ezeiruaku.

FAB 2. Donovan Ezeiruaku Is “That Man” For The Bucs

Accountable.Aggressive.Assured.Passionate.Resilient.

These are the 5 traits that make up “I Am That Man” blueprint for what the Tampa Bay scouting division appears for in new Buccaneers that the staff indicators in free company and selects within the draft.

Boston Faculty edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku has all 5 of these traits, together with being the elite, nuanced move rusher the Bucs desperately want on the sting reverse Yaya Diaby.

“I’m a dynamic pass rusher,” Ezeiruaku advised me on the Senior Bowl. “So I have a deep bag of pass rush moves. I can ghost rush. I can cross chop. I can swipe. I can counter inside and I’m working on the power aspect, but I think I could bring some power in my rushes as well. So I think that separates me. I’m not like a one-trick pony, or I’m not somebody who doesn’t rush with a plan or rush with some type of knowledge.”

Ezeiruaku went to the Senior Bowl to compete and placed on a present in one-on-one move rush drills in addition to going to the NFL Scouting Mix to compete and put up the highest numbers within the three-cone drill and shuttle.

Boston Faculty edge rusher Donovan Ezeieruaku – Picture by: USA At the moment

Once I requested Ezeiruaku what kind of individual an NFL staff goes to get if it drafts him the very first thing he talked about was being a competitor.

“You’ll get a great person first and foremost, but somebody who loves to compete, somebody who loves to win,” Ezeiruaku advised me on the Senior Bowl. “Clearly you’re going to get an athlete off the sting, however you’re going to get a defensive finish/exterior linebacker/edge rusher that may be on the sector all 4 downs.

“I pride myself on stopping the run game and I know I can pass rush. That’s why I came [to Mobile, Ala.] this week – to put a little more emphasis on stopping the run. Just so scouts, GMs and coaches can see it live in the flesh. I think I did a pretty good job of that this past year and in the years building up to this year, but just so they can see that live.”

His efficiency on the Senior Bowl in opposition to the run the place he smashed into offensive tackles, who had been far greater than his 6-foot-2, 248-pound body, to successfully set the sting within the working recreation jogged my memory loads of how ferocious Shaq Barrett performed run protection at 6-foot-1, 250 kilos.

Ezeiruaku oozed confidence when speaking about his background, rising up taking part in soccer in New Jersey.

“If you know anything about Jersey guys or South Jersey or Philly, we carry a chip on our shoulder at all times,” Ezeiruaku stated. “That’s just who we are. If you know anything about Jersey football, or if you’re not from Jersey, lot of people are like ‘Okay, what’s going on down there?’ That’s the chip. You know people typically count us out. But it’s definitely a badge of honor. Where are you from? Man, I’m from Williamstown, New Jersey.”

I had the possibility to talk with Ezeiruaku briefly off the rostrum in Indianapolis on Wednesday and I requested him how his formal interview with the Bucs went and he advised me how he instantly linked with Todd Bowles. Ezeiruaku knew that Bowles hails from Elizabeth, New Jersey and performed soccer at Temple.

I advised him that he’s the sort of move rusher Tampa Bay wants and he stated, “I would love it. Let’s make it happen.”

Ezeiruaku isn’t a one-year surprise like Marshall’s Mike Inexperienced is perhaps. Inexperienced had 17 sacks in his second season for the Thundering Herd, however had simply 4.5 in 2023. Ezeiruaku had an 8.5-sack season with 15 tackles for loss at Boston Faculty in 2022, which exhibits that his 2024 season wasn’t a fluke.

However Ezeiruaku did have a down 12 months in 2023 with simply seven tackles for loss and two sacks. When requested why he had such an off 12 months that season, Ezeiruaku confirmed accountability through the Senior Bowl media session.

Boston Faculty edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku – Picture by: USA At the moment

“Just remembering to go have some fun playing football,” Ezeiruaku stated. “I feel like I got away from that my junior year, but definitely had a lot more fun this past year. It was a hard offseason and I did some self-reflecting. Obviously, I put a lot of work into it. With the help of Coach Bill O’Brien and Coach Tim Lewis I got everything done.”

Ezeiruaku has at all times had goals of taking part in within the NFL and he knew he wanted to have a bounce-back senior season. So he educated even more durable and studied even more durable and have become one of the best model of himself within the 2024 offseason.

He even went as far as to get assist from Boston Faculty’s offensive line coach, Doug Marrone, who taught him what to search for when finding out offensive tackles and searching for tendencies. That’s how Ezeiruaku confirmed the resiliency to rebound from two sacks in 2023 to 16.5 sacks final 12 months.

“Myself and Coach Marrone would watch film together during the week,” Ezeiruaku stated throughout his Senior Bowl media session. “And then as the season went on, he had made a cut-up for me with his notes and I would watch that, and he and myself would talk about it. So that’s kind of how I grew in that aspect. I definitely got a better eye offensive linemen.”

Ezeiruaku elaborated on these movie classes with Marrone from the rostrum on the NFL Scouting Mix.

“You know with film you’re able to see – you can’t hide obviously, so we pick up on things like whether tackles are giving away run-pass keys,” Ezeiruaku stated. “That helps you, obviously, pre-snap. Whether or not they’re waist-benders or they kick [slide] and they you know keep their chests tall or whatever the case may be. I think when you take those things and you’re studying those things it’s easy to have a plan in-game. So I definitely used that to my advantage.”

Ezeiruaku has a big selection of move rush strikes in his arsenal from watching numerous hours of movie on similar-sized NFL move rushers.

“I just watch a lot of people,” Ezeiruaku stated. “I watch loads of move rushers Von Miller, Maxx Crosby, Nick Bosa, Yannick Ngakoue, DeMarcus Ware, Khalil Mack. I watch loads of move rushers and I’m the kind of individual after I see it, I’m like, ‘Okay that was effective. What did he do for that to work?’ After which I’ll simply exit and take a look at it. I’ll exit and work on it and take a look at stuff.

Boston Faculty edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku – Picture by: USA At the moment

“Like against the University of Virginia I was doing the outside spin a couple times. I saw it and I just worked on it a few times in practice and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to try and bring it out and show it.’”

Ezeiruaku is passionate in regards to the recreation of soccer. Not simply being a move rusher, however for effecting the sport with pressured fumbles and with the ability to be an entire soccer participant who’s able to stopping the run. Ezeiruaku had a career-high 80 tackles final 12 months.

“I think I have a knack for the football,” Ezeiruaku stated. “In my career at Boston College, I always took pride in the run game. I understand that you can’t pass rush on third down until you win on first and second down. I take a lot of pride in that. There are areas to improve all parts of our games, but I think I played the run pretty darn well.”

The best way Ezeiruaku speaks and confidently carries himself is tremendous spectacular. I’ve been round him for 2 media classes now this offseason and he jogs my memory of Lavonte David, Tristan Wirfs, Yaya Diaby and Antoine Winfield Jr. by way of his persona. I believe Bowles and Licht positively see him being an ideal slot in Tampa Bay’s locker room.

He screams “Buccaneer” to me. I believe he’s very nicely might be that man in Tampa Bay.

FAB 3. Larry Foote’s Return To Teaching OLBs Is Enormous

Bucs common supervisor Jason Licht is aware of that he has but to hit on a house run edge rusher within the draft. He doesn’t want you posting about it on X or me writing about it on PewterReport.com.

Licht is aware of the names – Noah Spence, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Yaya Diaby, Jose Ramirez and Chris Braswell.

None of them have grow to be a double-digit sacker in Tampa Bay.

Bucs Co-DC and OLBs coach Larry Foote – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

Spence, a second-rounder in 2016, was a bust and is out of the league. Tryon-Shoyinka, a first-rounder in 2021, underwhelmed and received’t be re-signed by Tampa Bay.

The jury remains to be out on Diaby, Ramirez and Braswell. Diaby, a third-round choose in 2023, made nice strides in all areas besides the sack column final 12 months, ending the season with 4.5. Ramirez, a sixth-round choose in 2023, has spent extra time on the apply squad and being inactive than in video games. Braswell, a second-rounder final 12 months, succumbed to George Edwards’ infatuation with Tryon-Shoyinka – a participant he believed an excessive amount of in. In consequence, Braswell didn’t play as a lot as he ought to have and that stunted his development.

Kudos to Todd Bowles for recognizing that 12 collective sacks from Tampa Bay’s exterior linebackers was unacceptable and changing Edwards with Larry Foote, who’s again to teaching the Bucs edge rushers after teaching inside linebackers from 2022-24.

I believe that is a completely large transfer for the Bucs. Foote has the energetic, hands-on method essential to get probably the most out of Tampa Bay’s younger move rushers, who’ve but to be absolutely developed. Bowles’ re-hiring of Mike Caldwell to teach inside linebackers, which is one thing he did in Tampa Bay from 2019-21, was additionally an excellent transfer and allowed Bowles to maneuver Foote again to the sting rusher room.

“Mike Caldwell’s a great coach,” Bucs common supervisor Jason Licht stated, praising Bowles’ teaching strikes. “He did great things for us coaching Lavonte and Devin in the past. Larry Foote has done a great job coaching linebackers in the past for us. George Edwards is a fantastic coach, and Todd relies on him for a lot of things. It was like getting the best of all worlds and we’re very excited.”

The cerebral Edwards, who has an ideal soccer I.Q., is now not teaching a place, however as a substitute will give attention to serving to to enhance the communication between the secondary and the linebacking corps, which positively wants enhancing, evidenced by Tampa Bay rating thirty first in move protection final 12 months.

Bucs OLBs coach Larry Foote – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Larry has a different teaching angle,” Bowles stated. “He was there when we won the Super Bowl. Obviously he had JPP (Jason Pierre-Paul) and Shaq [Barrett], but just getting a fresh perspective on things. We’ve got to help them more as a coaching staff. Instead of playing run-heavy type of things and then converting to the pass, we need to just set those guys free a little bit more as well. As a staff standpoint, that was one of the things we can do well and I think Larry can help out with that.”

Foote helped develop Barrett right into a two-time Professional Bowler in Tampa Bay, together with his 19.5-sack season, which set a brand new franchise file in 2019. And Pierre-Paul additionally had a Professional Bowl season in 2020 with a team-high 9.5 sacks, serving to the Bucs win Tremendous Bowl LV.

Not solely can Foote assist take the video games of Diaby, Braswell, Jose Ramirez and Markees Watts to new heights, however one has to assume that his return to teaching exterior linebackers provides Licht extra confidence in spending one other premium choose – maybe a first-rounder – on one other edge rusher.

That place has been kryptonite for Licht up to now within the 11 Tampa Bay drafts he’s presided over.

However what? So was the working again place for years.

But Licht stored taking swings at it, regardless of misses like Charles Sims, Jeremy McNichols, Ronald Jones II and Ke’Shawn Vaughn by means of the years.

Then he lastly hit on Rachaad White within the third spherical in 2022 and nailed a house run with Bucky Irving within the fourth spherical final 12 months – along with discovering a gem in Sean Tucker in undrafted free company in 2023.

Possibly this 12 months, Licht lastly drafts a double-digit sacker, after which Foote develops Diaby right into a double-digit sacker, too.

Then the Bucs would possibly simply have an up to date model of Barrett and JPP in 2025. Wouldn’t that be good?

FAB 4. Bucs Are Concentrating on The Proper Linebackers In The Draft

Whether or not or not 35-year previous Lavonte David decides to return to Tampa Bay for yet another season or not, the Bucs positively want extra inside linebackers this offseason. The staff is anticipated to maneuver on from Ok.J. Britt, who began many of the video games final 12 months at center linebacker, however wasn’t quick sufficient or athletic sufficient to cowl or be efficient.

The Bucs stay excessive on SirVocea Dennis, who’s penciled in as one of many starters, however with harm considerations surrounding the previous Pittsburgh star, the staff wants to seek out a minimum of three extra quick, athletic linebackers to compete for the beginning roles and supply developmental depth.

Oklahoma State ILB Nickolas Martin – Picture by: USA At the moment

Todd Bowles and Jason Licht had formal interviews with six inside linebackers on the NFL Scouting Mix, all of that are very quick and athletic. Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell ran a 4.52, Oklahoma State’s Nickolas Martin ran a 4.53, Georgia’s Smael Mondon Jr. ran a 4.58 and Oregon’s Jeffrey Bassa ran a 4.63 – all very quick occasions for linebackers within the 40-yard sprint.

Florida’s Shemar James was a bit on the slower aspect at 4.69, and Penn State’s Kobe King elected to skip the 40-yard sprint in Indianapolis.

Campbell is taken into account to be a first-round possibility for Tampa Bay. However with the depth at inside linebacker this 12 months, I can’t see Licht spending one other first-round choose on an off-ball linebacker like he did with Devin White, the fifth general choose within the 2019 NFL Draft. Not when drafting edge rushers and cornerbacks within the first spherical sometimes show to be extra invaluable.

As an alternative, I search for the Bucs to draft a linebacker within the center rounds – maybe rounds 3 or 4. San Francisco’s Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw had been drafted within the third and fifth rounds, respectively. Philadelphia’s Zack Baun, this 12 months’s high linebacker in free company after an All-Professional season, was a former third-round choose in New Orleans.

Martin is a sleeper who I’ve had my eyes on for some time. Being a Kansas State alum, I watch loads of Massive XII soccer and he had a tremendous junior 12 months with 140 tackles (83 solo), 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, two interceptions, a pressured fumble and a fumble restoration. A torn MCL shortened his senior season to only 5 video games the place he posted 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two passes defensed, a sack, a pressured fumble and a fumble restoration.

Oregon ILB Jeffrey Bassa – Picture by: USA At the moment

Martin had a terrific Senior Bowl, particularly in protection drills, and working a 4.58 in Indy exhibits that he’s absolutely recovered from his knee harm.

Bassa additionally shined in Cell. Don’t be scared by his 4.63 time within the 40. Lavonte David ran a 4.65 popping out of Nebraska in 2012. Bassa additionally excels in protection and is a brilliant, cerebral participant. Each he and Martin look like Bucs suits within the center rounds.

I’ve bought to do some extra digging on King, however I like what I’ve seen from him up to now on tape. I’ll be curious to see his 40-time at his professional day, however I’m guessing he’ll run between 4.55-4.65.

Mondon, who performed at Georgia with Tykee Smith, is a fairly good athlete. However Mondon failed to actually put all of it along with the Bulldogs to actually grow to be a star. He was extra of a task participant as a three-year starter.

All in all, the Bucs are focusing on the best guys on this 12 months’s draft and it is going to be fascinating to see which of them get chosen in April.

FAB 5. Thrilled That Jon Gruden Is Again In The Bucs Ring Of Honor

Former Bucs head coach Jon Gruden – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

I’ve to confess that I used to be very disenchanted when the Glazers eliminated Jon Gruden from the Bucs Ring of Honor in 2021 when offensive e-mails from Gruden to former Washington common supervisor Bruce Allen had been made public as a part of an NFL investigation into the Redskins group. I understood the choice, contemplating that Gruden had some disparaging issues about Bucs proprietor Bryan Glazer in a kind of e-mails, however I didn’t like the choice to take away him.

But the Glazers stored Gruden’s Tremendous Bowl statute within the foyer at One Buccaneer Place, so the staff didn’t fully erase him or his contribution to profitable the primary championship in franchise historical past. Gruden, who has extra wins in staff historical past than some other coach with 57, was clearly harm by the choice. And as somebody who coated each minute of his Bucs tenure from 2002-08, I used to be harm, too. I discovered extra soccer from Gruden and his assistants than I did from some other teaching employees, and I stay mates with Gruden to this present day.

I used to be glad to see Gruden on the sidelines throughout pregame on the Bucs vs. 49ers recreation and within the homeowners luxurious field as a visitor of the Glazers. The Glazer household deserves loads of credit score for reconciling issues with Gruden. They apparently had been moved by Monte Kiffin’s celebration of life ceremony, the place forgiveness was a subject.

I can’t wait to see Gruden’s identify again the place it belongs on the wall of Raymond James Stadium once more this fall. And to see Gruden standing alongside the Glazers in celebrating 50 years of the Buccaneers this 12 months.