2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers offseason preview: Linebackers
· Yahoo Sports
There may be no greater need for Tampa Bay's roster than inside linebacker. The Buccaneers can no longer pretend that the middle of their defense is an absolute liability, and the failure of which cascaded across the rest of the team.
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The problems at the position actually began seven years ago. years ago, when the Bucs drafted Devin White with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft. Though he was instrumental to Tampa Bay's 2020 Super Bowl run, he ultimately revealed himself to be a bust, a player whose supreme athleticism belied a lack of instincts and poor technique.
White was meant to take over the middle of the defense from veteran Lavonte David, who excelled in virtually every aspect of defensive play while surrounded by dubious talent for most of his career. Instead, David carried on even as White departed Tampa Bay in 2024 and more pressing roster concerns arose.
In 2025, the Bucs pressed on with David and 2023 fifth-round pick SirVocea Dennis manning the middle of their defense. What followed was nothing short of disaster. Tampa Bay's hopes that Dennis would develop into a starting-caliber inside linebacker after limited action in his first two seasons quickly faded. The former Pitt linebacker was the defense's Achilles heel, failing to provide even replacement-level pass coverage and frequently looking completely outmatched when playing in space.
After years of ageless play, David has clearly lost a step. After never missing more than more than 11% of his tackles since 2017, David has missed more than 15% the last two seasons. The 36-year old linebacker also cannot consistently keep up with younger tight ends and running backs in coverage. His mind remains sharp, which helps him anticipate as well as any defender in the NFL, but he is clearly on the decline.
The Bucs enter this offseason needing plans of succession for both linebackers. While Dennis needs to be replaced immediately, David can still play like a starter and has built enough of a legacy in Tampa Bay to determine how he wants to end his career. He may opt to retire, but the Bucs would no doubt welcome him back if he chose to play another season.
Regardless of what the Bucs do in free agency, they likely cannot finish the 2026 draft without taking an off-ball linebacker. Unfortunately, with the 15th-overall pick, Tampa Bay almost certainly will not have a shot at drafting Ohio St. LB Sonny Styles, who put up a historic NFL Combine performance and is arguably the best linebacker prospect in the class.
Depending on how they address their other big need at outside linebacker, the Bucs may still end up using their first-round pick at inside linebacker. The player that may warrant such an investment is Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez. There may not be a more instinctual linebacker in this year's class than Rodriguez. His nose for the football is comparable to Lavonte David when he was coming out of Nebraska in 2012. His better-than-expected testing at the combine might push him into the first round, forcing Tampa Bay to consider using its first pick to secure his services.
After the first round, Tampa Bay's other options include Georgia LB C.J. Allen and Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. Allen is a more traditional physical downhill linebacker who will struggle in coverage in the NFL, at least in the early goings. Hill is the opposite. He has the size and athleticism to be a high-end NFL linebacker, but there are times when his instincts look more like guesswork, and his physicality does not match his size. Still, the flashes are exciting and give Hill a good deal of upside.
Pitt LB Kyle Louis will get plenty of buzz after a Senior Bowl in which he locked up anyone he faced in coverage. He would certainly improve the Bucs' major issue defending the middle of the field on passing downs, but at 220 pounds, he is not built to routinely defend the run. Given Todd Bowles' prioritization of run defense, Louis may not be his cup of tea. Still, if Louis is available to the Bucs in the third round, they might not be able to say no.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: NFL Offseason: Bucs linebacker preview