Greg Auman
NFC South Reporter
The last time the Buccaneers faced the Eagles, rookie outside linebacker Yaya Diaby was a non-factor. He picked up his second career tackle in his third NFL game, stopping Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts on a 5-yard gain in the second quarter.
That was a day that did not go in the Bucs’ favor at all, with the Eagles piling up a season-high 472 yards of offense and cruising to a 25-11 victory on a rainy Monday night in September. And as Philadelphia returns to Tampa this Monday, the Bucs have the confidence of a much different and improved defense taking the field. Diaby’s emergence is a surprisingly big part of that.
“He came into his own,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said of Diaby, who has quickly risen from backup to starter to leading the team with 7.5 sacks as a rookie. “You know, he’s a physical specimen. Obviously, once he got the system down, he started playing loose and playing free. He really got back there, wreaked some havoc and made some plays. I’m proud of him.”
It’s a promising start for the third-round pick from Louisville — he’s only become a starter in the last seven games, and yet his 12 tackles for loss are the most for any rookie in this class. His 7.5 sacks are third, behind the Rams duo of Kobie Turner (9) and Byron Young (8). It’s more than Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who has six sacks on the year but just 2.5 in his last 11 games.
What’s made Diaby’s emergence all the more remarkable is how much the Bucs ask of their outside linebackers — not just to rush the passer, but to help set the edge and contain the run, and even to drop in pass coverage occasionally. It’s more than most edge rushers are asked to do in college, so it can set up a difficult learning curve, but that wasn’t the case for Diaby.
“Our system is not an easy system for a young player to come into because we do a lot,” Bucs co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said last week….
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/bucs-rookie-edge-rusher-yaya-diaby-approaches-playoff-debut-with-bright-future-ahead
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Publish date : 2024-01-11 22:15:18
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