The Bucs Have A Pass Rush Problem

There is no getting around it.

No beating around the bush.

The Bucs do not want to appear urgent or desperate about adding defensive help this offseason, but it is clear they need it.

Coming off an 8-9 season, the defense has to hold up better than it has in recent years if it wants any shot of winning the NFC South and going on a postseason run next season. More holes need patching than general manager Jason Licht might care to admit. Flex Tape will not work, though. It is going to take a full-on repair.

One can debate which position group needs the most.

Inside linebacker could look completely different if Lavonte David retires. Even if David returns, the team should sign a linebacker and draft at least one. Cornerback could get interesting if Jamel Dean is no longer in the picture, as expected. Zyon McCollum must bounce back after receiving a big contract, and Benjamin Morrison must also improve in year two.

Still, I am left circling back to outside linebacker.

Yaya Diaby looks like part of the solution as a solid No. 2 pass rusher but lacks the high-end production to be the true alpha. One rusher is not nearly enough in the modern NFL. Anthony Nelson is a fine fourth or fifth option, while David Walker should not be forgotten about as a promising developmental rusher. That is all that the Bucs really have going for them at an extremely important position, however.

Despite Maxx Crosby being available per various reports, it is not likely Licht is going to send draft picks over to the Raiders. At the same time, he has never drafted a star edge rusher, with Diaby being his best selection since his tenure began with the 2014 NFL Draft.

That leaves free agency as the only route left.

Now, signing Haason Reddick to a one-year, $14 million deal did not pan out in the last free agency period. With that being said, there are options on the open market with higher floors and more upside worth backing up the brinks truck for. The Bucs can land a couple of free agents, but it will take some salary cap maneuvering. If the team is serious about improving the outside pass rush, bringing in one of these five names is a start before potentially adding another in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Note: All projected contracts are courtesy of Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo, whose work can be found here and on Pro Football Focus.

Two Established Pass Rushers Who Would Be Long-Term Pieces

Chargers Edge Rusher Odafe Oweh

Odafe Oweh is the type of bet that makes sense for the Bucs as an explosive pass rusher with upside. Oweh, who is 27 years old, has 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons. That includes a career-high 10 sacks in 2024 with the Ravens, followed up by 7.5 sacks in 2025. His last season was split between Baltimore and the Chargers after being traded midseason. The Bucs should find out why the Ravens were eager to trade a young pass rusher still on his rookie deal. Still, he came alive in Los Angeles, providing a spark for a top 10 scoring defense.

Outside of getting 7.5 sacks in 12 games with the Chargers, he recorded three sacks and two forced fumbles during the team’s playoff loss to the Patriots while playing just 39.1% of the defensive snaps. Oweh ranked 11th among edge rushers in PFF pass-rush win rate (16.5%) during his time there.

He makes sense for Tampa Bay as he is more than just a stat-padder, but a true disruptor. That would fit well in head coach Todd Bowles’ scheme, and with Oweh opposite Yaya Diaby, Bowles would not have to rely on as many blitz packages to manufacture pressure.

Being in his late-20s gives him enough youth to command a long-term deal. He is less than half a year older than Diaby, which would give the Bucs two solid pass rushers who could man the edges for the next couple of years. Yet Diaby is entering a contract year and will likely command a similar contract next year. It’s doubtful the Bucs would have the cash and the cap room to take on two huge contracts.

Projected contract: Four years, $77 million | $40 million guaranteed

Seahawks Edge Rusher Boye Mafe

Fresh off being a Super Bowl champion, Boye Mafe is the most intriguing name on this list. Mafe may have only had two sacks last season, but do not let that fool you. His sack numbers and playing time dipped playing alongside Byron Murphy, Leonard Williams, Uchenna Nwosu, and Demarcus Lawrence. That obviously played a factor but should not be a deterrent in pursuing him.

Instead, it is a chance to buy a little bit lower and give Mafe more opportunity.

When he is on the field, he consistently racks up pressures and is apt in run defense. Pro Football Focus has credited him with 146 pressures and 41 stops in run defense over the past three seasons. Across 2023 and 2024, he also had 15 sacks. The 27-year-old profiles as a solid No. 2 pass rusher in his own right but has the upside to continue growing and take off in a more prominent role.

Interestingly enough, he has a significant connection to the Bucs defense, having been college teammates with safety Antoine Winfield Jr. at Minnesota. Mafe would come cheaper than Odafe Oweh, but his skillset might be too close to what Yaya Diaby brings Tampa Bay in terms of a power rusher.

Projected contract: Three years, $49 million | $30 million guaranteed

Two Veteran Pass Rushers Would Bring Instant Credibility To Bucs

Chargers Edge Rusher Khalil Mack

If the Bucs want proven production, Khalil Mack could be their guy.

Even though Mack turns 35 years old on February 22, he is plenty capable of being an impactful pass rusher. He is far removed from being the Defensive Player of the Year that he was with the Raiders, while his double-digit sack days appear to be behind him, too. Still, the nine-time Pro Bowler knows how to get after the quarterback, and the Fort Pierce, Florida native would bring leadership and someone opposing offenses have to game plan against and slide protection toward.

Mack’s win rate on true pass sets remains strong, and his 240 pressures over the past four seasons are the 11th most among all edge defenders. That alone would create cleaner one-on-ones for Yaya Diaby and open things up for defensive tackles Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey.

It should also be noted that Diaby and others struggled at times finishing when they did get pressure. Mack has made a career out of closing. In 12 games last year, he had 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles while remaining sturdy against the run. He would be a veteran Todd Bowles could count on to not make mental errors and be a mentor for the rest of the room, which would surely look to add another outside linebacker via the 2026 NFL Draft. To that end, Clemson’s T.J. Parker is a similar build to Mack and has studied his game for a long time.

Projected contract: One year, $14 million | $14 million guaranteed

Bills Edge Rusher Joey Bosa

Admittedly, Joey Bosa comes with greater risk than the other pass rushers listed here. When Bosa is healthy, he flashes the kind of talent that made him so highly regarded entering the NFL and during his first couple of seasons. He was healthy for the first time in years after signing a one-year deal with the Bills. In 2025, he started more than 10 games for the first time since 2021 and responded by recording 54 quarterback pressures, 16 quarterback hits, five sacks, and five forced fumbles.

Bosa remains a tenacious pass rusher who can be disruptive. He does not rely on speed but rather uses his hands to counter and string moves together. His advanced repertoire would be something for Yaya Diaby to watch and learn, but there are still red flags. His injury history could flare up at any time, which leaves a future role to be determined. He played 64% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps last season but averaged around 50% during his last three seasons with the Chargers.

At this point in his career, Bosa would need to have his workload managed to keep him fresh. It should not be discounted that the Bucs hired former Bills defensive line coach Marcus West this offseason. As someone who worked closely with Bosa, West would know just how to use him. He would also be the most affordable name mentioned here. He comes with higher risk, but few available players offer his level of pass-rush polish and pedigree.

Projected contract: One year, $11 million | $10 million guaranteed

One Pass Rusher Set To Cash In On Career Year

Patriots Edge Rusher K’Lavon Chaisson

K’Lavon Chaisson is another player looking to cash in on his team making the Super Bowl. Chaisson and the Patriots may not have come away with the Lombardi Trophy, but his platform year has him ready to feel like a champion with a life-changing deal.

People may see his name and think of the first-round bust he was with the Jaguars. He had just five sacks over four seasons before Jacksonville let him go, but that is when he began to rebound. It started in 2024 with the Raiders, where he had five sacks primarily as a pass-rush specialist.

Chaisson was then a key signing to help revamp the Patriots’ defense in 2025, and he responded with an even better year. He set career highs nearly across the board, starting 10 games and recording 54 quarterback pressures and 7.5 sacks in the regular season. He then turned it up a notch with three more sacks in the playoffs while playing a majority of the snaps.

He lacks the name recognition of the other pass rushers mentioned above, but his pass-rush productivity is right in the conversation and can no longer be ignored. Chaisson is also the youngest name mentioned here, being just 26 years old. It took him longer to get his feet under him in the NFL, but his meteoric rise came at the perfect time and landing him would give the Bucs an athletic edge rusher who still has room to grow.

Projected contract: Three years, $45 million | $30 million guaranteed