Which NFC South Player Is The Biggest Threat To Bucs?

 

Pewter Report’s PR Roundtable
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A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. Which NFC South PLAYER Is The Biggest Threat To Bucs?

Scott Reynolds: Atlanta’s James Pearce Jr. Is A Stud Pass Rusher In The NFC South

The Falcons made a bold move trading up near the end of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr., this coming on the heels of drafting Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker earlier in the first rounder. Doing so cost the Falcons their 2026 first-round pick, but on the field, the trade was worth it as Pearce led the team in sacks with 10.5, which accounted for nearly one fifth of Atlanta’s 57 total sacks. Walker finished his rookie season with 5.5 sacks by comparison.

Now Walker is the better and more talented overall player, as Pearce is more of a designated pass rusher. But the fact that he posted 10.5 sacks last year, which was the most by a rookie in the NFL since Micah Parson had 13 in 2021, is noteworthy. He has the speed and agility that some of the league’s elite pass rushers have – and that Walker doesn’t have. Sacks aren’t always the best indicator of pass rush prowess, but Pearce checked a lot of other boxes, too. He had 45 total pressures to Walker’s 29, and had 31 hurries compared to Walker’s 19, making him Atlanta’s most dangerous pass rusher last year.

Pearce had four pressures, including a QB hit, in Atlanta’s Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay. In the rematch in Week 15 on Thursday Night Football he had his best game of the season, recording a season-high six pressures and a career-high two sacks, in addition to a QB hit. Pearce rushed from the right side against Tristan Wirfs, the left side against Luke Goedeke and stunted inside several times over guards Dan Feeney and Mike Jordan as he was a constant pest all night.

Despite his speed and pass rushing ability, Pearce was off some teams’ draft boards due to character concerns at Tennessee. Those concerns bubbled to the surface after his rookie year when he was charged with multiple felonies after an incident with his former girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson. Pearce was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon when he rammed his car into hers, in addition to fleeing the police and resisting arrest with violence.

Now in an ultimate case of “athlete privilege” Pearce avoided jail by agreeing to a one-year pretrial diversion program where he had to seek counseling. Yet the NFL will likely dole out a hefty suspension of at least four games – or possibly for half the season. I think he should be suspended for at least an entire year given the severity of his crimes, but that’s not the way the NFL typically works, especially for players who plea out and manage to avoid jail due to high-priced lawyers.

If he’s suspended for eight or nine games then Pearce will miss the first game against the Bucs at Tampa Bay in Week 8, but he’ll be back for the rematch in Week 16 at Atlanta. Unless he self-destructs his career with continued bad behavior, Pearce will be a thorn in the Bucs’ side for years to come. The dude can get to the quarterback – perhaps better than anyone else in the NFC South.

Matt Matera: Tetaiora McMillan Has Cost The Bucs A Game Before And Can Do It Again

It didn’t take long for Panthers wide receiver and Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan to make an impact when facing the Bucs. His touchdown right before halftime in Carolina’s 23-20 Week 16 win over Tampa Bay wound up being a pivotal moment in the game, and an important victory that wound up being crucial for the Panthers winning the NFC South division with an 8-9 record.

At 6-foot-5, 212 pounds, McMillan has the size and skillset that the Bucs will have to game plan for in years to come. Carolina doesn’t have a ton of talent on offense, but McMillan is that one star that can do a lot of damage and take over games. Plus, this year’s Bucs cornerback room that includes Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison as their top three might be weaker than it was a season ago when it had veteran Jamel Dean on the roster.

If McMillan was beating Dean one-on-one in big moments, what’s going to happen this year with Dean no longer on the team? McCollum is coming off a season full of struggles while Morrison can’t stay on the field with injuries already flaring up this offseason. Parrish was great and is expected to play more outside, but his 5-foot-10 size is a severe mismatch for the 6-foot-5 McMillan. The Bucs will have to get creative when slowing him down or else he’ll take over games in these matchups.

Adam Slivon: Tyler Shough Has Upside, Weapons To Give Bucs Big Problems

When I look across the NFC South, this week’s Pewter Report Roundtable could very well be one about the Falcons’ collection of skill-position talent. Instead of looking at what problems they could individually pose, there is one player within the division who can do serious damage as a field general – Saints quarterback Tyler Shough.

Heading into last season, New Orleans’ outlook at the position was shaky, with Spencer Rattler beginning the year as the starter. As time went on, it became time to allow Shough, the team’s second-year quarterback, to lead the offense. The promise he flashed should worry the Bucs when the two rivals square off.

Shough got his first extended look in the NFL against Tampa Bay in Week 8, but it was his performance in Week 14 that should flash warning signals. While his stat line of 13 completions on 20 attempts for 144 yards and an interception is far from impressive, he proved to be mobile.

His seven carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns were enough for New Orleans to come away with a 24-20 win on the road. Considering what he had to work with then compared to now, it will only make his game more complete in Kellen Moore’s offense.

With Alvin Kamara getting up there in running back age, the Saints went out and added Travis Etienne Jr. from the Jaguars in free agency. If that was not enough, the wide receiver room “received” a big upgrade after drafting Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson eighth overall. Add in pieces such as Juwan Johnson and Devaughn Vele, there is reason to believe Tyler Shough can build on his rookie year.

Over Shough’s final five games, the team went 4-1 as he completed 69.9% of his passes while throwing for 1,316 yards and five touchdowns while running for three more. Given his promise and the tools around him, he is set up to be the NFC South’s best quarterback not named Baker Mayfield.

Bailey Adams: Kyle Pitts Remains A Haunting Presence In The NFC South

How can you read “NFC South” and “threat” and not immediately think about Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts? Of course, there’s the most recent example of Pitts’ dominance over the Bucs, which came on Thursday Night Football last December as Tampa Bay was trying to break a creamsicle curse and stop a second-half freefall. Pitts caught 11 of his 12 targets in that game for 166 yards (15.1 avg.) and three touchdowns as Atlanta stunned Tampa Bay at home, 29-28.

The former Florida Gator phenom hasn’t had the start to his NFL career that everyone thought he might have. There have been signs, but he hasn’t quite been the gamebreaker people expected him to be when the Falcons drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 Draft. However, Pitts often has been that gamebreaker when it comes time for the Falcons to play the Bucs. Tampa Bay’s defense has rarely found an answer for the Atlanta tight end.

It’s been particularly rough as of late. There were glimpses for Pitts against the Bucs early on, as he had a five-catch, 73-yard performance the first time he matched up with Tampa Bay in 2021 and later had a day with three catches for 57 yards (19.0 avg.) and a touchdown against the Bucs in December of 2023. But lately, things hit another level. Pitts caught seven of his eight targets for 88 yards (12.6 avg.) on Thursday Night Football in October of 2024. A couple weeks later, he brought in four catches for 91 yards (22.8 avg.) and two touchdowns.

Then came 2025. In Week 1, he hauled in seven of his eight targets for 59 yards (8.4 avg.) before the monster 166-yard, three-touchdown game in December. For his career, Pitts has 44 catches for 629 yards (14.3 avg.) and six touchdowns against Tampa Bay. That’s 17% of his career yardage and 40% of his touchdowns that have come against the Bucs. He’s a nightmare for Todd Bowles’ defense, one that the unit will have to find an answer for in 2026.

Josh Queipo: Bijan Robinson’s Has Burned The Bucs On The Ground And Through The Air

Week 1 of last year Bijan Robinson got to the flat for a dump off pass. As Bucs linebacker SirVocea Dennis bore down on him, Robinson faked a cut to the inside before out-leveraging Dennis’ angle to the sideline. He then picked up two key blocks on his way to a 50-yard touchdown. That play was the start of Dennis’ fall from grace in Bucs world.

That game was the third in five straight games where Robinson topped 75 total yards against Tampa Bay. After missing almost all of his first matchup with the Bucs, Robinson has gone off over the past five.

Carries – 66
Rush Yds – 275
Avg – 4.2
Receptions – 29
Yds – 295
Avg – 10.2
Total TD – 4
Total Yards Per Game – 114.0

Robinson is one of the best players in the NFL and is a full blown Pro Bowl running back. And his talent is on full display against the Bucs each time they meet up. He is one of the few backs who averages over 4.0 yards per carry against the Bucs’ stout run defense. And he is just as dangerous – if not more – through the air as a receiver on swing passes and screens.

The most dangerous players are the ones the Bucs design their whole gameplan around. And there is no player who requires as extensive of a gameplan as Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson.