Buccaneers Predicted to Add ‘Undersized’ Edge Rusher With 16.5 Sacks

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem almost certain to draft an edge rusher in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft — such were their failings at the position in 2024 and their need to build that spot for the future.

Pro Football Talk’s Connor Rogers predicts the Buccaneers will use their first round pick (No. 19 overall) on Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku in PFT’s latest mock draft.

“Todd Bowles desperately needs another pure pass rusher in this defense and there weren’t many more productive than Ezeiruaku this year,” Rogers wrote.

Drafting Ezeiruaku, 6-foot-2 and 248 pounds, would create one of the more curious looking edge rusher combos in the NFL alongside free agent Haason Reddick, who the Buccaneers signed to a 1-year, $14 million contract on March 10.

By curious looking, what we mean is drastically undersized with Reddick at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds. That would make both members of the Buccaneers’ main duo of edge rushers approximately 2-3 inches shorter and about 30-40 pounds lighter than most of the elite edge rushers in the NFL.

Ezeiruaku Dominated Competition in 2024 With 16.5 Sacks

Ezeiruaku finished his college career with 28.0 sacks over 4 seasons but saved his best for last. Ezeiruaku kicked off his senior season in 2024 with 2.0 sacks in an upset win over No. 10 Florida State in Ireland and finished with 80 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and was second in the nation with 16.5 sacks and third in the nation with 20 TFL.

He was also named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, All-American and won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top collegiate defensive end.

“His hands exploit small advantages to turn them into big ones and he has a variety of ways to challenge protection, though he’s still learning to craft his plans,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “Ezeiruaku’s play demeanor, skill and athletic talent are the underpinnings of a productive starter with three-down value.”

Zierlein’s best NFL comparison for Ezeiruaku was veteran edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who was an All-Rookie Team pick in 2016 and a Pro Bowler in 2017 when he led the NFL in forced fumbles. Entering his 10th NFL season, Ngakoue has 70.5 career sacks and $54.3 million in career earnings.

Buccaneers Made Big Splash With Signing Reddick

Perhaps the biggest problem for the Buccaneers in 2024 — outside of injuries — was their lack of an elite edge rusher. The Buccaneers got by in 2024 with dominant performances from a pair of interior defensive linemen in former first round pick Calijah Kancey (7.0 sacks) and Pro Bowler Vita Vea (7.5 sacks).

Signing Reddick addresses that problem in a big way and does so at what should be a massive discount. Reddick missed 7 games in 2024 due to an ugly contract dispute and holdout with the New York Jets and finished the season with just 1.0 sack in 10 games — matching his career low.

Reddick’s terrible year came after a 4-year stretch in which he was one of the NFL’s most dominant pass rushers. From 2020 to 2023, he was a 2-time Pro Bowler, earned NFL All-Pro honors in 2022 and had double-digit sacks each year — including a career high 16.0 sacks in 2022 as he helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to an NFC championship and Super Bowl appearance.