Here’s a stat that really jumped out at Joe about outside linebacker YaYa Diaby.
Last year Diaby had nine tackles for loss in five starts. At that pace, had Diaby started all 17 regular season games, he would easily had led the league in tackles for loss.
That’s pretty freaking impressive.
Of course, Diaby will live and die in the NFL based on his sacks. He was tied for most sacks by a rookie with 6.5. Promising.
What worried Joe about Diaby was that when he finally won a starting job beginning in the 11th game, that’s when Diaby started to tail off.
Why? Was it that he hit the rookie wall (very possible)? Or was it because Diaby finally gave opposing offensive coordinators enough film to gameplan against him.
Joe wants to think it was as simple to explain away as the rookie wall. But if Diaby is the real deal and rookie edger rusher Chris Braswell can develop, wow, the Bucs ought to be right back where they were when Jason Pierre-Paul and Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett were terrorizing quarterbacks.
STUD: #Buccaneers Rookie 3rd Round Pick YaYa Diaby:
- 5 Starts
- 6.5 Sacks (T-1 among rookies)
- 1 FF
- 2 FR
- 31 TKL
- 9 TFL
- 7 QB HITS pic.twitter.com/0dpYKWjAXK— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 28, 2023
