The Tampa Bay Buccaneers run to a Super Bowl title back in 2020 largely came from a defensive front that was able to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback.
The Bucs’ defense managed to post nice stats in the sack department, but did so more by Todd Bowles scheming up blitzes than elite pass-rushing options coming off the edge.
Possessing the No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, who are some of the top defensive prospects the Bucs should be watching closely at the NFL Combine?
Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
One reason why the Senior Bowl is important during the draft process is providing a platform for smaller school prospects to compete with other NFL hopefuls.
Well, Marshall EDGE Mike Green not only proved he belonged with these other top-tier prospects — but he managed to dominate many of them.
If you want to knock lack of size as a traditional EDGE prospect, then feel free to do so. Yet, don’t be surprised if he makes you eat those words down the road.
A handful of Greenâs reps against Ohio State in 2024 — particularly when running the arc and flawlessly executing a spin move — gave us a glimpse of his exceptional bend and diverse pass-rushing arsenal to project him to the NFL.
Green’s 6â3ââ, 251-pound frame could present some issues against NFL tackles, but I’m excited to see if his explosive first step, uncommon lateral agility, and physics-defying bend for an edge rusher translate to a great NFL Combine performance.
Jalon Walker, EDGE/LB, Georgia
The Bucs had a revolving door of players trying to fill the void left by the departure of Devin White last offseason. They also have not received a commitment yet from Lavonte David about the 2025 NFL season.
Tampa Bay also had issues generating pressure from the edge opposite of YaYa Diaby.
Well, Jalon Walker is a hybrid player who managed to spend time at both off-ball linebacker and edge rusher for the Georgia Bulldogs last year.
Walker tallied 60 total tackles to go with 6.5 sacks last season. For a hybrid player who spent time at multiple positions, those numbers are nothing to scoff at in the SEC.
Walker’s length, twitchiness, and closing speed all translate favorably to the league. His positional versatility at two positions of need could give Todd Bowles a unique defensive weapon to deploy in his complex blitz schemes.
It will be very interesting to see how Walker tests at the NFL Combine.
Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State
There have been some whispers about CB Jamel Dean potentially being a salary cap casualty this offseason, which would certainly make cornerback a big priority this offseason for a defense that gave up an average of 245.3 passing yards per game — which was the third most in the league last year.
One cornerback prospect who could have a similar prospect profile to Dean is Iowa State CB Darien Porter — who has the size, speed, and length that mirror Dean’s outside boundary corner profile that the Bucs need to address.
Porter was a very late bloomer in college and could take some time to reach his ceiling through coaching and reps. Yet, I wouldn’t be shocked if we are talking about Porter as a winner from the NFL Combine if he turns in the type of performance his limited tape suggests.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Top Defensive Prospects to Watch at the NFL Combine for the Bucs appeared first on Heavy Sports.