The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense is going to be the unit under the most pressure in 2026. Head coach Todd Bowles is on the hot seat, and he is a defensive-minded coach, so that unit cannot fail this year. While the Bucs did a good job of improving the depth and talent of the unit, they might be lacking the high-end talent to save his job.
According to Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated, the Bucs’ defensive triplet ranking was 28th best in the NFL. This ranking looked at the best defensive lineman, linebacker, and cornerback on every NFL team.
The Bucs’ choices were Vita Vea on the line, Alex Anzalone at linebacker, and Antoine Winfield Jr. in the secondary.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense Disrespected With Triplet Ranking
GettyVita Vea
Some of the issue is that Vita Vea is a nose tackle. Putting up 35 sacks over an eight-year career at the position he plays is quite impressive. He is regarded as one of the best run defenders in the NFL, but that does not provide attractive stats that fans appreciate. So, it is easy to see Vea and his 11.5 sacks over the past two years and feel he does not need to be ranked higher than rushers like Odafe Oweh and Chase Young, who were higher than the Bucs.
Beyond that, Winfield is coming off a down year, but he is one of the best safeties in the NFL. Anzalone is likely pushing this group down. Still, he is a starting-caliber linebacker. It is understandable that this group is not flashy enough to be in the top half of the NFL, but 28th is a bit surprising given Vea and Winfield are regarded as two of the better players at their position.
Buccaneers Ranking Could Have Been Higher
The New York Jets are directly above the Bucs. They have a rookie, David Bailey, and then Minkah Fitzpatrick with Demario Davis. Those two saw their previous team move on from them. So, their reputation should not be higher than Winfield and Vea.
The Atlanta Falcons feature Jalon Walker, who only posted 5.5 sacks as a rookie. Divine Diablo is not much better than Anzalone, and while Xavier Watts had a great rookie year, no one would put him over Winfield quite yet.
The Jacksonville Jaguars came in at 25th. Josh Hines-Allen is likely more impactful than anyone on the Bucs defense. However, Foyesade Oluokun has been up and down, and Travis Hunter was listed as the secondary member. He was a liability at times last year.
The Tennessee Titans feature Jeffrey Simmons, who beats the Bucs’ best. Still, Cody Barton would be a backup on the Bucs, and Alontae Taylor is a slot cornerback who is changing teams.
The New Orleans Saints have Chase Young, who is not as impactful as Vea, Kaden Elliss, who might be a slight uptick over Anzalone, and Kool-Aid McKinstry, who is nowhere near as impactful as Winfield.
Lastly, the Washington Commanders feature Odafe Oweh, who is on his third team in two seasons, rookie Sonny Styles, and average free agent Nick Cross. The Bucs could have been as high as 22nd on this list.
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