One of the best ways a rookie can make themselves more valuable to their new team is by playing special teams. That’s something the Bucs’ 2023 rookie class knows well.

Fifth-round pick SirVocea Dennis was a standout linebacker at Pitt, but he was also a special teams mainstay. He played 400 special teams snaps during his college career.

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photo by: USA Today

“I’ll give you a little flashback. My freshman year, I had a couple coaches say to not just me, but the guys ahead of me, ‘You’re not going to make an NFL team unless you’re on special teams,'” Dennis said Saturday. “And as soon as I heard that, I made sure I was on all four (units) from freshman to senior year.

“Special teams is huge. You’ve got to make every opportunity you can there. That’s a way to get on the field, and you perform well there, they’ll definitely see you to perform well on defense. So, (I’ll) definitely take that and control that as well as I can and do everything there just so I can see the field not only on special teams but also defense.”

Dennis’ mentality toward special teams is that it’s an extension of the defense. It’s true, of course, as good special teams play can set the defensive unit up well.

“It’s another defensive play, really. Punt is, kickoff is, all of that,” Dennis said. “So, just being out there on special teams is really another chance to get on the field but also have fun playing football.”

Bucs Can Expect Special Teams Impact From Multitude Of Rookies

Bucs WR Trey Palmer – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It’s not just Dennis who aims to stand out on special teams for the Bucs. When you look across the board at the team’s rookies, you’ll see plenty of players with special teams experience and ability.

Sixth-round wide receiver Trey Palmer spoke Saturday about helping out as a return man. He’ll have to pry that role away from 2022 undrafted free agent Deven Thompkins, but his 4.33 speed (fastest among receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine) and experience (he had punt and kick return touchdowns to his name in college) will help.

“I want to be the greatest punt returner, kick returner, too. I want to be it all,” Palmer said. “I just want to be great and help the team win. That’s all I want to do – just help the team win and really give them my energy and let them know that they got a dog.”

Undrafted free agents typically face long odds to crack the roster, and those odds are even longer if the player doesn’t factor into special teams. In fact, it’s essentially a prerequisite for making the team. And in this year’s undrafted free agent class, the Bucs like a few different guys who figure to contribute on special teams should they end up on the final 53-man roster.

Former Kansas State wide receiver Kade Warner is one of those guys, as his special teams ability is one of the things Bucs head coach Todd Bowles pointed to when asked about the rookie on Friday.

Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby and ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Solid football player,” Bowles said. “He can catch the ball, he can play special teams, he can do a lot of things that we need and we’re always looking for special teams players.”

Tampa Bay’s special teams units haven’t always been up to snuff in recent years, with kick and punt coverage falling short in particular during the 2022 season. Some of these rookies will be looking to turn that around in 2023, and it’s clear that quite a few of them have the speed and football IQ necessary to do so.

For the Bucs, it’ll be all about figuring out where these guys can best serve the team. But it sure sounds like the coaches won’t have any problem with their rookies understanding the importance of the all-important third phase of the game.