With the NFL Combine in the rearview mirror, we at Pewter Report have you covered on which prospects the Bucs have had formal interviews with. Over the next two weeks, I am going to provide you, the reader, with brief scouting reports on the players the team had formal visits with.

You can check out our first article on the wide receivers here, cornerbacks can be found here, safeties here and tight ends here.

Linebackers will be a longer read because the team is doing a ton of due diligence, so buckle up. We know of six formals from the Combine plus at least one official 30 visit so far.

Jihaad Campbell – Alabama

Alabama ILB Jihaad Campbell – Photo by: USA Today

Height – 6-3
Weight – 235
Arm Length – 32.25
40 – 4.52
Vertical – N/A
Broad – 10-foot, 7-inches
3-cone – N/A
Short shuttle – N/A

Campbell is being touted as both the consensus No. 1 overall linebacker in the draft as well as a do-it-all, checks-every-box player. As far as a fit for the Bucs defense, he absolutely is a fit. It starts with his ability to blitz. He had five sacks to go along with 20 pressures on just 99 pass rush snaps last year. He actually got to the quarterback eight times. Six of those were half sacks. Campbell has the size and speed/power combo to run the lane as a mugged up blitzer. That’s something Bowles loves to incorporate as a staple of his defense.

Campbell also provides a considerable versatility as he could move out to the edge as a pass rusher in certain packages. These are some of my favorite reps of his. Brett Kollman recently described a player comp for Campbell that I think really rings true – Kyle Van Noy. Now, when considering comps, please understand that it simply refers to playstyle and not necessarily career arc. And Campbell is much more athletic than Van Noy was in his hey day.

Campbell would also provide a boost to the Bucs’ tackling with a career missed tackle rate of 7.3%. His long arms and quick trigger help him engulf ball-carriers and pass-catchers and bring them down with authority. Campbell also possesses a strong awareness in zone coverage, passing off routes and finding proper depths on drops. Opposing quarterbacks managed an 87.5 QB rating when targeting Campbell last year.

The kid is 6’3 almost 250 and Bama has him running with the post from number 2 as the Tampa defender you can count me in pic.twitter.com/3ZILFYEMZi

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) September 27, 2024

Demetrius Knight Jr. – South Carolina

South Carolina ILB Demetrius Knight Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Height – 6-2
Weight – 235
Arm Length – 32.63
40 – 4.58
Vertical – 31.5
Broad – 9-foot, 10-inches
3-cone – 7.12
Short shuttle – 4.25

Knight is an older prospect who will 25 this summer, and is widely considered more mature and pro-ready than most. His larger frame is a throwback to years gone by. And that bodes well when you consider over the last two years the NFL is becoming more run-centered and less pass heavy. He can stack and shed and control the line of scrimmage with a physical demeanor. He is a powerful hitter who delivers a strong pop.

South Carolina LB Demetrius Knight Jr (#17) closes space like a missile, whew pic.twitter.com/UCdP1qMxUO

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) March 12, 2025

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles likes to work from a “stop the run first” mentality and Knight would be an immediate contributor with his larger frame and longer arms. That’s helped him maintain a low 11% missed tackle rate. He is also an adept add-on rusher, scoring a 40% pressure rate last year.

Knight carries a Day 2 draft grade and is considered one of the best zone coverage linebackers in the draft class. Pro Football Focus credited him with a 91.9 coverage grade in 2023 when he was at Charlotte and a 74.9 grade last year at South Carolina. But I think those skills will struggle to translate at the next level where he will compete against much more fluid athletes running more varied, advanced and precise routes.

Knight, who was also scheduled for an official 30 visit in Tampa Bay, is fast like a freight train, running a 4.58 40-yard dash, with a more modest 1.63 10-yard split. But he has tighter hips that limit his functional, multiple-plane movement skills. But working downhill, there are few backers in this class who can match him.

Jeffrey Bassa – Oregon

Oregon ILB Jeffrey Bassa – Photo by: USA Today

Height – 6-1
Weight – 232
Arm Length – 31.38
40 – 4.63
Vertical – 38.5
Broad – 9-foot, 10-inches
3-cone – 7.34
Short shuttle – N/A

Bassa, a converted defensive back is still developing as a linebacker. But if he can develop his instincts as a run defender, it should round out an impressive profile that can make him the model of a modern NFL linebacker. His biggest strength at the moment is his ability to cover running backs out of the backfield on screens, flats, checks and swings.

As a zone defender, he can run the pole in Tampa two, keep up with tight ends and power slots threatening the seam and get to impressive depths as an intermediate defender. But despite those traits there is a lack of ball production that is slightly concerning. Still, Bassa’s movement skills in space are some of the best in this class, even if his testing numbers don’t back it up.

His tackling has come a long way over his career as he cut his missed tackle rate to single digits in the last two years, though Bassa has a concerningly low amount of tackle production this past year (34). and he’s more of a drag-down guy than a big pop type of player. He can get slowed down by misdirection and is reactive to run plays rather than moving proactively into his run fits.

Bassa, who will likely be drafted in the third or fourth round, has a special teams background that will make him a plus on the roster from day one as he works to become a three-down linebacker down the road.

Nickolas Martin – Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State ILB Nickolas Martin – Photo by: USA Today

Height – 5-11
Weight – 221
Arm Length – 31.75
40 – 4.53
Vertical – 38
Broad – 10-foot, 3-inches
3-cone – 7.20
Short shuttle – 4.23

Martin is an explosive and fluid athlete with a lack of experience. He played in just five games last year due to a knee injury and has only one full year under his belt. But the traits are exciting. As a blitzer, he checks the box as a Bucs kind of ‘backer. He posted 140 tackles and six sacks in 2023 and can really fly downhill with fast instincts and a quick trigger. And the speed plays on the field.

Thoroughly impressed with Oklahoma State LB Nick Martin (4).

Electric athlete, elite closing speed, a ballplayer that deserves consideration as one of the country’s premier LBs.

Not many defenders at any level that can chase down Xavier Worthy. 140 tkls last fall. pic.twitter.com/8uUKEgy3eF

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) July 12, 2024

Martin, who is viewed as a middle round pick, has slightly shorter arms that work against his violent nature as a tackler and can lead to some missed opportunities. In many ways he is a less developed, but slightly more explosive SirVocea Dennis. He’s an effective pass rusher who can come from a wide set and bend the corner. Martin has the speed and fluidity to cover backs in space and as well as more athletic tight ends pushing vertically on seam routes.

He can struggle to stack and shed when he gets covered up and lacks the ideal size to be an imposing enforcer as a run defender. In coverage, Martin has tools to build from. The lack of experience means he has not developed the nuance and instincts to leverage his natural gifts to their fullest.

Smael Mondon Jr. – Georgia

Height – 6-2
Weight – 224
Arm Length – 31.75
40 – 4.58
Vert – N/A
Broad – 10-foot, 10-inches
3-cone – N/A
Short shuttle – N/A

Mondon comes from a program the Bucs are familiar with. Coming from Georgia’s pro-style defense, he has an advanced understanding of the multiplicity of the position. Mondon is a plus athlete with fluid hips so he can move both vertically and horizontally quickly. This makes him a great player to attack wide zone run games and screen-heavy teams.

Georgia LB Smael Mondon Jr has been excellent through two days of work.

Physical downhill presence & a smooth athlete in space. His 1-1 reps in coverage today⤵️ pic.twitter.com/eiXRNoeoxf

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 29, 2025

But Mondon, who is a Day 3 pick, lacks size and instincts to attack physical gap-based systems. He struggles to get off blocks and make tackles once he’s been capped by a lineman or tight end. While his missed tackle rate is a strong single-digit number, he has less attempts than you would like because of missed opportunities when he can’t get off a block. This is evidenced by his sub-15% stop rate.

His movement skills give him a theoretically high upside, but those only flash when he is fully confident in where he is going and what he wants to do. But indecision often slow down those physical traits, leaving him as much more of an unknown quantity as a coverage player. As a blitzer, his thinner frame and lack of decisive explosiveness would hamper his ability to dent the pocket and limit his upside.

Shemar James – Florida

Height – 6-1
Weight – 222
Arm Length – 31.5
40 – 4.69
Vertical – 32
Broad – 9-foot, 9-inches
3-cone – 7.09
Short shuttle – 4.27

James’ athletic testing may leave you thinking he is more of an average than good athlete. But in-game athleticism is much more important that testing numbers. James was clocked at 20.71 MPH at the Senior Bowl. That ranks second out of 141 linebackers tracked since 2019 at both the Senior Bowl as well as the Shrine Bowl. He was also second in fastest deceleration at 6.43 yds per second. James takes time to get to his top speed, but he’s a better athlete than his 5.66 Relative Athletic Score would have you believe.

You can see his athleticism in how he moves in space covering seam routes and dropping and chasing screens to the flats and rushing the passer.

#Florida asked a lot of LB Shemar James, especially in coverage. Carrying the No. 3 receiver up the seam, covering tight ends in man to man coverage, and rushing the passer as a blitzer.

Ran a 4.69 40 but has some excellent change of direction. Like him a lot as a Day guy. pic.twitter.com/FdP9JbE56a

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) March 25, 2025

James, who is a Day 3 prospect, seems like he could be an immediate contributor on third and fourth downs with room to develop. But he will need to improve his tackling if he ever hopes to be a full-time starter. A 17% missed tackle rate in college does not bode well for his transition to the NFL. James also struggles to take on climbers and work off of blocks. Finally, he’s much better as a hook/curl defender than as a solo man coverage player where he can get beat by double moves and texas routes.

Kobe King – Penn State

Penn State LB Kobe King Photo by: USA Today

Height – 6-0
Weight – 236
Arm Length – 31.25
40 – N/A
Vertical – N/A
Broad – N/A
3-cone – N/A
Short shuttle – N/A

King is a strong, dense throwback linebacker who delivers his best plays in run defense. He plays downhill well and fits the run as he embraces and invites contact. He deconstructs blocks well and is able to make tackles even when he’s engaged. This makes King different than most of the linebackers in this class as he profiles as an immediate early-down contributor. This is easily evidenced by his 97 tackles last year.

But while King is a strong downhill gap attacker, he can be exploited when plays push him to widen and cover the perimeter of the field. This is where backs can beat his angles and when he misses most of his tackles.

When compared to his contributions as a run defender, King offers little promise as a coverage defender. He has just four passes defensed in as many years. King’s tight hips and struggles to come to balance when changing directions in the flat make him a liability covering backs out of the backfield. His instincts in zone are decent, but his reaction time keeps him out of most plays. King, who is a late Day 3 prospect, is a solid add-on rusher and blitzer and would work nicely in the Bucs’ attacking style.