We have covered all but two of Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings lists so far this offseason. And now we will scratch off the penultimate list. Edge rusher is one of the most important positions in the NFL. Next to quarterback, it is neck and neck with wide receiver as the highest-paid position in the league.

And so, it bodes well for the Bucs that they are represented on the list.

But it may not be the player you think it is.

Yaya Diaby’s Ascent Is Recognized

Coming off of a season where his sack production fell, but he created consistent pressure all season long, Yaya Diaby made PFF’s Top 32 Edge Rushers List. Diaby clocked in at 24th overall with writer Ryan Smith noting: “Diaby made a significant leap in his second season, improving his PFF grade from 60.8 as a rookie in 2023 to 78.0 in 2024. He ranked among the top 15 edge defenders in both pass-rush grade (79.4) and run-defense grade (74.8), finishing the year with 65 total pressures and a 17.4% pass-rush win rate.”

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It may be the lack of quarterback takedowns that have Diaby ranked below his tracked performance from last year. Or it could be his lack of track record. This could be a hedge that Smith is not certain Diaby can repeat the jump he made last year.

But I’m betting he can maintain the pressure rate while seeing positive progression on his sacks. While Diaby initially flashed during his rookie season when he converted an unsustainably high 30% of his pressures into sacks, last year that number was an equally unsustainable 8.6%. Over the full two-year window that number is a near league-average 15%, which bodes well for an important 2025 season for Diaby.

His progression as a pass rusher isn’t a mirage. Per Next Gen Stats, Diaby improved his get-off and time to pressure numbers from 2023 to 2024. He was using his hands better to start last year and rushing fearlessly, winning inside regularly.

By the end of the year, he had added more high-side wins to his repertoire. All of this sets up what could be a breakout season for Diaby. And if he is able to breakout, it helps set the Bucs defense up to take several strides forward.

New Bucs Edge Rusher Haason Reddick Not Recognized

Despite being one of the most accomplished pass rushers since 2020, Haason Reddick fell off this list completely after ranking 18th heading into the 2024 season. Trevor Sikkema wrote at the time: “Reddick is third on the NFL sack list over the past two seasons (27.5). The pass-rush specialist moved from Philadelphia to New York this offseason, and we’ll see if he can keep up his effective pass-rush ways.”

Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

The 2024 season was one to forget for Reddick, who held out for most of the season in search of a new contract from the New York Jets. When he did return to action in Week 8 it was to a team that was going nowhere fast and had already fired its head coach. Without a ramp up period or training camp, Reddick got off to a slow start.

Despite that, he still finished the season with a pressure rate north of 10%. And let’s not forget that despite a largely throwaway season, Reddick is still near the top of most pass rushing metrics since he became a full-time edge rusher in 2020.

Both players carry some risk. Yaya Diaby’s pressure numbers could regress, and Reddick, at 30 years of age, could be past his peak.

But both players also represent realistic upside.

Diaby is at an age where development still occurs, and Reddick is at an age where many of his contemporaries are getting mega contracts because they are still producing. Considering a lack of options in free agency, Reddick provided the highest upside of any available pass rusher. And the Bucs were able to secure his services for a low-risk contract.

Reddick’s addition and Diaby’s improvement has set up the Bucs pass rush to potentially be the best the unit has been since the team’s 2020 Super Bowl run that featured a pair of Pro Bowl players in Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul.