With the departure of Jason Pierre-Paul, Bucs outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is set to take on a full time role in 2022. He showed flashes last season as to why the team made him a first round selection, but know it’s time to put it all together for a full season as a starter.

Tryon-Shoyinka has the speed and athleticism to be a force in the league, but he needs to be comfortable with his assignments. And as former Bucs linebacker and Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks pointed out in a radio appearance on WDAE, the coaching staff will need to put him positions where he can excel.

“I like his athleticism,” Brooks said. “At times you can tell when he was comfortable with what they were asking him to do, he succeeded. And I think the coaching staff really had a chance now to look at this offseason ‘what can he do well and what can he be outstanding at’ and putting him in that position.”

Bucs OLB Joe Tryon – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Of course it’s not just putting him a position to succeed, Tryon-Shoyinka has to put in the work.

“Then honestly he’s got to get his grown man body,” Brooks said. “And I’ve seen him a couple times this offseason and I’ve seen the body transition. I see some of the transformation going on with him physically and then mentally.”

Coming into the league Tryon-Shoyinka hadn’t played a game in over a year after sitting out the 2020 season. He know has a full understanding of the NFL game and how long a season runs. With that he’ll be able to pace himself throughout the year and potentially make more impact plays.

“Alright, now he knows what a 26-week season looks like,” Brooks said. “It’s not the 10, 12 weeks in college. Now he knows what that looks like and can pace himself and now adjust to do that. Obviously last year he went through some struggles and some kinks and figured it out. But when he was comfortable, he was doing and knew what to do, he made some impactful plays.”

The sky is the limit for Tryon-Shoyinka. With his versatility, the Bucs will be able to put him in positions where he can utilize his skill set. After just four sacks in 2020, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to notch double digits this season.