One of the keys to the Bucs defense taking a step forward this season will be the development of second-year pass rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. With the departure of Jason Pierre-Paul, Tryon-Shoyinka will be stepping into the starting-role opposite Shaq Barrett.

Last year Tryon-Shoyinka showed some flashes of what his physical traits belie. However, JTS was plagued by inconsistency that is common for most rookies. With his length, speed and strength, Tryon-Shoyinka’s teammates are expecting a big jump in year two.

According to right tackle Tristan Wirfs, who works against JTS in practice, he is a challenge to face.

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

“Joe’s a freak. He’s so twitchy. He’s so long. I think Joe’s going to be a really good player. He’s strong. And he can make such big movements so quick. So you’ve really have to have your eyes on point.” Wirfs added, “And you want to make sure you have your feet in the ground with him. Because he can shimmy but he can also come with power too. So you’ve got to be ready for anything. But yeah I’m excited for Joe.”

Tryon-Shoyinka has had several “would-be sacks” during the first week of training camp. But on Friday he picked off a Blaine Gabbert pass that was deflected at the line of scrimmage by defensive end Will Gholston in red zone drills. Tryon-Shoyinka was dropping into zone near the goal line on the play.

But Tryon-Shoyinka’s main purpose on defense will be rushing the passer. Adding consistent power will be a key to Tryon-Shoyinka ascending to a top pass rusher in the NFL.

Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo detailed areas that JTS can improve in to be a more consistent player in a recent “Grinding the Tape.”

Some of these improvements could come just from JTS getting comfortable with the pace and speed of the NFL game. If he can trust his muscle memory it should help him vary his pass-rush offering and add more consistent power to his game. Barrett, for one, believes that will come this year.

“He’s been ready for a while now,” Barrett said. “He just had limited reps last year. But I think he’s ready to take another step forward this year. He’s more comfortable and confident out there. He’s just trusting what he sees, and he’ll be able to contribute to the defensive line.”

The Bucs are certainly counting on that step forward in 2022.