A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough question. This week’s prompt: Who is your Bucs sleeper on defense heading into training camp?

Scott Reynolds: I’m Buying Stock In OLB Jose Ramirez

Bucs OLB Jose Ramirez – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

In last week’s PR Roundtable we each offered up our Bucs sleepers on offense heading into training camp. Now it’s time for us to name our sleepers on defense. One of the names we’ve heard this offseason dating back to the NFL Scouting Combine is second-year outside linebacker Jose Ramirez. Bucs general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles mentioned Ramirez as a player that they were high on heading into the 2024 offseason. Both Licht and Bowles are all-in on him? Okay, I’m buying stock in Jose Ramirez.

Last year’s sixth-round pick, Ramirez spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad and reportedly gave fits to both offensive tackles, Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke. The 6-foot-2, 242-pound Ramirez ran a pedestrian 4.73 at the NFL Scouting Combine, but his 6.95 time in the 3-cone drill was the fastest of any edge rush. Because he was undersized, Ramirez made the mistake of putting on weight during the offseason, bulking up close to 260 pounds by thinking the Bucs wanted him bigger.

But the extra weight slowed Ramirez down in training camp and the preseason and the team opted to give undrafted free agent Markees Watts the final spot on the outside linebacker depth chart. The fact that Ramirez, who recorded 18.5 sacks and five forced fumbles over the last two years at Eastern Michigan, suffered a hamstring injury and missed the final two preseason games didn’t help his cause, either.

Ramirez shed the excess weight and looks leaner and quicker this offseason as a result. His body transformation could pay dividends if he can prove that he can get to the quarterback on a consistent basis in August. With Shaq Barrett and Cam Gill gone, there is a chance that Ramirez makes the roster this year – especially if newcomer Randy Gregory continues to be a no-show. I’m not predicting that Ramirez will stick on Tampa Bay’s roster, but he’s put himself in better shape to do so – by getting in better shape this offseason.

Matt Matera: SirVocea Dennis Can Play His Way Into A Role

There’s certainly a changing of the guard at inside linebacker with K.J. Britt presumably starting next to Lavonte David. Does that mean he’s going to start every game or play on every down? Not necessarily. We’ve talked about a lot of second-year Bucs players taking the next step – whether it’s Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch or Yaya Diaby, but let’s not forget about SirVocea Dennis either.

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Where Dennis can be of assistance is in pass coverage for the Bucs. In just one season, he’s already shown the ability to react quickly and figure out the right coverages. Starting in rookie mini-camp and OTAs, Dennis dazzled as he recorded several interceptions during those practices. Could he be a substitute for Britt on third downs? Possibly, and at the University of Pittsburgh he was also known for his blitzing prowess.

Dennis was slowed down a bit as well as a hamstring injury forced him to miss some of the preseason. Staying healthy this preseason will keep him in the rotation gaining valuable reps in practice. Because the Bucs cross train their linebackers, he can fill in for David or Britt this season if something were to happen to them with injury.

While David is very durable, he did miss two games last season in and five in 2021. Dennis is likely to be the next linebacker in place for the Bucs in 2024, and can also be utilized in different packages on defense.

Bailey Adams: Tyrek Funderburk Is Generating A Lot Of Buzz

Bucs CB Tyrek Funderburk – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

If we’re talking sleepers on the Bucs defense, someone has to go with undrafted free agent cornerback Tyrek Funderburk. The rookie out of App State was one of the stars of OTAs and mini-camp, making sure that he’s on everyone’s radar when training camp rolls around. He had one interception and dropped another during mini-camp, and he certainly caught the eye of head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles.

Bowles had high praise for Funderburk on the second day of mini-camp, pointing to his intelligence and ability to pick up the defensive scheme early on in his quest to crack the Bucs’ 53-man roster. The head coach said that day — and on the final day of mini-camp — that Funderburk is one of the players he’s looking forward to seeing in pads come training camp and the preseason.

Bowles is always quick to point out that it’s hard to pick out who is sticking out to him in the summer since the pads aren’t on, but even he said that the 6-foot, 185-pounder was doing enough without pads to make him and the coaches want to see what he can do when the pads do come on.

Funderburk has momentum heading into camp, and what he should also have is an opportunity. The cornerback position is one that has room for a sleeper to rise up and grab a roster spot seemingly out of nowhere. With the Carlton Davis III trade, Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Bryce Hall, Tavierre Thomas and (likely) Josh Hayes seem to be the top five corners on the roster.

If Hayes’ spot is uncertain or, more likely, if the Bucs are going to keep six cornerbacks on the roster out of camp like they did in 2023, that leaves a spot up for grabs. And I like Funderburk’s chances to build on the strong summer he had and beat out the rest of the competition, namely Keenan Isaac, for that spot.

Josh Queipo: Unheralded J.J. Russell Continues To Flash When Given The Chance

Bucs ILB JJ Russell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

K.J. Britt has earned his shot at the starting inside linebacker spot opposite Lavonte David. But while Britt had a solid initial showing last year after taking over starting duties from Devin White, he is still a limited athlete who is going to be asked to cover a lot of space as a pass defender. Unless Britt’s instincts match that of David’s (a near inhuman possibility) there is a very real ceiling on his impact in the most important part of the defense, defending the pass.

That give a real shot for some players behind him to possibly get a foothold and running with it. SirVocea Dennis is the obvious choice given he was drafted last year and has a physical profile similar to that of White. Kalen DeLoach will be a vogue option due to the buzz he has generated of late. And while J.J. Russell isn’t an elite athlete, he tested better than Britt in almost every common test.

Then there is the matter of his actual play and experience. Russell enters his third season with the Bucs giving him an extra year in the system over Dennis and two over DeLoach. Russell has played starter snaps in two games over his first two years in the league. Most recently that was a fill-in start in 2023 week 13 against Carolina. In that game he recorded six tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack while earning a 67.8 coverage grade and 79.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Sleepers hitting is usually an amalgamation of several factors including opportunity, experience and play. Russell seems like a good bet for all three coming together to give him the opportunity of being a player who far outperforms his expectations this season.

Adam Slivon: Kalen DeLoach Is The Bucs UDFA To Keep An Eye On

Bucs ILB Kalen DeLoach – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As far as undrafted free agents go, Kalen DeLoach has caught plenty of eyes and the attention of the Bucs so far during the team’s offseason program. Inside linebacker Lavonte David sees the “undersized” DeLoach as being someone who can carve out a long NFL career and he demonstrated at Florida State that he can be a playmaker despite his smaller stature (5-foot-11, 210 pounds).

DeLoach has also garnered some national attention from NFL analysts who believe he is a diamond in the rough, and it is easy to see why. Coming to Tampa Bay, he has the chance to get playing time in a variety of roles in head coach Todd Bowles’ defense.

He is quick with a unique linebacker build, having run a 4.47 40-yard dash while possessing the frame of a defensive back. That could allow him to work in a hybrid role, which would let his talents in coverage and as a blitzer shine. In his senior year with the Seminoles, DeLoach recorded 68 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.

Looking at how he could factor in at inside linebacker, K.J. Britt is the likely starter alongside David, with SirVocea Dennis potentially working his way in on passing downs due to his own prowess in coverage. But if DeLoach continues to shine in training camp, he could pass J.J. Russell on the depth chart and make it an interesting position battle that carries into the preseason. He may start in a special teams role, but with versatility being paramount in the league and especially for Bowles, it could allow for him to see the field in creative sub-packages.