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 Pro Bowler in 2024?

Scott Reynolds: Vita Vea Deserves A Pro Bowl Berth

Bucs DT Vita Vea and Giants QB Tommy DeVito – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs defensive tackle Vita Vea opened some eyes when he showed up to the OTAs and mandatory mini-camp slim and trim, having lost around 20 pounds and playing closer to his listed weight of 347 pounds. Vea wanted to shed the excess weight to play faster, regain some quickness and agility and stay healthier. Vea did miss the game against Denver in Week 3, but only because outside linebacker Yaya Diaby plowed into his knee accidentally at Detroit. Otherwise, Vea has been healthy and played very effectively in 10 games this year.

With six games left, Vea is already at 33 tackles and a team-leading six sacks. His career high in terms of tackles came last year with 43 stops. And he set a career high in 2022 with a team-best 6.5 sacks. Vea is on pace to break both of those personal bests, just as he did by recording nine tackles for loss this year already. What helps Vea’s Pro Bowl cause is that he’s already made the Pro Bowl before in 2021 after helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV the season prior. And the fact that he dominated Kansas City on Monday Night Football with a career-high 10 tackles and two quarterback sacks of Patrick Mahomes.

Only New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II has more sacks at the position than Vea. He currently has nine, but Vea is on a roll with three sacks over the last three games and could catch him by the end of the season. Vea and teammate Calijah Kancey have a friendly rivalry going on to see which defensive tackle can lead Tampa Bay in sacks. Kancey is one sack behind Vea with five, so there will be some internal pressure for Vea to continue to hunt and capture quarterbacks. He’s also in the hunt for his second career Pro Bowl berth and could wind up with his first double-digit sack season, too.

Matt Matera: Calijah Kancey Is Rapidly Getting Better

Bucs DT Calijah Kancey and Saints QB Spencer Rattler – Photo by: USA Today

The only thing that has stopped second-year defensive tackle Calijah Kancey from completely dominating the NFL is a calf injury in two straight seasons. Kancey missed the first five games of the year, making his debut in Week 6 when the Bucs were on the road against the Saints and all Kancey has done since is attack opponents. In six games Kancey already has five sacks! That is tied for fourth in the NFL and in the NFC. Those in front of him have played double-digit games this season, so the rate at which he is getting to the quarterback is astounding.

He’s doing better than really anyone else at defensive tackle besides New York’s Dexter Lawrence. Sacks aren’t the only stat, though. Kancey’s eight tackles for loss ties him for 28th most in the league. He’s tied for third amongst all defensive tackles. If he could’ve played all 11 games for the Bucs he’d easily make the Pro Bowl. Kancey has been great when available in every area. Luckily, with six games to go, he’ll have enough time to make up ground and get some more stats to help is Pro Bowl status.

The toughest part for Kancey will be that only three interior defensive lineman get in. Lawrence has the name recognition, so he’s very likely. At this point, Kancey’s teammate, Vita Vea, should be a Pro Bowler as well. That leaves one spot open for youngsters like Kancey, Rams rookie Braden Fiske and second-year defensive tackle on the Saints, Bryan Bresee. Because the Saints are likely out of the playoff picture, Bresee doesn’t get in. Kancey and Fiske make for a good argument, and Fiske has generated from buzz for his role on the Rams. It’s hard to go against what Kancey has done in a short period of time. Tampa Bay’s former first-round pick deserves the Pro Bowl nod for his performance.

Bailey Adams: Tristan Wirfs Makes It Four In A Row

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It almost goes unnoticed on a week-to-week basis because it’s simply become his standard, but Tristan Wirfs is having an absolutely elite 2024 season. He’s banged up at the moment, but he’s still done enough to this point — and will do enough when he returns — to earn another Pro Bowl nod. It would be his fourth selection in a row and also his fourth over his five-year career.

Wirfs transitioned from right tackle to left tackle in 2023 and experienced some growing pains, yet he still made his way to Orlando as a Pro Bowler once again. Now, after being rewarded with a long-term, big-money contract extension this summer, he’s right at home on the left side of the line. He’s having a better year this year than he did last year, and it’s been impressive to watch.

His 92.5 pass blocking grade — per PFF — ranks first among all offensive tackles this season. He has allowed zero sacks and zero quarterback hits in 10 games, and he has allowed just six pressures. Before missing the Bucs’ Week 12 win over the Giants, Wirfs was also tied for the best pressure rate allowed at just 1.6%. He’s been dominant, and he should be rewarded with yet another Pro Bowl selection — his second at left tackle after earning two at right tackle.

Josh Queipo: Cody Mauch’s Ascent Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

The best part of the Bucs roster right now is their offensive line. You don’t maintain a Top 10 passing and running game without the big uglies doing a ton of heavy lifting. Per Next Gen Stats, the Bucs now rank fourth in EPA/pass and 10th in EPA/rush while also ranking first in quarterback pressure rate allowed.

All five of Tampa Bay’s offensive linemen have been playing some of the best ball of their careers. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs is a perennial candidate for the Pro Bowl. But perhaps the second-best player on this line right now, when accounting for games played, is right guard Cody Mauch. Mauch has largely let go of the 3-4 maddening plays from his rookie season where he lost quick and ugly. He ranks sixth among all guards with at least 250 pass block snaps in pressure rate allowed at 2.88%. And the five guys ahead of him all play in the AFC.

When running to his side Bucs running backs average more yards per carry on runs to the right side than the left. Mauch is helping center Graham Barton quickly acclimate and excel at the NFL level and the double teams he creates in the run game with right tackle Luke Goedeke are a sight to behold. Add in his special ability in space as a climber on screens and it is quite evident that in a very short amount of time he has grown to a level of play worthy of a Pro Bowl nod.

Adam Slivon: Baker Mayfield Balled Out In Last Year’s Pro Bowl, Balling Out This Year

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and TE Cade Otton – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

Coming off a career year in 2023 that he parlayed into a three-year, $100 million deal, Baker Mayfield has been worthy of every penny. Mayfield has played his heart out and has had one of the better quarterback seasons in the league in 2024. Through 11 games, the numbers speak for themselves. He is third in completion percentage (71.4%) and touchdown passes (24), sixth in passer rating (104.1), and seventh in the league in passing yards (2,799). Among NFC signal-callers, those rankings improve to second, first, third, and fourth, respectively. However you slice it, he is more than worthy of his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.

Named as an alternate to last year’s event, Mayfield won the Offensive MVP at the Pro Bowl. It was the exclamation point to a season that put him back on the map – why not let him get another crack at it? When looking at some of the top options in the conference, he is right in the middle of the conversation with Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, and Jayden Daniels, among others. Not only should he get a feather in his cap for how he played during last year’s Pro Bowl, but for how he has improved this season based on the circumstances around him.

When Tristan Wirfs and Baker Mayfield were in Orlando, Florida riding rollercoasters and enjoying the weekend last year, the Bucs hired Liam Coen as offensive coordinator. Reuniting with Coen after playing under him briefly with the Rams in 2022, Mayfield has taken his play up a notch with a new play-caller. He is on pace to set career highs across the board and has been highly efficient – even without Chris Godwin for the rest of the season and playing without Mike Evans for an extended time. He is not afraid of being physical and gritty and still plays with a chip on his shoulder while providing an entertainment factor. That is enough to give him another Pro Bowl nod.