Bruce Arians Wants A New Breed Of Defensive Tackle

March 2nd, 2022

Everybody knows what Vita Vea brings to the table, brute strength, power and versatility for a 350-plus pounder.

But what about what the Bucs want next to him?

The 2022 NFL Draft is supposed to be rich in defensive tackles, so Joe asked Arians what he’s seeking at the position.

“For us right now, it’s quickness. You know, we’ve got strength – we’ve got plenty of strength – we need some quickness in the interior pass rush,” Arians said. “We’ve got a good outside pass rush, so for us it’s watching these guys and seeing who [has] inside interior pass rush, but who is still stout enough to stop the run. But we don’t need another Vita. There’s not another one out there anyway, but we need — if we get our guys back, I’m fine too – but something quicker in there.”

Will Ndamukong Suh return for his fourth Tampa Bay season? Joe doubts it (after chatting with various Bucs folks at the NFL Scouting Combine), unless Suh is willing to take a serious pay cut. Suh and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches certainly aren’t known for their quickness, so perhaps this is a tipoff to a true need the Bucs believe they have that can be filled in the draft.

Joe remembers when sixth-round pick defensive tackle Khalil Davis was selected in 2020, Bucs coaches said he had the most explosive get-off on the team, and they lauded his quickness.

25 Responses to “Bruce Arians Wants A New Breed Of Defensive Tackle”

  1. Biff Barker Says:

    Bucs gotta do something. Our weak pass rush exposed the gravediggers last year. The JPP injury hurt us badly too. JTS is quick but cant shed blocks.
    Maybe we give VV more snaps this year?
    Help Jason!!!

  2. Casual Observer Says:

    Whatever became of Khalil?

  3. gbobucsfan Says:

    Khalil is on Steelers practice squad now, I believe.

  4. allbuccedup Says:

    Travis Jones UCONN perfect fit 330 lbs play inside or outside a beast.

  5. Lord Cornelius Says:

    Always down for trench warfare prioritization in the draft. Seems to align with our needs-

    DT
    OG/C
    WR
    RB
    CB

    IMO

    Go Bucs!

  6. RustyRhinos Says:

    We should try and draft either of the Georgia DT’s in this draft. either one besides Vea, who would you double team?

  7. Hodad Says:

    You don’t have to be a tea reader to see what Licht is up to here. He’s going to put a priority on bringing back Jensen, Cappa, Stinnie to help Gabbert, or Trask as much as possible. In the draft look DT, and another edge, say goodbye to Suh, and JPP. Gholston will come back on a team friendly contract. Our FA’s coming back Gabbert, Jensen, Cappa, Stinnie, Gholston, and Godwin. All the rest will probably be replaced. They can franchice Davis.

  8. Tim Says:

    Cameron Thomas – San Diego State can play DT and Edge, got 11.5 sacks this last year.

  9. Bird Says:

    Sounds like bye bue suh to me

    He wont play for cheap

  10. SKBucsFan Says:

    I have to disagree Bruce. I’ll take brute strength as a DT over speed anyday. Only your Edges and LBs of yoir front 7 need to be fast. Continue to clog up the middle, prevent the run and get in the QB’s face. Another Vea wouldn’t be met with boos.

  11. Beeej Says:

    Suh’s PFF dropped to 60 last year

  12. Mike Johnson Says:

    Anybody who was not in fantasy land and who watched our Defense this past season knows, It was the reason foe our Demise. We simply could not stop anybody. Our pass rush was sporadic at best and in many games was just not there. If I think whats coming is actually coming? We’d better get a pass rush and improve our secondary in a hurry. If Gabbert or Trask leads us, we’d better be able to stop somebody. Because the points are not comin as easy as they did with Brady.

  13. DoooshLaRue Says:

    Build both lines and sign a FA or 2 CB.

  14. Lord Cornelius Says:

    Our D struggles last year were mostly related to losing like 3-4 key secondary players IMO.

  15. atlbuc28 Says:

    Sounds like he’s describing OG Macoy 93. He still lives in Tampa

  16. Admiral Redbeard Says:

    Should have NEVER let Khalil Davis get away.

  17. Defense Rules Says:

    Oh Joe, you didn’t just play the ‘Khalil Davis Card’ did you? All I remember about him is how he got oversold to Bucs’ fans (great size, fast, quick, the whole package … in a 6th Rounder no less).

    Results? Got in 2 games (37 def snaps) in 2020 then poof. Showed up in Indy in 2021 … 1 game, 6 def snaps then poof.

    Replacing Suh with someone like that isn’t very likely to happen. And the thought of NOT having him anchoring the DLine concerns me; almost as much as how so many take him for granted.

    Suh came to us same year Todd Bowles did (2019). Go back 3 years prior & look at our defense using the Yardage criteria:

    o 2016: Ranked #23 overall … Rushing – #22; Passing #22
    o 2017: Ranked #32 overall … Rushing – #23; Passing #32
    o 2018: Ranked #27 overall … Rushing – #24; Passing #26

    And yes, Vea, Gholston & JPP were all on the DLine in 2018. Now look at the 3 years since Suh came in 2019, again using the Yardage criteria:

    o 2019: Ranked #15 overall … Rushing – #1; Passing – #30
    o 2020: Ranked #6 overall … Rushing – #1; Passing – #21
    o 2021: Ranked #13 overall … Rushing – #3; Passing – #21

    That’s a HUGE improvement right there, especially in Rushing Defense. Our big addition to explain such a tremendous jump starting in 2019 was Ndamukong Suh. He’s a true generational talent that far too many seem to take for granted because of his age. Replacing Suh will be just as hard on our defense as replacing Tom Brady will be on our offense. Be careful what you wish for.

  18. MadMax Says:

    Yeah, keep Suh and pick up a 3rd rd. DT….

    Trade out of the first for a high 2nd and get as close to A. Marpet as you can.

    I still havent researched much….working too much.

    I still want rb Brian Robinson jr in the 2nd, cb Alontae Taylor lower 2nd-high 3rd….maybe a magical C who can be moved to LG can be our high 2nd (first pick of the draft)

  19. David Says:

    I have visions of Vita Vea and Jordan Davis in the middle of this defense consuming 4 O lineman for the next several years.
    That would help the edge pass rush, the DBs, and the LBs more than anything else

  20. gotbbucs Says:

    Travon Walker

  21. Bucs Guy Says:

    DE in the 1st, DT in the 2nd, WR in the 3rd, OG/C in the 4th, CB in the 5th and TE in the 7th. RB as UFA.

    Obviously all subject to change based on who we re-sign/lose and pick up in free agency.

  22. tampabayallday Says:

    We’re getting one of the Georgia defensive linemen

  23. catcard202 Says:

    3 DT that fit…(Day1-Day2-Day3)

    Devonte Wyatt, UGA
    Perrin Winfrey, OKLAHOMA
    Eric Johnson, Missouri State

  24. teacherman777 Says:

    Last years draft was our chance to build depth! And we screwed it up!!!

    We had Scotty Miller and Cyril Grayson. So why did we draft Jaelen “high school” Dardens?

    We had Gabbert and Griffin so why did we draft Trask?

    We had Stinnie, so why did we draft a slow RT like Hainsey instead of drafting an OG/C to back up Jensen?

    Last year,

    Instead of Trask, we needed an OG/C.

    Instead of Hainsey, we needed a DT/DE.

    Instead of Dardens, we needed another OLB or CB.

    Last years draft was so shortsighted and illogical, it still pisses me off!

  25. austin Says:

    I want Jordan Davis and Vita clogging up the middle beyond repair for years to come