DeMonte Capehart Has Flashed
September 1st, 2026
Bucs DT DeMonte Capehart.
Joe hasn’t typed much about fifth-round pick DeMonte Capehart, mostly because, barring injuries, Capehart likely won’t be much of a factor this year.
That doesn’t mean Capehart doesn’t have talent.
In reviewing tape of Week 3 of the worthless preseason, Chad Reuter of NFL.com noted Capehart really stood out facing Jacksonville’s collection of IT repairmen, bouncers and middle school PE teachers.
Capehart bullied centers and guards, making Jaguars quarterbacks very uncomfortable. He showed lateral quickness, jumping gaps at the snap on a second quarter run and exhibiting the athleticism to hustle down the line while engaged on a zone run that went for a loss. He split a double team on third-and-1 in the third quarter and overwhelmed the center to get his hands into the passing lane on fourth down. Capehart could take the next step as a rookie if he does a better job of disengaging from blockers to corral ball-carriers.
Capehart should get plenty of time to practice his craft. He’s down the depth chart of a stacked defensive tackle room.
Think about it: The Bucs have Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, A’Shawn Robinson and “Nacho.” Unless someone gets hurt, Joe doesn’t see Capehart logging many snaps.
And that’s not a bad thing. With Kancey still trying to prove he can play 17 games without getting hurt, the Bucs need such a deep room. With the veteran presence along the defensive line, Capehart is in a good spot.
September 1st, 2026 at 12:11 am
Good spot? Not with this coach maybe for next years coach he will do great
September 1st, 2026 at 12:42 am
Capeheart has the length and heavy, violent hands I love in DTs but his stamina has always been an issue that always kept his snap count low. He isn’t lazy or averse to conditioning. It just takes an incredible amount of energy to keep a frame like his moving like he moves.
His situation here is much like it was at Clemson for 6 years- there were always big enough talents ahead of him that he could only bring that power and fury of his in a limited number of productive snaps per game. He is a great contributor in spurts but if he gets caught in a no-huddle situation he gets gassed and all but useless fast.
He and Elijah Simmons are both enticingly fast and quick for their size. I’m excited to see them both get some snaps and do some good things.
September 1st, 2026 at 12:53 am
You didn’t even mention last year’s 5th rd pick – Elijah Roberts.
Roberts got more snaps than expected last year after Kancey went down – and the rookie held his own quite well for the most part. Sounds like he’s had a good camp this year and he flashed quite a few times in preseason games vs future Starbucks baristas and Uber drivers as Jose might say….
Seems like a good player to me for a 5th round pick – hopefully Capehart – another 5th rounder – can develop well and quickly also…. glad to hear a positive report on him….
Our Depth up front Defensively is SOOOOOOOO much better than last year – especially if you include the OLBers. I have a feeling the Bucs are going to unleash a ferocious pass rush in 2026. Which turns decent DBs into good ones – and turns good DBs into great ones…. Both ILB spots are improved as well
Top 10 Defense – incoming……
September 1st, 2026 at 12:54 am
i steer away from clemson draftees at all costs…
from baring witness as a lifetime bucs fan…
hopefully said dude comes live on arrival and i can change my tune