“It’s High Time To Find A True QB Hunter”
April 13th, 2026
Sad pass rush.
Well, this sort of pops the balloon on the perception that Bucs coach Todd Bowles is a master of scheming ways to create sacks.
First, storytime from Joe.
We go back to the 2018 combine in Indianapolis. There, behind the drapes near the interview room where general managers, coaches and players at various times through the week would take to a podium to speak with assembled #NFLMedia from around the nation, the Tampa Bay pen and mic club sat at a circular table with then-Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter.
Koetter sat to Joe’s left separated by one person. Joe asked Koetter about the Bucs’ pass rush, which had been pathetic in the 2017 season.
Joe will never forget Koetter’s response. Koetter leaned over slightly and gave Joe one of those glares that go right through you and Koetter said in a very, very firm, slightly raised voice, almost in a controlled anger:
“We cannot have just 22 sacks!” Koetter said.
Unknown to anyone in that drapes-for-walls room, with the possible exception of Koetter, was that Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht that very week began setting the groundwork for acquiring Jason Pierre-Paul from the Giants for a third-round pick.
It was and may forever be Licht’s greatest heist.
Three seasons later, JPP was shedding tears, and Licht was spilling Stella Artois on the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Koetter’s anger about the lack of sacks that cold day in Indianapolis is still fresh in Joe’s memory. Joe never got the impression Bowles had ever been half that upset about this same subject.
Why does Joe bring all of this up? Because NFL.com editor Gennaro Filice documented that the Bucs’ 38 sacks last season was the worst for the Bucs since that dreadful 22-sack season of 2017.
And for all the people that scoff at a lack of an edge rush and try to tell you Bowles is a master at designing schemes to get sacks, Filice detailed, that Bowles magic is a bit overblown. At least it was last season.
Buccaneers’ biggest draft goal: Snag a sack artist
Tampa Bay hasn’t had a single player record double-digit sacks in any of the past four seasons. In fact, no Buccaneer has even reached eight sacks during that span. Todd Bowles has a reputation for scheming up sacks via exotic blitzes, but considering the team just posted its lowest sack total (37) since 2017, it’s high time to find a true QB hunter. Jason Licht knows it: “We need to get more pressure on the quarterback,” Tampa’s general manager said at the NFL Scouting Combine. No wonder everyone is mocking Akheem Mesidor to the Bucs at No. 15.
Joe has been screaming this for years. But whenever Bowles is pressed about an edge rusher, Bowles answers almost without fail about how the Bucs ask their edge rushers to do other things.
Maybe it’s time to let an edge rusher focus on the one reason why he was drafted in the first place?
But you know what, if you want to absolve Bowles of all of this like some believe and horsewhip Licht instead, consider the last time the Bucs drafted a stud edge rusher was the very first draft pick in franchise history, Lee Roy Selmon in 1976.
Selmon is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
So for whatever reason, this Bucs franchise consistently whiffs in the first round of the draft on the two most important players on a football team: quarterback and edge rusher.
Here is one thing that concerns Joe about the Bucs drafting an edge rusher at No. 15: Whether the pick is Ahkeem Mesidor, Rueben Bain, Keldric Faulk or pick your favorite pass rusher. Who among us is willing to bet $100 that this guy gets 10-12 sacks this year and helps save Bowles’ job?
April 13th, 2026 at 4:40 am
Why not two QB hunters? This draft has brand new pass rushers for everybody and QB perturber YaYa is in a contract year. David Walker isn’t a three down player and are the Bucs really going to pay YaYa $20some million per year on a long term deal?
Mesidor is my favorite but he is not a double digit sack artist. Rock solid on all downs OLB for sure though who is a hoss vs the run and can play inside. There is no Von Miller in this draft. Bain has the lowest floor of all first rounders but he is probably only an 8 sack per year talent.
R. Mason Thomas is a pass rush weapon. He also plays bigger than his britches vs the run. If the Bucs miss on Mesidor he is my guy. Whether he is going inside or outside no one gets home faster than him in this draft. He gets washed easily at times though.
Romello Height is another true weapon but borderline hopeless vs the run. He is as good as a safety in coverage though so if higher picks go to other positions, the Bucs could add him or Malachi Lawrence who is another pass rush artist on the large side with run game growing to do on day two.
Derrick Moore is another later talent who is as well rounded as he is under-rated. i give him a late first round/early round 2 grade but he’ll be there if the Bucs miss out on all the above-mentioned reinforcements.
More than anything I want the Bucs to draft prospects who get to the quarterback fast and take him down with prey-instinct. YaYa has a lovely smile but he can’t finish and is no leader. David Walker gets home fast but his stumpiness limits him to being a DPR. Muhammad is a PED suspension waiting to happen. The Bucs need to take this opportunity to upgrade whether its high time or not. Its not all about sacks but the Bucs need to get better about slamming the opposing QB’s decision window shut on occasion. Running levels concepts vs Bowles zones creates coverage busts in the middle when the QB is given time in the pocket. Everyone in the league knows this. That is neither the beginning nor end of what ails the Bucs’ defense but anyway…
I hope Bowles’ emphasis on run defense doesn’t compel the Bucs to draft a bulldozing edge-setter like Zion Young or Jaishawn Barham and call it a day on edge help.
April 13th, 2026 at 4:43 am
I didn’t mention Chris Braswell for the same reasons I didn’t mention Sabby Piscatelli. I’m afraid he is nothing more than an overhyped punchline.
April 13th, 2026 at 6:01 am
Bowles still thinks it’s the early 90’s and Emmit Smith and Thurman Thomas are hitting the holes.
He’s great at blitzing to stop the run, only problem is nobody is trying to run on his defense. Its the one thing he can hang his hat on at the end of the season, we had a top 10 rush defense. Nevermind the bottom 10 pass defense.
April 13th, 2026 at 6:16 am
Hey Joe, Quick note it’s been even longer. Lee Roy was drafted in 1976. As far as an Edge getting 10+ sacks probably not going to happen in the first year. But when they hopefully provide constant pressure opposite YA YA. It would definitely help the rest of the Defense. if they do that an add another ILB like JRod now that would be fun to watch!!!
April 13th, 2026 at 6:37 am
“Bowles answers almost without fail about how the Bucs ask their edge rushers to do other things.”
^^^^
Why then, is that position referred to as “edge rusher” ?
The defensive mastermind coach seemingly does not understand the job descriptions of his players.
April 13th, 2026 at 7:21 am
It’s not Bowles job on the line. In this draft, at least.
It’s Jason Licht’s.
April 13th, 2026 at 7:23 am
While Bowles’ system is highly creative, it has shown vulnerabilities against levels concepts when:
Linebacker Speed: Older or slower linebackers (or injured linebacker corps) have struggled to keep up with receivers crossing the middle.
Excessive Zone-Blitzing: If the pass rush doesn’t arrive, dropping linemen or edge defenders into coverage can leave holes in the short-intermediate zones.
Simple Coverages: When Bowles plays “too comfortable” in base coverage, teams with quick passing games can pick apart the zones.
Todd’s Banjo/Zebra coverages are designed to beat levels concepts and were used really well against the 49ers last year, for instance. And the linebacker speed issue needs taken care of in the draft *this year*.
April 13th, 2026 at 8:04 am
He has at times “manufactured” sacks. He has not been able to cover for the lack of players on his defense in the last two or three years. When you stunt and blitz on so many passing downs it also gets predictable. Also when you have Slot corners OLBs and ILBs who can’t cover the areas your stunting/blitzing from? It won’t work!
I loved it in years past when Kiffen would dial up a real Blitz at the most amzing moments of games. Todd should watch some film.
Go Bucs!
April 13th, 2026 at 8:06 am
People. Bucs fans. Put down the crack pipe todd is a loser end of story. Bucs can not win with this idiot
April 13th, 2026 at 8:54 am
Licht can’t pick em, Bowles can’t coach them. Give up.
April 13th, 2026 at 8:57 am
We were 5-1 last year before the injury train made several too many stops at 1BP. Evidence would seem to suggest when most/all of our starters are in, we are a much better team.
Go figure.
April 13th, 2026 at 8:58 am
Stpetematt … ‘If the pass rush doesn’t arrive, dropping linemen or edge defenders into coverage can leave holes in the short-intermediate zones’.
THAT RIGHT THERE is what I keep seeing over & over & over. And it’s frustrating as all git-out because all you need is a more consistent pass rush to keep it from happening so much. Not only do opposing QBs end up with high completion rates in those short-intermediate zones, but receivers appear to be getting good YAC after they catch it.
I’m convinced that the solution is to beef up our DLine with beastly, talented defenders so that our pass rush is more consistent, while at the same time improving our Run Defense. It can be done, but not by plugging in 5th, 6th or 7th Rounders like we’ve been doing (to include some Undrafted). Yes it’s possible to find the ‘diamond in the rough’ down there, but that approach is like panning for gold … relatively few will find the mother lode.
IF (and that’s a big IF it appears) the Bucs draft NT/DT Kayden McDonald (6’2″ & 326 lbs) to rotate in with Vea (6’4″ & 347 lbs) and anchor our DLine, with Robinson (6’3″ & 320 lbs) & Calijah Kancey (6’0″ & 280 lbs) rounding it out, we’d have a fairly talented (and beastly) DLine on the field virtually all of the time. Well, when you include RNR (6’2″ & 305 lbs) and Elijah Roberts (6’4″ & 295 lbs) as additional reserves to rotate in, we COULD have a much improved DLine this year.
Last season it looks like the Bucs kept 3 DLinemen on the field for 80% of our def snaps (down to 2 DLinemen for the other 20%). I’d love to know how Bowles was using those DLinemen to pass rush on those plays, as well as what our OLBs were doing (rush 2? rush 1?). More importantly, which combinations were the most effective? And yes, which ones cost us dearly? (we did surrender a LOT of explosive plays last season).
April 13th, 2026 at 9:19 am
someone needs to break it down to todd like this….
if the Master Chef, not only preps and cooks the food but also bust the table, make drinks and valet cars, would you be surprised if the taste of the food/ food quality starts to go down?….
that is exactly whats going on here regarding the edge players….the sack production isnt there because they’re asked to do everything but go full speed and sack the QB….
im starting to get the feeling that todd has an ego problem….Todd doesnt want a Myle Garrett type sack artist because it will take away from the “defensive guru” title he holds so precious….
GO BUCS!!!!
April 13th, 2026 at 9:45 am
Stpetematt … ‘Evidence would seem to suggest when most/all of our starters are in, we are a much better team.’
I’ve come to the same conclusion for Bowles’ 4 years, but then again we could probably say the same thing for every NFL team (subs are subs for a reason?). If you break each of Todd’s 4 seasons as our HC down into 4-game quarters, something interesting rears its’ ugly head …
o Games 1-4: 11 wins – 5 losses
o Games 5-8: 5 wins – 11 losses
o Games 9-12: 8 wins – 8 losses
o Games 13-17: 11 wins – 9 losses
Over those 4 years, one ‘quarter’ stands out as being particularly troublesome: Games 5-8. Bucs have started each year strong under Bowles (3-1 each year in 2023-2025 & 2-2 in 2022), but then went downhill rapidly in the next 4 games most years (1-3 in 2022; 0-4 in 2023; 1-3 in 2024; but then 3-1 in 2025).
After that, we pretty much broke even the rest of the way, although it was rarely a smooth ride. Broke even in Games 9-12 (8 wins, 8 losses), and actually closed out the last 5 games with an overall 11 wins – 9 losses record.
But 2025 ended up being the outlier: 2-3 in 2022; 4-1 in 2023; 4-1 in 2024; but then 1-4 in 2025. We made the playoffs in 2023 & 2024 BECAUSE we finished strong. We missed the playoffs in 2025 BECAUSE we finished miserably. But the irony last season is that we got healthier & healthier as we neared the end of the season. And yet we kept losing.
April 13th, 2026 at 9:58 am
Coaching matters. If Selmon played for this genius he’d have been more known for his passes defensed than beating triple teams for sacks.
April 13th, 2026 at 11:10 am
Every team want these great pass rushers
.
But, there’s usually not many great ones in a draft
Especially when you’re drafting outside of the top 10
The Bucs problem is drafting Edge Rushers in late 1st round and beyond
And then hoping he become that 12- 15 sack guy
You also have to look at the good pass rushers Licht passed up
Especially in the draft, when he reached for Devin White at 5