Does Todd Bowles Have Time To Develop An Edge Rusher?
April 20th, 2026
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Here is a hidden reason why “this Joe” would refrain from drafting an edge rusher at No. 15.
Well, the obvious reason for “this Joe” is that when Bucs coach Todd Bowles drafts and develops his next double-digit sackmeister as a defensive coordinator or head coach, it will be his first.
That’s 13 years through three organizations. Call Joe weird, but Joe does not like high-stakes gambling against never (Joe doesn’t even like low-stakes gambling against never).
Wanna pick an edge rusher after the first round, knock yourself out. The pain, if the guy doesn’t break out, is less damaging.
Several rookies in the past decade or so broke out as pass rushers. Beforehand, this was not the case.
Joe doesn’t know if that’s a temporary trend or if colleges have guys ready to battle grown arse men better coming out of college than previously.
Kevin Patra of NFL.com believes if Bowles really does know how to develop an edge rusher, the time is now.
The Bucs have swung and missed on improving their edge rush over the past few offseasons. Getting it right this time around is paramount for Todd Bowles’ crew, which struggled to get after the passer without sending extra men in 2025. Signing veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad was a short-term rotational solution. Tampa needs a heat-seeking missile off the edge to transform the D.
So here is the hidden reason Joe is hesitant to put so much faith, money and effort behind Bowles breaking from his entrenched cycle with rookie edge rushers: Does he have the time?
Bowles just suffered his first losing season that included missing the playoffs. Since Team Glazer bought the Bucs in the mid-1990s, the only coach who survived two straight losing seasons was the same guy who got Team Glazer its first Super Bowl. That would be Chucky.
Every coach since had his One Buc Palace keycard deactivated after two losing seasons.
Does Bowles have the luxury of another losing season in an effort to develop a top-shelf edge rusher when he has yet to demonstrate an ability to do so?
You know, the same guy who when asked about edge rushers, often replies, “We ask them to do other things.”
April 20th, 2026 at 6:02 am
6-11 or 7-10 season coming, hate to say it. I have no faith in the coach anymore. This Joe is right. Todd can’t develop a pass rusher, never has, what makes any of us think he’s going to now ?
April 20th, 2026 at 6:29 am
Joe, I’m with Ira. No edge rushers we’ve drafted have left us to become anything good. That’s like blaming the Bucs coaches for not making freeman and jamies a hof quarterback. You have to pick the right guys. Just like Licht had an ugly run drafting running backs for a while he’s had an ugly run drafting DEs. Im more worried he’s going to pick fhreast talented one. Noah spence, Chris braswell, shoyinka???
April 20th, 2026 at 6:31 am
If JTS or Braswell suddenly become all-pro ELSEwhere I’ll subscribe to this. We’re just using the wrong criteria to select them
April 20th, 2026 at 6:34 am
Now this is a good question. And it is why ‘if’ they take an edge with their first pick it will be Messidore. He is already a good pass rusher so Todd just has to teach him how to drop back and cover RBs running wheel routes down the sideline for 40 yards
April 20th, 2026 at 6:46 am
That’s the nice thing about Mesidor. He doesn’t really need all that much development..
April 20th, 2026 at 6:57 am
Does he have time? He’s going on his 7th season as DC, and 5th as HC, he’s had the time, just not the result. He obviously didn’t turn Shaq, or Jpp into an edge, they came that way. All our edge rushers haven’t developed into anything special under Bowles, that’s not going to change.
April 20th, 2026 at 7:13 am
Licht is drafting for the franchise, not Bowles. This will be Bowles last season, but after he leaves, we will still have Mesidor playing for a new coach who knows how to develop edge guys. Mesidor is also one of the most NFL-ready edge players.
April 20th, 2026 at 7:15 am
ProudBucFan … ‘This Joe is right. Todd can’t develop a pass rusher, never has, what makes any of us think he’s going to now?’
You surely just made ‘this Joe’ feel good, but MAYBE it’s not so much about ‘development’ as it is about what our OLBs are being asked to do in Todd’s hybrid 3-4 defense. And despite that, personally I think that YaYa has ‘developed’ into a quality OLB. I’m also convinced that Shaq ‘developed’ here more-so than he did in Denver (he had 14 sacks in 4 yrs as a Bronco, but 45 sacks in his 5 yrs as a Buc despite injuries).
Bowles’ defenses here have actually been very consistent in terms of the number of sacks they’ve gotten each year … until 2025. From 2019 thru 2024 we got 2019 – 47 (ranked #8); 2020 – 48 (#6); 2021 – 47 (#9); 2022 – 44 (#10); 2023 – 47 (#8); 2024 – 46 (#11) but in 2025 that fell to only 37 sacks (#19).
Easy to see that Bowles’ defenses ranked in the Top-10 in TEAM SACKS from 2019-2023, but fell out of the Top-10 in the past 2 years. Of course, our defense also dropped out of the Top-10 in 2024 (#16) and 2025 (#20). Lots of reasons IMO, but stinky pass rush ranks right up there.
Point being ProudBucFan, Todd Bowles has always been more concerned with TEAM as opposed to INDIVIDUAL stats IMO. Actually the only OLB who’s had 10 or more sacks in any given year has been Shaq (19.5 in 2019 and 10 in 2021), although JPP came close in 2020 (9.5).
Looks like the top pass rusher starting in 2019 has been Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (105 sacks in past 7 yrs – average of 15 sacks/year … WOW). Yet in those 7 yrs the Browns have only had TWO winning seasons, and their defense had an average ranking of a little worse than #18 and averaged only 42 sacks/year as a TEAM, less than Bowles’ Bucs teams did (45 sacks average from 2019-2025).
April 20th, 2026 at 7:15 am
The better question will be, can Mike Tomlin get the guy to unlearn whatever Bowles and Co. try to teach the him in his rookie season?
Bowles is so focused on stopping the run that he castrates the pass rush. Bowles is a dead man walking.
April 20th, 2026 at 7:22 am
Only if Todd can find a Cold Day in Hell !
April 20th, 2026 at 7:27 am
Todd Bowles defense isn’t a 4-3 traditional defense that Edge Rushers get sacks
OLB in Bowles schematic 3-4 defense has to do multiple things, switches, etc
The defense is designed to confuse QBs, to keep them guessing
You never know where the pressure is coming from
You never know who is in coverage
The only problem is finding guys with high football IQ
Guys that can think on their feet, play fast, and think even faster.
This defense isn’t designed for Pure Pass Rushers
Fans has to understand this defense, the schemes, the switches
April 20th, 2026 at 7:28 am
Does Bowles have time to step down still? That should be the question.
April 20th, 2026 at 7:32 am
It’s doubtful.
April 20th, 2026 at 7:35 am
I think guys like Malachi Lawrence, TJ Parker will excel in this defense
They probably wouldn’t get double digits sacks.
But they will contribute to the pass defense in other ways
Ways like picking up a TE, setting the edge etc
They have the athleticsm and football IQ that it takes
April 20th, 2026 at 7:48 am
In 2020, the year we won our last Super Bowl
We had 48 sacks for the season
But we didn’t have a double digits sack guy.
We were led by JPP 9.5 sacks
But we also got 9 inside from Devin White
We got 6 from Suh, on the defensive front
8 from from Shaq Barrett on the outside
April 20th, 2026 at 7:54 am
question should be does he have time to teach them his “complex” defense lol….
players arent grasping the defense which is hindering their development…
fortunately for bowles, he has a few naughty pics of the glazers so he’s save lol
GO BUCS!!!!
April 20th, 2026 at 8:06 am
813bucboi
They have been drafting the wrong players for the defense
They should focus on drafting players that’s familiar with complex defenses
The only player I’ve seen then draft that played in a system similar to Bowles
Is Tykee Smith from Georgia
Kirby Smart runs a complex defense, they switches from 4-3 to 3-4
And they don’t substitute players during the switch
The Mike makes the call, according to what he see
But Georgia have the personnel for a successful defense
The Bucs don’t have the personnel, they lack the right players
.
April 20th, 2026 at 8:20 am
JimBobBuc nailed it.
JL has been drafting for Bowles and what his scheme asks for the past 5 years. This year JL needs to lock Bowles in a closet and draft good football players regardless of what TB thinks he needs or doesn’t need.
This draft class will be more important to the next coach than the guy that’s on borrowed time.
April 20th, 2026 at 8:23 am
Guessing that the Bucs take Mesidor, if they think he’s ready to thrive even with terrible coaching.
April 20th, 2026 at 8:25 am
Tony Says:
April 20th, 2026 at 7:28 am
Does Bowles have time to step down still? That should be the question.
^^^^^^^
If Bowles ACTUALLY did look in the mirror, which is one of his catch phrases, he would’ve already quit/resigned/retired.
April 20th, 2026 at 8:26 am
Real Question is CAN TODD BOWLES DEVELOP an edge rusher
April 20th, 2026 at 8:32 am
Bucs HC in January 2027 will be Zac Robinson.
April 20th, 2026 at 8:37 am
Our biggest problem on defense has been controlling the LOS
When you run a hybrid 3-4 defense, you have to have the right guys up front
They have to be disruptive, violent, and create havoc
And the ILB has to be playmakers, playing in space
The OLB has to be speedy, able to rush the passer, drop in coverage, set the edge
We had smaller soft guys upfront on the defensive front
And that is what throws the whole scheme off
April 20th, 2026 at 8:40 am
It don’t matter who the Head Coach is, or who the DC is
You will still need the right personnel on defense to succeed
The Bucs defense stunk for over a decade before Bowles
Because they never had the right personnel
They were always drafting the wrong defensive players
April 20th, 2026 at 8:44 am
If the Bucs bring in a Mike Tomlin or Sean McDermott
They won’t be drafting these soft players Licht been drafting
If they hire a OC as HC, he will hire a tough DC
And he won’t be on board with drafting the defensive players the Bucs been drafting
April 20th, 2026 at 8:53 am
Lakeland … ‘Our biggest problem on defense has been controlling the LOS. When you run a hybrid 3-4 defense, you have to have the right guys up front. They have to be disruptive, violent, and create havoc.’
Preach on brother. We’ve already seen what works in Bowles’ defense: Vea, Suh, Gholston in the middle with JPP & Shaq as the OLBs. Worked well enough to win us a Super Bowl. Duh … now create the same thing a 2nd time. Vea, McDonald, Robinson in the middle with Diaby & Muhammad as the OLBs. That dog could hunt.