Bucs leadership has been very open and candid about where the team needs to get better in 2025. Most of Tampa Bay’s focus when it comes to areas of improvement has been focused on a pass defense that ranked 22nd in EPA/pass allowed. Specifically, general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles have spoken about the need to make more plays, whether that be getting more sack production out of the team’s pass rushers or creating more takeaways from the back-seven.
In recent media sessions, Tampa Bay’s defensive coaches shed some light on what common thread in the outside linebacker room can help improve the team’s playmaking production.
Bucs Targeted Specific Skillsets
Passing game coordinator George Edwards was asked about the two new additions to the outside linebacker room, free agent Haason Reddick and fourth round draft pick David Walker, and how they can contribute to the team’s success.
“Well, Haason has a lot of experience in this league, very successful rushing a passer,” Edwards said. “So, we’re excited about what he’s bringing to the table. And then, like I said with the draft pick (Walker) he’s in the process of learning the system. But he had a tremendous … they did a great job of looking at his skillset and seeing his skillset and how it could be implemented for what we’re trying to do defensively. So, we’re excited about the opportunity.
“Again, it’s just a matter of time, and you know everybody getting on the same page and them getting in here and working. And it’ll boil down to what we get executed out on game day.”
Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photo by: USA Today
Edwards mentioned the skillsets that the team was looking for. Outside linebackers coach Larry Foote provided additional context on what that skillset might be when he spoke with the media later.
When asked about what he has seen in Walker and whether he bears any similarities to former Bucs pass rusher Shaq Barrett, Foote replied, “Well, Dave Walker more about like 5-foot-9, 5-foot-10. You guys might give him six-foot, but I don’t. Similar [to Barrett]. Knows how to rush the passer. He’s a natural at it. He’s strong. He loves the game. You didn’t really know how quick he was until rookie minicamp. You can see it and he loves ball. You can tell he’s serious, just asking the right questions, studying and we did a good job getting him.”
Foote’s facial mannerisms lit up when he detailed the surprise in Walker’s speed. That trait was one he also highlighted when he was asked about getting to work with Reddick for a second time after the two were together in Arizona in 2018.
“Speed – he brings, I think about [60] sacks under his belt,” Foote said. “He knows how to rush the passer. He’s been a natural. I make fun of him. I told him when I was recruiting him in Temple: ‘Tell this league you want to play rusher.’ I was fortunate I got to coach him off the ball but finally found his way home. And he’s a natural pass rusher. Another short guy, but he has speed that you can’t coach, and he just improved.
“You watch him through the years. I’ve been always following him. His game is just getting better. When a player like that has a down year, and obviously, a lot of that has to do with him not being there and getting out there so late. When you kind of have that inside track as a coach of knowing him as a human being and what buttons you can and can’t push and whether he needs to be coached hard or whether he needs to be helped up.”
Edwards also specifically pointed out Reddick’s speed as his calling card trait, noting that Reddick was a fast, athletic outside linebacker that can do a lot of jobs for the Bucs.
How Can Speed Help The Bucs?
Next Gen Stats can now measure on-field movements for all players. Part of those measurements include get-off and time to pressure. Since becoming a full-time pass rusher in 2020, Haason Reddick has averaged a 0.83 second get-off and 2.76 seconds to pressure. Qualifying edge rushers from last year who had a get off of 0.83 seconds were Chase Young, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Jared Verse. Nolan Smith and Danielle Hunter both had time to pressures of 2.76, tying them for 12th among qualified edge rushers last year.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who Reddick is replacing, has averaged 0.89 and 3.11 in those metrics, respectively, since entering the league. In the world of pass rush those differences can be described as a lifetime. Last year, quarterbacks averaged 2.80 seconds to throw. Reddick’s career average time to pressure is four one hundredths of a second faster than that. Tryon-Shoyinka’s is 31 one hundredths slower.
We don’t have Next Gen Stats for David Walker. However, Hudl does record some time details for what they describe as “Havoc plays.” These are plays that result in a pressure, sack, tackle for loss or run disruption in the backfield. Across three games in 2024 where they have data for Walker, he averaged 2.81 seconds on his 22 havoc plays that were charted by Hudl.
Central Arkansas OLB David Walker – Photo by: USA Today
Speed is especially important for the Bucs pass rush. Because of the nature of Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy defense, quarterbacks throw faster when facing the Bucs.
Last year, opposing quarterbacks averaged 2.69 seconds when facing Tampa Bay with 68% of their opponents averaging a faster time to throw than their season averages. Speed is a critical component of Bowles’ pass rush and it looks like it was a priority for the team in the type of pass rushers they targeted this offseason.