Pitt ILB Kyle Louis Would Add Killer Shark Mentality To Bucs Defense

While Pittsburgh inside linebacker Kyle Louis was a Senior Bowl standout, being a playmaker is nothing new to him.

“I’ve been doing this,” Louis said confidently at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. “I’ve been making plays.”

It is hard to argue against that claim given what he was able to accomplish stepping into a key role in the middle of the Panthers’ defense. Listening to Louis at the Indiana Convention Center, it was evident that he not only plays with confidence, but with the kind of motivation that few players possess. To that end, he is the kind of linebacker who can set the tone for any defense, but especially if he gets picked by the Bucs in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Kyle Louis Developed Into A Fiery Leader At Pittsburgh

Kyle Louis began his collegiate career at Pittsburgh by biding his time, playing only 13 games (two starts) with 19 tackles as a reserve between 2022 and 2023. Louis was given the keys to a starting position in 2024 and ran with it. His role was unique within the defense, as he was not just an ordinary linebacker.

He was the Panthers’ star linebacker, which he elaborated on at the NFL Combine.

“I got a great opportunity to play in a position called star,” Louis said. “Star is not a position for everybody. It’s not a position for pure linebackers or pure [defensive backs]. You really have to be a mix of both of them. I feel like the position was perfectly tailored for me. Just learning the system more and more, the more experience I gained staying at Pitt the whole time, and trusting the system really helped me grow as a player exponentially.”

Looking at Louis’ statistics, it is clear it was the right position for him to play.

2024: 101 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four interceptions (one pick-six)
2025: 81 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions

Besides just fitting within the scheme and making plays on the football, Louis comes across as a guy who is wired differently. Take a look on his X profile, and you will see his name with a shark “emoji” next to it.

That is the kind of mindset he plays with.

“Shark mentality — just tread water,” Louis said. “Anything that you smell, blood in the water, go get it. Anytime I smell blood out here, I’m out here chasing it. I’m out here making a name for myself.”

In making a name for himself, he comes across as a confident, motivated player eager to prove himself. That is why he elected to attend the 2026 Senior Bowl, where he dominated coverage drills unlike anything Pewter Report has ever seen in Mobile, Alabama.

That has played a part in Louis becoming a more well-known name as the pre-draft process progresses.

“The past few months have been crucial,” Louis said. “Every morning — just remembering why I’m here. Waking up, calling the family, staying motivated, and staying focused. Just overly focused during the last few months, this fourth quarter I call it.”

Hailing from East Orange, New Jersey, he internalizes putting on for his city, as Young Jeezy once famously rapped about in the late-2000s.

“What motivates me is my family and my city,” Louis said. “My city looking behind me, I’m putting on for my city in a serious way, especially with the shark mentality that I got. I carry that on my shoulders every day I wake up.”

Kyle Louis Is The Kind Of Defensive Chess Piece The Bucs Need

While Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned on Tuesday that the team is looking to add “bigger players,” that prerequisite should not dismiss how Kyle Louis could positively affect Tampa Bay’s unit. Although his measurements came in at just 6-foot, 220 pounds, he has the versatility to do a variety of things in the box.

Whether that is covering running backs or tight ends to blitzing and racing into the backfield, Louis is someone who fits in the NFL’s current landscape.

“People like me is what the league needs,” Louis said. “I feel like the league is definitely becoming a passing league, and I feel like I still am a great linebacker. A three-down linebacker, 12-personnel, any heavy personnel. On top of that, I can still cover. It’s on top of it; it’s not taking away that I can’t play any run defense. It’s adding on top of it.”

It is fair to wonder how much of a full-time player Louis can be initially, given his size does add concerns. Still, he would be an intriguing addition if he is on the board when the Bucs are on the clock in the third or fourth round. He could immediately fit in as a sub-package linebacker on passing downs while given time to develop and add a bit more size.

Bringing in a moldable hybrid defender should be right up Bowles’ alley.

The Bucs have gone down the Pittsburgh route before, selecting defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis in the first and fifth rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Could Kyle Louis be next?

After formally interviewing with Tampa Bay on Wednesday, Louis is among the names in consideration to shore up the linebacker position.

“That would definitely be a great opportunity,” Louis said about teaming up with Kancey and Dennis again. “I wish I was an All-American freshman so I could have played with them on the field when I was a freshman. If I get to see them again, that would be great. ‘Voss’ definitely helped me out with everything, with this process. Shoutout to them as well.”