The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found their franchise quarterback in the post-Tom Brady era in Baker Mayfield, whose connection with wide receiver Mike Evans has resulted in one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
However, some stars on the other side of the ball feel like they’ve been overlooked for some of the credit they deserve as well. Linebacker Yaya Diaby totaled 7.5 sacks in 2023, his rookie campaign.
Diaby was a full-time starter in 2024 but only totaled 4.5 sacks in his second year as a pro, which he feels has led to some people overlooking his impact on the field
“Besides the sack numbers, I feel like I made major growth in every other category,” Diaby said in an appearance on the Pewter Report podcast.
“I just want to thank myself and congratulate myself on that part, you know? I know for sure the sack part is going to come.”
Diaby still managed to harass opposing quarterbacks despite the dip in sacks. The standout linebacker totaled 20 quarterback hits and 65 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
“I feel like it gets overlooked because when people search up your name, they go straight to sacks because you’re an edge rusher,” Diaby said. “All of the other statistics really don’t show unless you actually search for it. I feel like I improved a lot in everything, run defense and my pass rush ability improved drastically.”
It’ll be interesting to see what Diaby is able to accomplish on the field in his third season in the league.
