Tampa Bay’s defensive line enters 2025 at a crossroads.
Vita Vea remains the gravitational center of the defense but is orbited by uncertainty. Most of the defensive line is composed of players on their first NFL contracts, but none have stood out as the future of the defensive line. This year’s training camp is a chance for one of the Buccaneers’ young defensive linemen to forge a new future for the position.
The player most likely to redefine the Bucs’ defensive line is 2023 first-round pick Calijah Kancey. One of the most gifted athletes on the roster, Kancey has the speed and explosiveness to be a prolific pass-rusher, as he demonstrated by leading the team in sacks last season.
Kancey has the potential to be the first Buccaneer to record double-digit sacks since Shaq Barrett. The key, particularly during training camp, is staying healthy. Calf injuries robbed Kancey of the first several games in both of his first two seasons. He needs to be able to start the season on the field to have a real shot at becoming Tampa Bay’s next sack artist.
On the other end of the potential spectrum is Logan Hall, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Hall never quite lived up to the hype of being the Bucs’ first pick of the 2022 draft. He is a passable pass rusher and an adequate run defender, but “passable” and “adequate” are not what the Bucs had in mind when they drafted Hall. If Hall does not arrive in training camp as a drastically improved player, he is not likely to find a home in Tampa Bay after 2025.
The Bucs still have Greg Gaines, who signed his third one-year contract in Tampa Bay this offseason. His usage over the past three years suggests that it will take an explosive camp performance from one of the young defensive linemen to unseat him from the roster.
The rest of Tampa Bay’s defensive linemen will have to battle for a spot on the roster. 2025 fifth-rounder Elijah Roberts has the advantage of draft status, but it will be his ability to carry over his solid, disciplined play from SMU that could get him a larger role on the defensive line in training camp.
As is typical for the Bucs under general manager Jason Licht, they were not big players in free agency this offseason. They added nine-year veteran Adam Gotsis, but he may be a camp body and future practice squad depth. Tampa Bay also added Eric Banks, who did not play in 2024 and faces long odds to make the final roster.
Experience favors Mike Greene and C.J. Brewer, who both played over 200 snaps for the Bucs over the last two seasons. Neither is particularly flashy, which is why the Bucs will be looking for their recent additions at defensive tackle to make an impression in camp.
Leading the influx of talent is former Florida defensive lineman Desmond Watson. At 449 pounds, Watson would be the largest player to ever play in the NFL. Though he has spent the offseason slimming down, the undrafted rookie would still be a massive addition to a defensive line known for stonewalling opposing rush offenses.
Undrafted rookies Dvon J-Thomas and Nash Hutmacher will have to beat out all of these names for a roster spot, an unlikely proposition at this stage. However, the Bucs are no strangers to surprise rookie performances turning into legitimate roster pushes. Hutmacher, in particular, brings an intriguing wrestling background that could make him a challenge for the Bucs’ offensive linemen during scrimmages.
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