Bucs rookie edge rusher Yaya Diaby approaches playoff debut with 'bright future' ahead

The last time the Buccaneers faced the Eagles, rookie outside linebacker Yaya Diaby was a non-factor. He picked up his second career tackle in his third NFL game, stopping Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts on a 5-yard gain in the second quarter.

That was a day that did not go in the Bucs' favor at all, with the Eagles piling up a season-high 472 yards of offense and cruising to a 25-11 victory on a rainy Monday night in September. And as Philadelphia returns to Tampa this Monday, the Bucs have the confidence of a much different and improved defense taking the field. Diaby's emergence is a surprisingly big part of that.

"He came into his own," Bucs coach Todd Bowles said of Diaby, who has quickly risen from backup to starter to leading the team with 7.5 sacks as a rookie. "You know, he's a physical specimen. Obviously, once he got the system down, he started playing loose and playing free. He really got back there, wreaked some havoc and made some plays. I'm proud of him."

It's a promising start for the third-round pick from Louisville — he's only become a starter in the last seven games, and yet his 12 tackles for loss are the most for any rookie in this class. His 7.5 sacks are third, behind the Rams duo of Kobie Turner (9) and Byron Young (8). It's more than Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who has six sacks on the year but just 2.5 in his last 11 games.

What's made Diaby's emergence all the more remarkable is how much the Bucs ask of their outside linebackers — not just to rush the passer, but to help set the edge and contain the run, and even to drop in pass coverage occasionally. It's more than most edge rushers are asked to do in college, so it can set up a difficult learning curve, but that wasn't the case for Diaby.

"Our system is not an easy system for a young player to come into because we do a lot," Bucs co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said last week. "We're not a ‘line up in 3-4 or 4-3' (scheme). That isn't the way we do it — there's a lot of moving parts there. We ask those guys to do a lot. He's a rusher, he's a dropper, he's a three-technique, he can be out there at nine-technique, he can be in man-to-man on the tight end. We have a whole lot of moving parts there. So, to see where he's able to grasp the system and still be a productive player — this kid has a bright, bright future ahead of him."

Making an immediate splash is an encouraging development for Diaby, who was something of a late bloomer in college. With minimal recruiting interest coming out of high school, he didn't play for a year, then spent two years at Georgia Military College. His first year at Louisville, he had zero sacks, the next just 1.5, but in 2022, he found himself, exploding for nine sacks as part of 14 tackles for loss.

Diaby packs quite a burst into a 6-foot-3, 263-pound frame, quick enough to run a 4.51 at the NFL combine. He's 24, older than most rookies, but he's shown maturity in his commitment to the daily grind of constant improvement.

"It's just coming to work every day with the mindset of I have to get better. That's how I operate," Diaby said. "I always want to improve at something. I didn't have that many opportunities at Louisville to pass rush…so I try to get better at it every day and keep improving in the run, as well."

Diaby has compiled the third-most sacks of any rookie in Bucs history, behind only Santana Dotson (10 in 1992) and Stylez G. White (8 in 2007). With new rules on jersey numbering, he's the first player in Bucs history to wear "0," and he's embraced the number, even celebrating his most recent sack against Carolina with a variation on the "Sub-Zero" character from the video game Mortal Kombat, pretending to freeze a teammate (fellow rookie Calijah Kancey) and kick him over on the field.

Diaby and Kancey have been among the league's most productive rookies in sacks and tackles for loss, and the Bucs' shift to larger roles for them in the second half of the season has coincided with improved play from the entire defense. Monday's game has teams entering the postseason on wildly different trajectories, with the Eagles losing five of their last six and the Bucs winning five of their last six to go from 4-7 to 9-8 division champions.

Tampa Bay's defense has been a big part of that turnaround. In the last six weeks, the Eagles have given up the second-most points in the league at 30.2 per game, while the Bucs have given up the second-fewest points at 16.2, a full two touchdowns better per game. Much of that has come with Kancey getting increased snaps and Diaby taking a starting job away from former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

Diaby is just finding himself, so while his production is exciting, with all 7.5 sacks coming in the last 11 games, there's also hope that his growth will continue and his impact on the defensive front can be even greater.

"The ceiling is high," Bowles said. "Obviously, you've got to put in your years, you've got to stay healthy, you've got to take care of your body, you have to do all that ... We love the talent, we love the potential he has, but there is a lot that goes into it that has nothing to do with production, that has a lot to do with health."

Diaby can also appreciate what it means to enjoy the novelty of playing in the NFL playoffs as a rookie, knowing Bucs linebacker Lavonte David didn't make the playoffs until his ninth NFL season. Tampa Bay has now made the postseason four years in a row, but the least experienced players making their playoff debut know not to take the opportunity for granted.

"It's doesn't come easy. We've got to take advantage of it," Diaby said. "It's win or go home. That's the mentality. For us, we've got to come in with the mindset (that) we're not trying to go home ... I'm excited, but at the same time, I'm not thinking too much about that. I just know we've got to handle business come Monday."

Greg Auman is FOX Sports' NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.