Three Bucs who could be the difference between a good and great defense

The biggest story of the Bucs' offseason was the successful push to keep the team's veteran core together, working out deals to re-sign a quartet of free agents in Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield and Lavonte David.

And as much as continuity was a priority, the Bucs also made the difficult decision to move on from three mainstays of their Super Bowl defense who had been there for all five of Todd Bowles' years in Tampa. Cornerback Carlton Davis was traded to the Lions, edge rusher Shaq Barrett was released and linebacker Devin White wasn't re-signed.

In their place will be three younger, less-proven players: Zyon McCollum at corner, K.J. Britt at linebacker and a rotation including rookie Chris Braswell on the edge. The difference between good and great this season could hinge on how well they're able to step in and match or even exceed last year's production.

"I feel great," Bowles said about his confidence in the shift to new leaders on defense. "We've still got Lavonte, we've still got Vita [Vea], we've still got Winfield Jr., obviously. The guys that are taking their places … Zyon started nine games last year — he's played. K.J. got a taste last year — he's a natural leader for us. Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] has been here for us for a while. 

"And we've got some hungry young guys at those positions. When you have a lot of good players, you're either going to lose some to free agency, or some to retirement, or some to injury, and you've got to start having somebody back behind them. I think Jason [Licht] did a good job of getting guys in here that can play and step in at the right time. They may not be the household names that you're used to, but as the season goes on, you're going to get to know them very well."

The Bucs have leaned on their defense under Bowles more than most realize. In the past two years, Tampa Bay has 11 wins in games in which the Bucs scored 21 points or fewer, two more than any other NFL team. In the previous two years, from 2020-21, when Bruce Arians was the head coach, they had just one such game, matching the NFL low.

Tampa Bay ranked seventh in scoring defense last year, impressive considering the Bucs ranked 23rd in total defense, 29th in passing defense and 19th in interception percentage. Their strengths to offset those? Ranking third in red-zone defense (giving up touchdowns just 43% of the time) and fifth against the run.

In the middle of that is Britt, who took over for White at the end of last season and has taken ownership of the spot next to David. Britt is a fifth-round pick stepping in for the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft. The Auburn grad had more defensive tackles (15) in two playoff games last year than he did in his first two NFL seasons (14), and the Bucs were confident enough in his ability to step up that they didn't add a linebacker in free agency or the draft. Bowles called him "our unquestioned leader," a role he's embraced.

"I try to lead by how I work," Britt said. "I just try to go out there each play and give it my all and make sure everybody around me can see it. I just try to make it evident and try to make sure everybody knows what's going on — the whole defense. … What plays are going to be [called] against us, the down-and-distance and everything."

It's much the same in the secondary, where the Bucs were comfortable trading a six-year starter in Davis to the Lions. Davis and Jamel Dean missed enough time due to injuries last season that McCollum finished with more snaps and tackles than either of them, starting nine games in their place. He came to the Bucs two years ago as a freakishly athletic corner from Sam Houston State, combining 4.33 speed in the 40 with a 39-inch vertical and a 6-foot-2 frame.

Like Britt, McCollum is ready for an every-down role, and after 13 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) in college, he's eager to get his first NFL pick, setting a lofty personal goal of six this season as part of his improvement there.

"Becoming a playmaker," he said last week when asked where he wants to take a step forward. "I mean, for me, in college, I was always known for getting my hands on footballs and making plays, whether it be forced fumbles or interceptions, so that's the next point in my game — to start making those big plays."

Replacing Barrett won't fall to just one player in the pass-rush rotation, and his veteran presence will be missed. He set the team sack record in 2019 with a league-high 19.5 sacks, but tore his Achilles tendon midway through the 2022 season and had only 4.5 sacks last year. He signed with the Dolphins, then opted to retire just before training camp.

Some of Barrett's snaps will go to a pair of returning players who are both free agents in 2025. Former first-round pick Tryon-Shoyinka had five sacks last year, and Anthony Nelson had three off the bench. The long-term successor looks to be Braswell, whom the Bucs grabbed in the second round out of Alabama, where he was overshadowed by elite stars and future first-round picks in Will Anderson and Dallas Turner.

"He's a very strong player," Bowles said of Braswell. "The system is similar with some things to Alabama, it's just the terminology is different. Once he gets comfortable with that, I think he's kind of like Yaya [Diaby] — he's a physical player. He'll show more when the pads come on. We just look for him to get some push back and get the system down. I think he'll make some plays for us as well."

The Bucs face five of last year's top seven scoring offenses this season — the Cowboys (1), 49ers (3), Ravens (4), Lions (5) and Eagles (7) — and that doesn't even count a Week 9 trip to the Chiefs. How their new starters on defense are able to meet or even exceed the standards set by their predecessors will go a long way to how the Bucs can handle themselves against those elite playoff-caliber opponents in 2024.

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.

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