The Tampa Buccaneers selected YaYa Diaby in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft and got 7.5 sacks from the outside linebacker as a rookie.
The Bucs selected Chris Braswell in the second round of this year’s draft and likely would be happy to get 7.5 sacks from another rookie outside linebacker for the second year in a row.
Diaby thinks Braswell is up to it.
“He’s doing well,” Diaby said about Braswell. “He’s a guy that asks a lot of questions and really wants to learn, so I’m really excited to see what he’s going to do at training camp.”
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Braswell recorded eight sacks for Alabama in 2023.
Tampa Bay released Shaquil Barrett this offseason. The outside linebacker led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019, but he recorded 4.5 in 2023 and was let go in a salary-cap move in March.
Braswell joined an outside-linebacker depth chart that also includes Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Randy Gregory. Diaby led the Buccaneers in sacks in 2023. Tryon-Shoyinka had five sacks in 12 starts last season. Former second-round pick Gregory has joined Tampa Bay for his eighth NFL season after recording 22 sacks with three previous teams.
After going through his first training camp last year, Diaby said he could help Braswell in the rookie’s first training camp this year.
“We’re already close because we’re both Muslims, so we share a little something-something,” Diaby said. “For me, it’s just going to be telling him to ease his mind because being in coach (Todd) Bowles’ defense, it’s a lot that goes on for rookies, especially playing our position – if you got to drop, if you got to do this. It’s just really telling him to calm down and just be in the moment.”
Diaby talked about his new teammate on Sunday while at the Grand Hotel Golf Club and Spa in Point Clear. In conjunction with the induction of its Hall of Fame Class of 2024, the Senior Bowl recognized its Rookies of the Year for the 2023 season. Diaby and Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Byron Young shared the defensive award.
Tampa Bay’s rookies are scheduled to report for training camp on July 22 at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers open their three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals and start their regular-season slate on Sept. 8 against the Washington Commanders.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.