Buccaneers: Who will be the “dark horse” X-Factor

By Zain Ahmed | Jun 17, 2017

Nov 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Jacquies Smith (56) leaves the field after win against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Buccaneers defeated the Eagles, 45-17. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

Every team always has an underrated key contributor, who will that player be for the Buccaneers this season?

Great teams are made up of players who play above their skill level and sometimes do it consistently. Sometimes these players are overshadowed by the greater known players on their teams and their contributions go unnoticed. The Buccaneers are no exception to this.

In 2016, the Bucs darkhorse X-factor was, in my opinion, Bryan Anger. I know what you’re thinking – how can a punter be an X-factor? Well considering the poor play the Bucs have had out of that position in the recent years, Anger was a blessing. Anger consistently pinned teams inside their 20 and was key in several of the Bucs wins especially against Seattle. In the match-up against the Seahawks, Anger gave Seattle poor field position many times which allowed the defense to harass the Seattle offense.

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As you can see, Anger was key in several of the Bucs victories because of his punting prowess. However, since Anger is a punter, many people do not notice how helpful he can be towards a Bucs victory.

Looking forward to this season, I believe Jacquies Smith will be that darkhorse X-factor for the Bucs. Smith has had an up and down career, but when he is playing he has proven to be effective. Unfortunately, the problem is that he has struggled with injuries recently. Last season Smith tore his ACL week one and missed the entire season. In 2015, Smith had a career year posting seven sacks and forcing three fumbles, but his season was cut short by injuries again.

Smith, if he remains healthy, can be a good rotation player for the Bucs defensive line. The defensive line of the Bucs is much improved and Smith could take advantage. Smith will likely rotate with Robert Ayers Jr. at right defensive end. If Smith plays similarly to how he did in 2015, he could end up seeing the majority of the snaps. I predict a big season for Smith in 2017 and that he will have the third-most sacks on the Buccaneers with 9.5.

Next: Five Offensive Players You Should Most Look Forward To Watching

So which under-the-radar Buccaneers player do you feel is most likely going to make the biggest impact? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments below.