Buccaneers: Five defensive players to look forward to watching

Number Two – DE Noah Spence

The Buccaneers got a steal in last years draft when Noah Spence fell to them in the second round where they drafted him with the 39th pick. His off-field drama that led to his departure from Ohio State to Eastern Kentucky is what scared teams away leading up to the draft. The Buccaneers aren’t a team to shy away from volatile personalities and took a flier on Spence. After one year, it looks like a brilliant investment.

Even while playing through an injury for a majority of the year didn’t stop Spence from getting 5.5 sacks in his rookie year. All the veterans have taken a liking to Spence and see no cause for concern about him off the field. That stuff looks to be in the past. The fact that he popped his shoulder back in all on his own in Week 4 and continued to play the rest of the year with a partially torn labrum goes to show how tough this kid is.

In my opinion, I believe that Spence can become one of the best pass rushers in football.  A cornerstone that you can depend on to get you over ten sacks a year in his sleep. Eating healthy and working out like an animal over the off-season has transformed Spence to looking like a completely different person. Coming in healthy and in shape makes me believe that this is the year that Spence gets put on the map by the rest of the NFL. The Bucs might have finally found the next Simeon Rice to rush the passer on the edge. Take the over 9.5 sacks for Spence.