Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Breaking down depth along the defensive line

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Vita Vea of Washington high fives fans after being picked #12 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Vita Vea of Washington high fives fans after being picked #12 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBIA, MO – SEPTEMBER 08: Defensive back Adam Sparks #14 of the Missouri Tigers congratulates defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. #5 after a tackle during the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MO – SEPTEMBER 08: Defensive back Adam Sparks #14 of the Missouri Tigers congratulates defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. #5 after a tackle during the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

The rookie

It is not often that a seventh round rookie comes into a team and immediately has a chance to start. However due to the lack of depth and talent along the defensive line, Terry Beckner Jr. could see significant playing time right away in 2019 in Tampa Bay.

During his career at Missouri, Beckner Jr. struggled to stay on the field as he faced multiple knee injuries playing in the SEC trenches. He did stay healthy over the last two years of his college career, and recorded three-and-a-half sacks, and 11 tackles for loss; his sacks were down from seven the year before.

At the combine, Beckner Jr. did not help his cause, testing extremely poorly at the combine, showing minimal speed and athleticism. His injury history, a decrease in production during his senior year, and poor testing in the pre-draft process caused Beckner Jr. to slip all the way into the seventh round where the Buccaneers scooped him up.

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Beckner Jr. will get a chance to compete with Allen, Gholston, Ledbetter, and Nunez-Roches for the third spot along the line as a rookie. He has stood out in camp to this point, and may just shock the seasoned vets on the team. With Vea losing weight and attempting to play end, Beckner may be a good fit to play nose.