Pro Football Focus shows love to some Buccaneers, massively disrespects one
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2020 season as one of the favorites to compete for the NFC South Division and make the postseason.
The Buccaneers have missed the playoffs for 12-straight seasons, but there’s great reason to be optimistic about the team’s chances this time around and much of that has to do with the amount of talent within the franchise.
Pro Football Focus released its rankings of the best 50 players in the NFL heading into the 2020 season and included several Buccaneers, but they made one omission that seems like major disrespect. Here’s a look at where the Tampa Bay players who made the list fall:
- 24. Tom Brady
- 33. Chris Godwin
- 37. Lavonte David
- 45. Mike Evans
The Buccaneers’ sack-leader was massively disrespected
That’s right Bucs nation, Shaquil Barrett wasn’t included at all on the list. While eight edge-rushers were included on the list- led by J.J. Watt- Barrett was not one of them.
It’s amazing to think about the fact that national media are still sleeping on Barrett and his elite explosive talent, despite the fact that he was the league’s leader in sacks last season.
Barrett comes into this season with a lot to prove, for sure, but when Danielle Hunter (Minnesota Vikings) and Brandon Graham (Philadelphia Eagles)- who combined only had 4.5 more sacks than Barrett had by himself- make the list and the Tampa Bay edge-rusher isn’t included at all, something’s wrong.
Barrett isn’t just a top-50 player in the league. He has an opportunity to be a first-team All-Pro and the best edge-rusher in the NFL for a second-straight season.
Analysts across the country continue to sleep on Barrett, but they won’t be able to ignore him for long when he is making plays on prime-time television and proving to the nation that he’s one of the premiere players in the league.