The Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to squeeze one more productive season out of Lavonte David, but the clock is ticking on his Hall of Fame-caliber career. Even with David returning for 2025, Tampa’s linebacker room is in transition, and the team needs to find a long-term replacement who can take the torch without dropping the standard.
Enter Oregon’s Jeffrey Bassa, a former safety turned athletic linebacker with the tools to become a modern NFL starter.
Bassa isn’t a one-size-fits-all prospect. He’s a bit lighter and rangier than traditional inside linebackers, but he brings rare versatility. His background as a defensive back shows up in coverage, where he’s instinctive, smooth, and disruptive on passing downs. He’s also a vocal leader who handled green-dot duties at Oregon, organizing a defense that relied heavily on his ability to adapt to shifting offensive formations.
The Bucs don’t just need youth—they need speed, range, and someone who can stay on the field for all three downs. Bassa fits that mold. He’s not a plug-and-play thumper just yet, but his ceiling in an aggressive, multiple-front system like Todd Bowles’ is high. With a year of development behind David and Anthony Walker, he could be the perfect bridge into the next era of Tampa Bay defense.
Oregon LB Jeffrey Bassa 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Notes
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 235 pounds
- Recruiting: 2021 4-star, No. 334 national, No. 22 SAF
- Second-Team All-Pac-12 (2023), Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP
- All-Big Ten honorable mention
Positives
- Background as a safety gives him high-end coverage versatility and instincts
- Times blitzes extremely well and consistently disrupts the quarterback
- Fluid mover in space with sideline-to-sideline range and short-area burst
- Communicates pre-snap adjustments and processes quickly as the QB of the defense
Bassa’s most appealing trait might be how seamlessly he fits into the modern NFL. He can match up with tight ends, cover ground in space, and stay on the field during passing downs—something the Bucs have lacked behind David. He’s extremely comfortable in zone, reading quarterbacks and anticipating route combinations, and he flashes enough man coverage ability to stick with backs and slower slot receivers when asked.
His value skyrockets when you factor in his blitzing. Bassa excels as a delayed pressure player, exploding through gaps with timing that throws off protections. It’s not hard to see him thriving in Bowles’ pressure-heavy looks, especially in nickel packages where he can disguise blitzes or drop into zone. For a team looking to get faster and more flexible at linebacker, Bassa checks a lot of boxes.
Negatives
- Lacks ideal lower-body strength and can be displaced by climbing OL
- Diagnosis and run-fit instincts remain inconsistent on zone runs
- Arm length and block deconstruction limit him in close-quarters battles
The concerns with Bassa show up mostly in the trenches. When offensive linemen get their hands on him, he can be overwhelmed due to his lighter frame and limited anchor strength. He’ll need to add muscle to avoid being washed out of run fits, especially in an NFC South division that still leans on the run game more than most.
His instincts as a run defender also aren’t fully developed. He plays fast but occasionally guesses, overrunning plays or taking poor angles that open cutback lanes. Tampa Bay can ease those concerns early by pairing him with veterans and using him in coverage-heavy or pressure looks, but if he’s going to take over as a full-time MIKE or WILL, he’ll need refinement.
Jeffrey Bassa NFL Player Comparison:
- Primary Comp: Azeez Al-Shaair
- Alternative: Dru Tranquill
- Floor Comp: Deion Jones
Bassa and Al-Shaair share nearly identical builds and play style — physical, instinctive linebackers who excel in coverage but are still developing as run defenders. Both have the athletic tools to stay on the field all three downs and the makeup to become tone-setters with the right development.
Tranquill, like Bassa, was a former safety who made the transition to linebacker. They both thrive in space, carry vertical routes well, and can be trusted in coverage against backs and tight ends. Tranquill also needed time to grow into a more complete run defender, something Bassa will face early.
Jeffrey Bassa 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Late 2nd/Early 3rd
With the right development and system fit, Bassa can be a starting linebacker by Year 2. His coverage versatility and blitzing upside give him early role-player value, and in a defense like Tampa’s, he could flourish in a hybrid role with long-term starter potential.