The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still trying to figure out a defensive infrastructure that works as they make a push for the 2025-26 postseason, and they need to figure out a plan while accounting for longtime leader Lavonte David starting to lose his status as an elite player.
Not only is Tampa Bay's linebacker room thin as it is right now (thank you, SirVocea Dennis), but David is starting to show signs of slipping. Look no further than what New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough did to him in their Week 14 duel.
Shough, who is not known for his speed, was able to blow past David en route to a touchdown run that put New Orleans up 14-10 in the second half (Tampa Bay would later reclaim the lead). David's fall-off is officially here, and finding the next version of No. 54 needs to be at the front of Licht's mind.
Bucs must replace Lavonte David in offseason after tough play vs. Saints
David is firmly a middle-of-the-pack linebacker at this stage of his career, as he ranks 49th among 84 qualified inside linebackers and has a 54.5 coverage grade. He's a step slower than he was in his prime, and it seems that teams like the Saints are finally starting to realize that.
Even if the Bucs end up taking control of the AFC South and making a playoff run, the fact that their best linebacker is now starting to regress makes it easier for opposing teams to move the ball, even with many of the new additions to the secondary making some plays.
Luckily for Tampa Bay, the 2026 NFL Draft is regarded as very deep at the inside linebacker position. Names like Ohio State's Sonny Styles, Georgia's CJ Allen, or Texas' Anthony Hill Jr. could be prime targets for a Bucs defense that needs to find someone who can take over for David.
The Bucs have a tradition of great inside linebacker play that David upheld during his prime, but plays like the Shough run show that his time is nearing an end, and it would be a disservice to keep running him out there.