3 Buccaneers players who cannot afford to regress in 2023

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, EDGE

A trend among Super Bowl contending teams is an ability to draft well despite owning late picks. Teams like the Bengals and Chiefs have managed to re-tool their roster with young talent and the result is consistent contention.

That's what the Buccaneers have attempted to do, and while there's been a certain degree of success, the misses are painfully notable.

It's been three years since the Bucs used its Super Bowl pick on Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, but some are still waiting for him to actually show up. He was supposed to be the next major piece of Todd Bowles defense and help the team with that re-tooling strategy. Instead, he's been almost unplayable against the run and has barely made an impact in the pass rush.

To say he's left a lot to be desired is a bit of an understatement, and calling him a disappointment doesn't fully express how tremendously underwhelming he's been. Unfortunately, the best way to describe his time in Tampa Bay is limited as his days might be numbered.

To be fair, the 2021 draft class wasn't particularly strong, especially at defensive end. Still, the Bucs could have ended up with Elijah Moore, Asante Samuel Jr., or Creed Humphrey instead which might have worked out differently (see also: better).

It's beginning to feel like a make-or-break season for Tryon-Shoyinka. There's young talent at his position that could usurp him if he doesn't take advantage of his opportunity this season and a regression could spell the end of his time with the Buccaneers.