3 Buccaneers players who cannot afford to regress in 2023

Logan Hall, DE

While he's not yet in danger of losing his job with the team, a season of regression threatens to put Logan Hall too far behind the eight ball. Coming off a season where he recorded just 2.5 sacks and 12 tackles, he needs to find a way to step his game up or he could find himself in the same Year 3 situation that Joe Tryon-Shoyinka finds himself in.

To be fair, Hall was a rookie last season and was used mostly as a rotational piece of the Bucs pass rush. So while his stats leave a lot to be desired from a guy who was picked as high as he was (No. 33 overall), it sort of explains why he might not have made as big of an impact as expected.

Still, Hall needs to make the most of his opportunities and the Bucs provided those last year. As bad as the team was, Hall could have stood out as a bright spot but instead blended in with the crowd.

That can't happen again this season.

Hall is projected to be the Bucs starting defensive end when the season begins, and he has a supporting cast on the defensive line that is built to make him look good. Vita Vea is the anchor in the middle, and rookie Calijah Kancey is looking to be a wrecking ball next to him. That could create a situation where Hall is flying off the end as an improved pass rusher and closing off offensive edges.

There's no doubt that he'll have opportunities to take a leap forward in his sophomore campaign. He's not yet on the roster bubble, but another season where he's simply one of the guys in the room and not a standout might start to spell trouble for his future.