The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were prioritizing pass rushing help this offseason, and while they did not go for Trey Hendrickson or Maxx Crosby and splash major cash on an established elite option, an even better player may have fallen into their laps if Rueben Bain Jr. can fulfill his prodigious potential and the star power he displayed as the best defensive player in college football last season for the Miami Hurricanes.
If Bain can make a big rookie impact, the Buccaneers may have a credible pass rush again, as YaYa Diaby profiles a lot better as the No. 2 guy off the edge, rather than the best man coming off the offensive tackle.
But lost in all the talks about the edge rush are the big boys up front, and the Buccaneers have one of the biggest stars on the defensive line of the last handful of years in Vita Vea, who is known for his size and ability to plug up holes.
Vita Vea is an unsung hero for the Buccaneers
The thing is, Vea is also an amazing interior pass rusher, especially when he is evaluated by metrics that actually suit a nose tackle and the impact they make on the passing game. To wit, NFL Researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno released a list of the players with the most pressures on the quarterback after being doubled team over the past five years. And Vea is on the listed, ranked seventh in a tie with Kobie Turner.
This list of pass rushers is a who's who of the best in the NFL with players like Quinnen Williams and Dexter Lawrence in the top five, and while these players all get more hype than Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans know that their beloved big man is an elite player in his own right.
Lavonte David is a textbook example of how great players for the Buccaneers often get snubbed in All Pro lists and in the future in Hall of Fame voting discussions, and Vea appears to be another star player who will fall in that bucket.
Buccaneers fans won't mind, though. Vea is one of those guys who makes everyone around him better, and he has a Super Bowl ring to prove it. With A'Shawn Robinson coming up front and now Rueben Bain Jr. adding to the pass rush, Vea has more players he can improve and more players who can help him add more sacks in 2026.
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