The Bucs’ defensive front has long been one of their more underrated and appreciated aspects of their defense. While they do not have someone that can be relied upon to get 10 or more sacks a season, they have a unit that gets after the quarterback at an efficient rate, and as a result, they apply pressure that creates mistakes.
The team lost one of their key cogs of this approach this offseason in William Gholston after they decided to not re-sign the veteran defensive lineman. The team drafted several edge rushers, but one of them is now being tasked with changing positions and pivoting to a role that Gholston abandoned. Elijah Roberts, out of SMU, is reportedly being tasked with learning a new position.
In a post on social media, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman writes, “Bucs rookie Elijah Roberts, their fifth-round pick out of SMU, will be a defensive lineman in Tampa, not an edge rusher. . .Should be 285+ pounds in camp – none of their OLBs are over 271.”
Roberts, who played edge at SMU, would bring a new dynamic to the interior pass rush that the Bucs are looking to establish on the interior. With the likes of Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea starting to find the quarterback more, the more, the merrier they are in the Bucs rotation on the inside.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers rookie gets assigned new position ahead of training camp
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
