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Pro Football Focus writer Zach Tantillo recently published a league-wide article outlining New Year’s resolutions for all 32 NFL teams, identifying areas each organization should prioritize as they enter the new NFL year. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the resolution focused on a defensive weakness that consistently showed up throughout the 2025 season: improving linebacker play in pass coverage.
According to PFF’s evaluation, Tampa Bay’s linebackers struggled when tasked with defending the middle of the field. Coverage issues at the second level allowed opposing offenses to move the chains and generate scoring opportunities, making it a recurring problem rather than an occasional breakdown. The unit's performance stood out compared to the rest of the league and highlighted a clear area of concern as the Buccaneers turn their attention to the offseason.
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That need has also shown up in offseason projections, with Tampa Bay commonly linked to a linebacker early in the draft as a possible answer at the center of the defense. The continued attention to the position underscores how significant the coverage struggles were throughout the season.
Additional context
While pass coverage was the primary issue identified, linebacker play in other areas was uneven as well. The unit’s pass rush lacked consistency, though SirVocea Dennis showed flashes as a blitzer at times. Overall, the Buccaneers appear to require a true defensive signal-caller at linebacker and a collective improvement in coverage as they finish the 2025 season and look ahead to 2026.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: PFF: Bucs must improve linebacker coverage in 2026
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