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Coming into the NFL, Vita Vea was often compared to other big bodied, run-stuffing defensive tackles that the league has seen. At 6’4”, 347 pounds, Vea notably drew comparisons to his former Washington Huskies teammate, Danny Shelton. Though they share similar size and were both taken 12th overall in their respective drafts—if the progress he showed in his rookie season is a sign of things to come—Vea looks like he could fulfill the promise that was once seen in Shelton.
Immediate Criticism
With a large contingent of Buccaneers also being Florida State Seminoles fans, the idea of safety Derwin James being drafted by Tampa Bay was ideal…so when Roger Goodell announced that “with the 12th pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select…Vita Vea,” it was met with disbelief, anger and disappointment. A player that the FSU contingency considered to be a lock was passed over for a prospect that many believed would be no more than a nose tackle.
Shortly after the draft, Buccaneers great and Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, along with Ian Beckles, gave their own critiques of Vea, citing that players at his size could not survive in the Florida heat. After a seemingly minor training camp injury that kept him off the field for the entirety of the preseason and the first three weeks of the season, it looked like the skepticism may have been warranted.
Ups and Downs
In week 4, Vea finally got onto the field. Unfortunately, rookie Vea was part of one of the worst defensive performances in the Buccaneers recent history—which was already filled with inept defensive play—allowing Mitch Trubisky, who had never thrown more than two touchdowns in a single game (to that point), to compile six passing TDs en route to a blowout loss for the Bucs at Soldier field. The highlight of the game (which was filled with lowlights for the Bucs) was Vea ragdolling a Bear linemen.
Over the next six weeks—as the Buccaneers went 1-5—Vea had a rough go at it, registering just 3 tackles in that timespan but after having a talk with GM Jason Licht, he broke out in a week 12 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in which he compiled 4 tackles and his second sackof the season. Not only did Jason Licht and Buccaneer fans take notice of, but the following week showed that the Carolina Panthers did as well. Though his stat line was not as impressive as the 49ers game, the rookie drew some extra attention for the remainder of the season and flashed as a potential star in the making with some moments where he dominated opposing offensive linemen. In that timespan, Pro Football Focus credited Vea with 19 QB pressures—which lead all rookie interior linemen—and 16 defensive stops. Vea finished his rookie campaign with 28 combined tackles and 3 sacks, stats very similar to the first year of former Buccaneer, Gerald McCoy.
Optimism
After six weeks of mediocre play, Vea became a contributor on the defensive line for the last six weeks of his shortened rookie season. Within that period, the big man—whose pass rush ability was written off by many in the pre-draft analysis—registered 19 QB pressures, 2 sacks and 16 defensive stops in that span. After breaking through the barriers that limited his effectiveness in his first seven games, Vea showed signs of promise. With new coordinator Todd Bowles suggesting a more versatile and aggressive defense will be deployed, many believe Vea, along with new teammate Ndamukung Suh, will be used along the whole defensive line, which may help to create mismatches.
Fast forward to this offseason, where a slimmer, seemingly more confident Vea has already shown his athleticism during minicamp. Though the big man can’t yet show his full potential since pads haven’t come on yet, Carmen Vitali highlighted a play where Vea diagnosed a play (in OTAs) and chased down running back Peyton Barber in the flat for a minimal gain.
Impact of the New 93
Though the signing of Ndamukong Suh was made to be about Gerald McCoy, I am of the belief that the move was more about attitude and versatility of those two men and Vita Vea. With Ndamkong Suh having played all three positions along the defensive line in the 3-4, he brings knowledge and something that new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles values tremendously—flexibility. The expectation is that Suh will play a lot of 3-technique within this 3-4 hybrid defense that is being implemented, but his experience does not limit him to just that position and with Vea having similar experience in his time at Washington, their flexibility will be invaluable to Bowles as he develops schemes and identifies matchups that will work in the Buccaneeers’ favor.
With his new-found “beach body,” a competitiveness that Bruce Arians had to reign in during mini-camp and being in a new defensive scheme that is expected to more effectively utilize his skillset, I expect Vita Vea to emerge as a dominant force in his sophomore year with the Bucs.
