Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Noah Spence will be an X-Factor
As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare for what should be a bounce back season in 2016, their defense will be much-improved thanks to defensive end Noah Spence.
It’s no secret that last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their overall defense lacked consistency, aggression and any kind of ability to stop opposing offenses. One major area of need was their pass rush, which at times was unable to take down the quarterback or at least hurry him into making decisions.
Related Story: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: How Confident Are You?
Consistency is the name of the game, especially when it comes with defense. As the saying goes, defense wins championships and if the Buccaneers truly want to push the envelope and make a run at the NFL Playoffs, they’ll need to step up their game from that side of the football.
That’s why four out of their seven draft picks were defensive players. Drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, defensive end Noah Spence was brought in to help bring more speed, agility and a knack for taking down opposing quarterbacks on defense.
In his two years at Ohio State, Spence totaled 62 tackles, 8.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He’s stepping into a golden situation with the Buccaneers as they haven’t had a dominant and consistent pass rusher at his position in years. Spence, despite his small sample size in college, will be an x-factor on defense this upcoming season and beyond.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
At 6’3 and 252 pounds, Spence has the unique skill-set to either be a speedy pass rusher or even step back in coverage to keep offensive coordinators guessing what his assignments are.
Even during organized team activities and mandatory mini-camp, the Buccaneers were using him in both defensive schemes and he thrived.
The Buccaneers over the past few years have focused on the offensive side of the football but now, Spence will lead a youth revolution on defense to finally have everything come together to field a complete team.
It won’t be easy but if Spence can exceed expectations in his rookie year, the sky will be the limit for his overall potential.
While some are concerned for off-the-field issues with failed drug tests throughout his collegiate career, there is confidence he’s conquered his demons and can focus on the task at hand. He dropped in this year’s draft but the Buccaneers fully know they got a first-round talent that fell due to concerns he might not be able to move on in the right direction.
Spence has the ability to use that as motivation to not only impress the Buccaneers but prove that he’s owned up to his mistakes and is ready to deliver. Judging by his highlights below, if he can translate this speed and ability to the pro level, he’s going to be a household name faster than many think:
must read: A truly scary Mike Evans coming?
Overall, Spence will be an x-factor thanks to his quickness and the superb situation he’s in with the Buccaneers. He’s surrounded by young talent, veterans and great leadership above him developing him to the next level. He’s hungry and ready to prove that the Buccaneers taking a chance on him was very well worth it.