Jason Licht: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka Must “Step It Up This Year”

It sure seems like an all-or-nothing season for Bucs outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka this season, as he enters his third year in Tampa Bay. Normally a player may have a little more time to develop, but with Tampa Bay re-signing outside linebackers Anthony Nelson and drafting edge rushers YaYa Diaby and Jose Ramirez in April, the clock is ticking on Tryon-Shoyinka to elevate his game.

JTS hasn’t been bad by any means. He’s had four sacks in each of his two seasons for a total of eight, and he’s increased his number of QB pressures. It’s the moments of brilliance that leave many watching him feeling optimistic that he can put it together, but he has to do it soon. The Bucs are expecting him to do so in 2023.

Jason Licht Is Confident That Joe Tryon-Shoyinka Will Make Progress

General manager Jason Licht, the man who draft Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, still has confidence that the 23-year old edge rusher will elevate his game and take his number of sacks to a higher level this year.

“Joe has had some flashes, he’s had some good games, he’s shown us why we took him in the first round,” Licht said. “But he does need to take a step up. He needs to step it up this year and we’re confident that he will.”

Luckily, where Tryon-Shoyinka needs to improve is fixable. It has nothing to do with his physical traits. He has plenty of those.

What it comes down is the last five percent of the play. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has shown the ability to get into the backfield as he was second on the Bucs in quarterback hits last year and fourth on the roster tackles for loss. This season, JTS needs to finish the job.

Todd Bowles Identifies What He Wants From Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Todd Bowles mapped out exactly what he wants from the third-year edge rusher. They’ve had conversations on what the organization is requiring of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

“For me, Joe has to finish at the top of the rush,” Bowles said. “He beats linemen and either slips down or falls off the quarterback because he’s launching too early and not running through the quarterback. He has to take those extra two steps. He left a lot of sacks out there last year – not that he didn’t get back there, but he didn’t finish the play.

“Finishing at the top of the rush is just as important as beating a guy initially off the line of scrimmage. Me and Joe talked about this and he understands that and he’s working towards that and that’s what we need to see from him.”

Todd Bowles Comments On Rookie OLBs

Bucs OLBs Jose Ramirez and YaYa Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Todd Bowles also talked about his two new rookie pass rushers and what they’re going to bring to the defense. YaYa Diaby is going to make the team as a third-round draft pick, while Jose Ramirez is not guaranteed a spot.

Where Diaby winds up on the depth chart and whether Ramirez makes the 53-man roster or the practice squad will be decided in the preseason.

“In college tape you see Ramirez, he’s a heck of a pass rusher and that’s really his specialty – what he can do,” Bowles said of Ramirez. “YaYa, he’s an outside linebacker but he has the strength of a defensive lineman. He’s a very good edge setter and he can really come off the ball and he’s a really powerful guy in the speed-to-power rush. We’re looking to see both of them execute those things as we go into camp.”