Tampa Bay Buccaneers UDFA Jack Pyburn was one of the clear winners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ preseason win over the New York Jets. Pyburn recorded two pressures, which was enough to catch the attention of head coach Todd Bowles.
Bowles noted that Pyburn has been unable to get the attention he deserves in a crowded edge rusher room. However, he was quite pleased with the statement he made when things mattered.
“He did a heck of a job last night,” Bowles said. “He showed up with the lights on. He’s a solid player, doesn’t get much run with all the other guys playing…he showed everybody who he was.”
Pyburn might be able to earn more chances to prove whether he belongs on the 53-man roster if he continues to catch the coaches’ eyes like that.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers UDFA Edge Rusher Excels in Preseason Debut
GettyJack Pyburn #58 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pyburn was undrafted out of LSU, mostly due to questionable physical tools. He showed very short arms at the NFL Combine. They are in the first percentile among players in the NFL. Considering an edge rusher depends highly on arms and reach, this turned plenty of teams off.
Still, he has been able to make a name for himself with a solid preseason. He played 25 snaps, with 16 being rush snaps. He defended the run on seven snaps and had two coverage snaps.
Those were his only two pressures, but he also had two run stops, per PFF. They gave him an overall grade of 71, with his tackling grade being a 74 and his pass rush grade being a 68.7. All three were above average. For what it is worth, his run defense grade was 62.5, which is considered average.
Jack Pyburn Still Has to Climb Bucs Depth Chart
The big issue for Pyburn is that there are limited chances for him to climb the Bucs depth chart. We know that Rueben Bain and Yaya Diaby are going to start on the edge.
The team also signed Al-Quadin Muhammad, who will rotate in with those two. They also have David Walker, who was drafted last year. Walker missed his rookie season due to injury, but has been a presence throughout training camp.
He ran ahead of Pyburn in the preseason opener and looked strong. Anthony Nelson would slot in as the fifth rusher. He is a veteran and could be on the trade block if the Bucs feel good about Pyburn.
Still, last year he was one of their best rushers, so it is hard to see them pushing Pyburn over him. Things open up around the sixth edge rusher.
Mo Kamara is a UDFA entering his third year who is trying to stick around. Yasir Holmes is another rookie UDFA who is not flashing as much as Pyburn. Then, there is Chris Braswell, who has been a letdown since the Bucs drafted him.
If Pyburn does not make a roster push, he appears to be in good position to make the practice squad. He just needs to keep this up.
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