Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-year defensive tackle Elijah Roberts kicked off year two with a bang, recording a sack in the team’s preseason win over the New York Jets. While head coach Todd Bowles obviously appreciates that effort, that was not the thing that stood out to him when watching the former fifth-round pick.
Bowles was more impressed with his ability to defend the run, which might be what gets him on the field more often in 2026.
“We knew he could rush the passer; he’s one of our better interior pass rushers,” Bowles admitted. “Him playing the run this year, as far as in training camp and leading up to this ball game, and taking double teams on the right way has been great to see.”
Roberts played 25 snaps in the preseason opener. He had 10 snaps against the run and recorded two run stops.
Roberts is in a much more crowded interior defensive line depth chart than the year prior, so it will be tougher for Roberts to get on the field. So far, he is doing what Bowles asked to show that progression.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seeing Year Two Progression From Elijah Roberts
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Roberts was a fifth-round pick from SMU last season. Despite that, he played 506 snaps as a rookie and started in nine games. He recorded two sacks and 14 combined tackles. He also added five quarterback hits and two tackles for loss.
Still, he was clearly used in more of a pass rush role. Roberts had 326 pass rush snaps and 172 run defense snaps as a rookie. His PFF grade was 63 as a pass rusher and 41 as a run defender. He had 27 pressures and eight run stops.
The team was happy with him in one phase of the game, but needed to see more from him as a run defender. That is why Bowles is so satisfied.
Elijah Roberts is in Crowded Bucs Defensive Line Room
The room should be much deeper than the year prior. Vita Vea is holding in, but the Bucs expect him to be back by the start of the season. Calijah Kancey is healthy after missing almost all of last year.
They added A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and both are veterans who can come in and take on snaps immediately. Lastly, they drafted DeMonte Capehart in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
They have three new names added and one name that is healthier than the year prior. Even without mentioning Elijah Simmons, Josiah Green, and Jayson Jones, the team is a lot deeper than they were last year.
When it comes to Robinson, Nunez-Roches, and Capehart, they are all better against the run than Roberts. So, the team could lean into Roberts playing only pass-rushing downs. However, Roberts is proving to them that he can take on more work and be used on run downs. It will be interesting to see his splits this upcoming season.
Todd Bowles Reveals Biggest Change in Former Fifth-Round Pick