YaYa Diaby
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher YaYa Diaby.
One of the more interesting things to watch on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2026 will be the continued development of edge rusher YaYa Diaby — a former 3rd round pick who could be poised to make a mint when he hits free agency 1 year from now.
Diaby’s numbers over his 1st 3 seasons — 19.0 total sacks — show a player who could very well command up to $20 million per year in free agency after playing out a 4-year, $5.46 million rookie contract with Tampa Bay.
It’s also why he’s an incredible value for the Buccaneers in the final year of his deal, with Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon putting Diaby on his list of the NFL’s “Most Underpaid Players” in 2026.
“The 2023 third-round pick has generally remained under the national radar while compiling 19 sacks and 47 quarterback hits in three pro seasons,” Gagnon wrote. “He’ll still count just $3.9 million against the Bucs’ cap in a walk year this fall.”
Diaby led the Buccaneers with 7.5 sacks as a rookie in 2023, saw a slight dip in his play due to nagging injuries with 4.5 sacks in 2024, but bounced back in 2025 with 7.0 sacks.
YaYa Diaby One of NFL’s Most Durable Defenders
One thing Diaby hasn’t done in his 1st 3 NFL seasons is miss a game — he’s played in 51 consecutive regular-season games, including 41 consecutive starts dating back to when he took the starting spot from former 1st round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka as a rookie in 2023.
According to NextGen Stats, when Diaby gets 1-on-1 blocking, he’s been one of the NFL’s very best — he ranked 6th in the NFL with 51 QB pressures when blocked 1-on-1 in 2025.
For comparison’s sake, that put Diaby ahead of several players who hit massive paydays in free agency in 2026, including Carolina Panthers edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (4 years, $120 million) and New England Patriots edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones (3 years, $36.65 million).