Yaya Diaby has been flirting with breaking out, really every year since he was drafted out of Louisville in 2023.
In college, he was a monster but was overlooked and not taken until the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. When he got to Tampa Bay, he showed promise right away, took a big step last season, but he was primed for a breakout in 2024, and why? Because they finally gave him a pass-rusher tag-team partner in Haason Reddick. The former All-Pro signed on where he knew he had something to prove as well, and together they are playing well.
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However, the star has become Yaya Diaby.
Through six games on the year, he has three sacks, 11 defensive stops, 14 QB hurries, and 22 total pressures created. He is consistently getting in the backfield for the Bucs‘ defense, and it is making a difference. With the pass rush playing as well as it has, we have even seen an uptick in the performance of the secondary, which was this team’s Achilles heel in 2024. They restocked themselves with some young talent, they got healthy, and pairing that with the breakout of Diaby, the unit is playing above and beyond what was expected.
He is on pace to finally hit the double-digit mark in sacks for the first time in his career. He has teased it as a rookie, recording 7.5, but this year that number seems within grasp. If he does, he will deserve to be discussed among the rising pass-rushing stars that exist within the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Yaya Diaby finally broke through in Week 6 and is poised for success