Athletic EDGE YaYa Diaby bringing "Hungry" Mentality to Tampa Bay
The trend has been easy to spot over the opening two days of the 2023 NFL Draft as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have put an emphasis on reloading the trenches. The Buccaneers selected former Pittsburgh defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (No. 19) on Thursday night before nabbing former North Dakota State offensive tackle Cody Mauch (No. 50) in the second round.
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Tampa Bay utilized its final selection on Friday night to add another athletic pass-rusher as the team drafted former Louisville outside linebacker Yaya Diaby (No. 82) in the third round. The Buccaneers are prioritizing elite athleticism and speed to add to a pass rush that finished tied for seventh in the league last season with 45 sacks.
Kancey posted a 4.67-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time among defensive tackles at the NFL Combine since 2003. He also recorded a 6.82-second three-cone drill, ran a 4.33-second 20-yard shuttle, and recorded a vertical jump of 33.5 inches at his Pro Day.
On the other hand, Diaby finished sixth among the EDGE prospects at the combine with a 4.51-second 40-yard dash and a 1.56 10-yard split that ranked second. He also recorded a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10"0' broad jump. Diaby had the second-best athleticism score in Indianapolis according to NFL.com.
Interestingly enough, Diaby, like Kancey and Mauch, was not among the prospects that the Buccaneers brought in for a top-30 visit. He only met with the franchise during the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. Regardless, Diaby is bringing a lunch pail mentality with him to Tampa.
"It's super exciting," Diaby said while speaking to the media after being drafted. "The only interaction I really had with them was at the Senior Bowl or the Combine where I had a formal meeting with them. Everything went smoothly and went well. I'm just happy to be a Buccaneer."
"Man, I'm just excited to get there and start working," Diaby continued. "I'm just excited to just come in and earn everyone's respect and just work."
Coupled with his athleticism, Diaby's growing production at Louisville made him a player worth investing in. He grew each season with the Cardinals, culminating his college career with a breakout performance in 2022. Diaby started all 13 games, totaling 37 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and nine sacks while being named Third-Team All-ACC.
"I would say everyone that helped me – my coaches, my teammates and mostly just everyone around the Louisville facility helping me develop myself and really seeing my potential," Diaby said. "In 2021, I came up short a lot and going into 2022 I told myself I was going to capitalize on a lot of those things."
As previously mentioned, the Georgia native impressed teams with his performance at the annual combine. That didn't come as a surprise to him.
"I would say for me I already knew that's what I was going to run. I just wanted to put it out there and prove everyone wrong," Diaby said. "When we had the formal meeting with Tampa and they asked, 'How fast are you going to run?' I just said, 'Just wait until tomorrow.' Then that's what happened."
Diaby believes that his hard work speaks for itself and that he can continue to improve. He's staying hungry as he makes the transition to the professional level.
"I would just say the hard work I've put in, in the offseason with my coaches and my teammates," Diaby said. "Just becoming the player I am from 2021 to 2022 season – I just keep improving every year. "
"I'm just a hungry individual. I am willing to learn," Diaby said. "I just love this game. Whatever it takes for me to be successful, that's what I'm going to do."
The 6-foot-3, 263-pound EDGE has studied NFL stars such as Khalil Mack, Myles Garret, and Nick Bosa. He's hoping to help the Buccaneers get back in the Super Bowl conversation.
"Oh yeah, just know, they got a dog," Diaby said. "Someone that is going to come in and work every day – work every day and we're going to be back in that Super Bowl talk."
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