Buccaneers star defensive lineman must continue to produce in 2025

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been fortunate to have Vita Vea lead the defense for the past seven seasons.

Entering his eighth year with the team, the 30-year-old is still one of the best defensive tackles in the game, but questions linger about how long he'll be able to play at an elite level.

Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine questioned Vea's ability to be one of the league's top defensive tackles in the future.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea against the Miami Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Buccaneers defense could be suspect

"The 6'4", 347-pounder is a unique talent," Ballentine wrote of Vea.

"He's also 30 years old and nearly impossible to replace if he gets injured. If Vea takes a step back or is unavailable and Reddick isn't able to capture his previous form then Calijah Kancey is going to have to carry a lot of the weight.

"The Bucs secondary really needs Antoine Winfield to come back healthy while getting contributions from rookies Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. There's a low floor if the defensive front doesn't continue to be an elite run defense while the relatively young secondary doesn't take a step forward."

Vea remains a heartbeat of the Bucs defense, and he sets the tone in the trenches up front. If he were to get injured or lose a bit of his touch, it could affect the whole unit.

The Bucs can no longer put all of their eggs in Vea's basket — otherwise, the house of cards could come crashing down on defense. Vea and the Bucs are getting ready for training camp, which begins when rookies report on July 21 and veterans arrive on July 22.

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