Buccaneers Select OLB YaYa Diaby in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft

The Bucs add another explosive athlete, at a position of need, to what has already been a very solid haul of draft picks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Yaya Diaby, an edge rusher out of Louisville, with the 82nd overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

The Bucs continue to add prospects at positions of need. Diaby will add valuable depth to Tampa Bay's growing collection of edge rushers. 

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Listed at 6'3", 263 pounds, Diaby has the makeup of a player who can be expected to contribute as a rotational rusher and special teams contributor right away, with the hope of developing into a starting-caliber pass rusher in time. 

He is a natural pass rusher with good agility, and strong hands. Diaby was very productive for the Louisville Cardinals last season, where he recorded 9 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 13 starts. He is a powerful player but will need to add more creativity to his arsenal if he hopes to become an impactful player at the NFL level. 

Diaby is an explosive athlete, whose combine performance turned a lot of heads. He ran a 4.51 40-yard dash and jumped 37 inches in the vertical testing. Based on the RAS model, Diaby offers elite speed for a defensive end prospect. Athletically, he ranks 23rd out of 1614 defensive ends evaluated at the combine since 1987. 

Yaya Diaby is a DE prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.86 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 23 out of 1614 DE from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/w2QqqYsdHy pic.twitter.com/R9MJiiF8OP

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 9, 2023

It's obvious that the Buccaneers have made a concerted effort to prioritize athleticism in this year's draft. Diaby joins first-round pick, Calijah Kancy, and second-round pick, Cody Mauch, to form a trio of draft picks who are each recognized for being exceptional athletes at their respective positions. 

The fact that Jason Licht has managed to add this level of athleticism to his roster, while at the same time, addressing positions of need, speaks to what can already be considered a very strong haul for the Buccaneers.

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