Buccaneers Signing Al-Quadin Muhammad Puts Writing on the Wall for This Veteran

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a lot of work to do heading into free agency, particularly on the defense, but they had no greater need — and quite frankly, still have no greater need — than the edge rushing position. Tampa Bay's edge rushing prowess has been extremely lacking for multiple years now, and last year's one-year deal for Haason Reddick wasn't the answer general manager Jason Licht was hoping it would be.

The Bucs still need to draft an edge rusher in the NFL Draft, but they did address the position with a minor signing, grabbing edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad from the Detroit Lions in free agency. Muhammad had 11 sacks last year in Detroit, and he should solidify himself as Tampa Bay's No. 3 option at EDGE.

As it stands, Bucs veteran Anthony Nelson — one of the few remaining players from Tampa Bay's 2020 Super Bowl team — is No. 4. But with Muhammad's arrival, he now faces pressure from the two players behind him, and his role could be greatly diminished in Tampa Bay.

Al-Quadin Muhammad's signing could put pressure on Anthony Nelson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Anthony Nelson (98) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Nelson has been valuable for the Bucs whenever he has rotated into the edge position. He had just three sacks last year, but he made some big plays, including a notable pick-six against Spencer Rattler early on in the year.

That being said, Nelson has two other players behind him to contend with. One of them is Chris Braswell, whom the Bucs drafted in the second round in 2024, but Braswell has largely disappointed in his limited snaps. The other edge rusher behind him, though, is David Walker, who the Bucs drafted in the fourth round. Walker tore his ACL in training camp last year, but the Bucs are very high on him after very productive campaigns at Central Arkansas and he could fight for Nelson's spot if he lives up to expectations.

Nelson's 12.92% pressure rate, per SumerSports, was solid last year, so he remains a decent producer as a rotational edge rusher. But if Muhammad can perform to his own standards and bring his 13.73% pressure rate from last year (or perform even better), Nelson will likely be on the back foot with a reduced snap count.

The Bucs pick No. 15 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they're expected to go edge rusher with that pick. If they do not, Nelson's stock will rise quite a bit higher, but if they do what is expected, he could be on the outside looking in during the 2026 season.

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