{"id":702466,"date":"2026-04-03T17:41:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:41:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/702466\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T17:41:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:41:24","slug":"akheem-mesidor-the-relentless-edge-rusher-the-bucs-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/702466\/","title":{"rendered":"Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gamedaymenshealth.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1528809 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GAMEDAYMENSHEALTH-benefits-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Gameday Men'S Health\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 2\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>SR\u2019s FAB 5 column on the Bucs is presented by Gameday Men\u2019s Health<\/p>\n<p>Men \u2013 do you feel tired? 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Feel better and get back in the game with <strong>Gameday Men\u2019s Health!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>INTRO:<\/strong> I did a deep dive into Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor, who could be the Bucs\u2019 first-round pick this year. Pewter Report has Mesidor going to Tampa Bay in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewterreport.com\/bucs-mock-draft-pewter-report-2026-4\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>our latest 2026 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft,<\/strong><\/a> which debuted on Thursday on PewterReport.com. Also have some insight on new Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to share. Enjoy!<\/p>\n<p>FAB 1. Akheem Mesidor Is The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need<\/p>\n<p>Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor was asked at the NFL Scouting Combine what he\u2019ll bring to the team that selects him in the 2025 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I\u2019m a relentless football player and I\u2019m very intelligent, so I think that\u2019s my biggest edge,\u201d Mesidor said.<\/p>\n<p>Mesidor is an absolutely relentless edge rusher, who understands the pass rush chess match perhaps better than any edge rusher in this draft class. His 35.5 career sacks, which are the most of any defensive player in the 2026 draft, are proof if that.<\/p>\n<p>For a Bucs team that has struggled to draft edge rushers in general manager Jason Licht\u2019s tenure, Mesidor is as proven a pass rusher as Tampa Bay may have the chance to select this year. Pewter Report has the team taking Mesidor with the 15th overall pick in our latest 2026 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1529109\" class=\"wp-image-1529109 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Miami Edge Rushers Akheem Mesidor And Rueben Bain Jr. Bucs\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 3\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mesidor-Akheem-Rueben-Bain-Miami-Ohio-State-sack-1024x684.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1529109\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miami edge rushers Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. \u2013 Photo courtesy of Miami Athletics<\/p>\n<p>Mesidor\u2019s teammate, Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., is likely to be a top 10 pick on April 23. Yet it was Mesidor who actually led Miami in sacks with 12.5 compared to Bain\u2019s 9.5 sacks in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>When the Hurricanes needed Mesidor the most, he delivered, recording 5.5 sacks in four playoff games, including 1.5 versus Texas A&amp;M, two sacks against Ohio State, and two more in the national championship game on Fernando Mendoza versus Indiana.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThroughout the season I think I\u2019ve been pretty consistent winning pass rushes and all that different stuff,\u201d Mesidor said. \u201cIt\u2019s just once these last couple of games came around the corner, the same preparation, the same mentality \u2013 things started falling into my favor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yes, Mesidor will be one of the older prospects in this year\u2019s draft class. He turns 25 on Easter Sunday, April 5. I\u2019ll address that next in FAB 2, but let\u2019s continue to discuss what makes Mesidor such a great fit in Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n<p>For a Bucs team that has drafted too many one-year wonder edge rushers in recent years, including whiffs like 2021 first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and 2024 second-round pick Chris Braswell, the chance to draft such a polished and accomplished pass rusher like Mesidor shouldn\u2019t be taken lightly. Mesidor, a native of Ottawa, Ontario, began his career at West Virginia, where he arrived on campus as a 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive lineman and played defensive tackle for two seasons, where he recorded 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1529113\" class=\"wp-image-1529113 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Miami Edge Rusher Akheem Mesidor Bucs\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 4\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mesidor-Akheem-West-Virginia-TCU-sack-1024x689.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1529113\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor \u2013 Photo by: IMAGN Images \u2013 Sam Navarro<\/p>\n<p>He transferred to Miami in 2022, where he had 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a forced fumble before suffering ligament damage in his feet the next year that required season-ending surgery after three games in what became a redshirt season. Mesidor returned for his final two years at Miami fully healthy from his foot surgeries, missing just one game out of the next 29. He received a clean bill of health from the medical exams at the NFL Scouting Combine.<\/p>\n<p>After playing defensive tackle at 280 pounds, Hurricanes pass rush coach Jason Taylor, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and legendary Dolphins edge rusher, wanted Mesidor to play on the edge opposite Bain in 2025. So Mesidor dropped 20 pounds and became more of a chiseled 6-foot-3, 259-pound edge rusher with speed, power, a plethora of pass rush moves, and of course, relentlessness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the field, [NFL teams] are going to get a relentless player, somebody who has a deep bag in rushing the passer,\u201d Mesidor said. \u201cAlso, first and second down, I can set the edge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOff the field, I\u2019m a happy guy \u2013 always happy. I\u2019m positive. I\u2019m a people person. I like to think I have great character. Anybody you ask about me, I feel like I\u2019m 100% sure that it will be all positive things. I love helping people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bucs would love to have Mesidor, whom they formally interviewed at the NFL Scouting Combine, help them with their pass rush opposite Yaya Diaby. In addition to being a bigger, more physical presence than 6-foot-2, 240-pound Haason Reddick, who was a free agent bust last year, Mesidor is also incredibly mature and has the potential to be a future leader in Tampa Bay due to his professional approach to football.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1525890\" class=\"wp-image-1525890 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Miami Edge Rusher Akheem Mesidor Bucs\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 5\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mesidor-Akheem-Miami-Ohio-State-sack-1024x683.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1525890\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor \u2013 Photo by IMAGN Images \u2013 Jerome Miron<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI took a leadership role at the beginning of the year \u2013 in January,\u201d Mesidor said about his final year at Miami. \u201cI started meeting with a bunch of different people and I started organizing player-led walk-throughs. I started grabbing players I thought would be leaders on defense and we had like three dinners where we talked about what we wanted the defense to look like and what it took for us to get there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt didn\u2019t just stop there. It didn\u2019t just end with one or two conversations. Throughout the year there were some hiccups, but I would address the team and Rueben would address the team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is a lot to like about Mesidor \u2013 the player and the person. He\u2019s mature and he\u2019s professional. And he\u2019s also relentless with a full arsenal of pass rush moves.<\/p>\n<p>This year\u2019s draft class has a lot of pass rushers who I believe could help the Buccaneers, including Texas A&amp;M\u2019s Cashius Howell, Oklahoma\u2019s R Mason Thomas, UCF\u2019s Malachi Lawrence, Illinois\u2019 Gabe Jacas, Michigan\u2019s Derrick Moore and Western Michigan\u2019s Nadame Tucker. But I like Mesidor better than all of them.<\/p>\n<p>If you have followed my draft coverage this offseason, you know that I have a huge draft crush on Texas Tech middle linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The draft crush I\u2019ve had on Mesidor since last football season when he started racking up sacks and pressures and forcing four fumbles rivals that.<\/p>\n<p>Now, if there\u2019s a way Tampa Bay could trade down a few spots and grab Mesidor while picking up an extra Day 3 pick, that could be used with the team\u2019s second-round pick to trade back up into the latter part of the first round to draft Rodriguez, well I would probably campaign for the Bucs to build a statue of Jason Licht outside of Raymond James Stadium.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>FAB 2. The Age-Old Question About Akheem Mesidor<\/p>\n<p>Akheem Mesidor turns 25 on Sunday, April 5, and you might be thinking that Tampa Bay shouldn\u2019t draft a player that old \u2013 especially in the first round.<\/p>\n<p>And after interviewing both head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht at the NFL Annual Meeting this week, I don\u2019t think the Bucs care.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes you are happy to take a player who is maybe entering his early prime years,\u201d Licht said. \u201cWe take everything into account. We think about everything. In the NFL you\u2019re not necessarily on a 10-year plan. You do want to win \u2013 you want to win early, but you also want to sustain it as long as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mesidor\u2019s Miami teammate, cornerback Keionte Scott, turns 25 in August.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1529110\" class=\"wp-image-1529110 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Miami Edge Rusher Akheem Mesidor And Indiana Qb Fernando Mendoza\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 6\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mesidor-Akheem-Fernando-Mendoza-Miami-Indiana-sack-1024x684.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1529110\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor and Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza \u2013 Photo by: IMAGN Images \u2013 Sam Navarro<\/p>\n<p>Texas Tech edge rusher Romello Height turns 25 on April 13, while Red Raiders defensive tackle Lee Hunter turns 24 in July. Another Texas Tech teammate, middle linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, turns 24 in September.<\/p>\n<p>Western Michigan edge rusher Nadame Tucker, whom the Bucs interviewed formally at the NFL Scouting Combine, turns 26 in June. Yet Tucker only really played one season in college, which was his senior year, recording 14.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss as the MAC Defensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt kind of depends \u2013 it\u2019s a case-by-case basis,\u201d Licht said. \u201cWe took Vita [Vea] and he was a little older [at age 23]. The bottom line, we want good football players and it\u2019s hard to predict what\u2019s going to happen in three, four or five years. Of course everybody wants to win now, but you have to ingest everything and take everything into account. At the end of the day you want to take the best player.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Coming off a disappointing 8-9 season that began with a promising 6-2 start, there is no doubt that Licht and Bowles feel a sense of urgency to win now. If they don\u2019t, Bowles could be fired and Licht would move to the hot seat if there are back-to-back losing seasons in Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n<p>So drafting a more mature, more NFL-ready player like Mesidor could be the right move for the franchise at this place in time. The Bucs defense needs to improve in a hurry after two years of underwhelming play. Drafting older players could lead to more of an instant impact to help Bowles\u2019 unit in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1527512\" class=\"wp-image-1527512 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Miami Edge Rusher Akheem Mesidor Bucs\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 7\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mesidor-Akheem-Miami-TAMU-take-off-1024x683.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1527512\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor \u2013 Photo by: IMAGN Images \u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can call me a seasoned rookie,\u201d Mesidor said when asked about his age at the Combine. \u201cI\u2019m coming in more mature with a different approach, a different mentality than a lot of younger guys. I think my age could be a plus, depending on how you look at it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the NFL Annual Meeting, I asked Bowles about his feelings about potentially drafting an older player who might be 24 or 25 this year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me when 24 and 25 have become old,\u201d Bowles laughed. \u201cWhen I was 24 and 25, I didn\u2019t feel old at all. I was doing backflips over fences and jumping off buildings. I understand what you\u2019re saying in football terms, to me it\u2019s not old. It really isn\u2019t old. It\u2019s experience \u2013 it really is experience from that standpoint. So whether you are 20, 21, 22 or 25, if you are a good football player, you are a good football player.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of these guys \u2013 you saw Phillip Rivers come back. What was he \u2013 45? And a lot of these guys can play, if you take care of your body you can play for a long time. But we\u2019re so stuck on age \u2013 the 30-mark, the 31-mark, or the 25-mark, that we get stick saying, \u201831 \u2013 ehhh, he can\u2019t play no more, we have to get rid of him.\u2019 And the guy is at the top of his peak, and he becomes an exception. I think that\u2019s all falsehood and narrative. Football is football, and if you\u2019re good enough to play, you\u2019re going to play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So players like Mesidor, Hunter, Rodriguez, Height and Tucker \u2013 who all were formally interviewed in Indianapolis \u2013 are very much in play this year in Tampa Bay\u2019s draft plans.<\/p>\n<p>FAB 3. Akheem Mesidor Learned How To Be A Pro From Jason Taylor<\/p>\n<p>One last important note on Miami\u2019s Akheem Mesidor. One of the reasons I like Mesidor is his production. He lived in the backfield last year, recording 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, as part of his 52.5 career tackles for loss and 35.5 career sacks.<\/p>\n<p>Mesidor said that his position coach, Jason Taylor, is a big reason for his success. Taylor, who coaches the Hurricanes pass rushers, played 15 years in the NFL, mostly with the Dolphins, and recorded 139.5 career sacks, which made him a Pro Football Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust working with J.T. every single day, I think that was the biggest thing for me,\u201d Mesidor said at the NFC Scouting Combine. \u201cThe professional approach to the game. The way you prepare. The way you take care of your body \u2013 everything. Everything that helps you achieve your maximum potential on the field.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJT was just tremendous to me. I\u2019m always in his office, always in the facility. JT has a couch and I\u2019m always laying on it and we\u2019re always talking and watching the film. So he\u2019s been he\u2019s been a tremendous help throughout this whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1529111\" class=\"wp-image-1529111 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Miami Edge Rusher Akheem Mesidor And Pass Rush Coach Jason Taylor Bucs\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 8\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mesidor-Akheem-Jason-Taylor-Miami-sidelines-1024x686.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1529111\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor and pass rush coach Jason Taylor \u2013 Photo by: IMAGN Images \u2013 Sam Navarro<\/p>\n<p>Taylor groomed not just Mesidor for success at the next level, but also Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., who is expected to be a Top 10 pick in this year\u2019s draft. Bain recorded 20.5 sacks in three seasons in Miami, including 9.5 last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve got everything,\u201d Taylor said about Mesidor and Bain after Miami\u2019s pro day. \u201cNumber one, they have the mental makeup. They love football. Not to take anything away from anybody in the league, but there\u2019s a lot of guys that don\u2019t love ball or have different motivations. There\u2019s nothing wrong with that. Everybody has their different motivations, but those two guys love ball.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe way they work, their love for football, their love to be successful. They fell in love with the process of being great. You know everybody wants to be great. Everyone says they want to be great. Not everyone falls in love with that process. You know everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Everyone wants to be great, but not everyone\u2019s willing to do what it takes to be great. Those two guys love it. That\u2019s why they\u2019ll be really good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no such thing as a can\u2019t-miss draft prospect. But Mesidor\u2019s professional approach to the game, his maturity, his production, the athlete within his 6-foot-3, 259-pound frame and the coaching he received from Taylor have to make him an intriguing edge rusher target for Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1525889\" class=\"wp-image-1525889 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Miami Edge Rusher Akheem Mesidor Bucs\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 9\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mesidor-Akheem-Miami-Duke-flying-tackle-1024x683.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1525889\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor \u2013 Photo by IMAGN Images \u2013 Sam Navarro<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me personally, it\u2019s J.T.,\u201d Mesidor said again of Taylor at the Combine. \u201cYou know he\u2019s done it for so long, he was tremendous in the league \u2013 a legend. He taught me how to be a professional, how to approach the game, how to approach the way you eat, sleep, train \u2013 all these different things.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd he treats us like professionals. Obviously, the younger guys, because they\u2019re just getting into college football, they\u2019re still a little immature. But for a guy like me, he trusts me, and he treats me like I\u2019m a professional.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>FAB 4. Zac Robinson Could Be Liam Coen 2.0 For The Bucs<\/p>\n<p>Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told me that former offensive coordinator Liam Coen was the real deal prior to Tampa Bay\u2019s training camp in 2024. Coen was hired to replace Dave Canales, and with two years of play-calling experience at the University of Kentucky plus a few games at the end of the 2022 season with the Rams, Bowles knew that Coen would be a big upgrade.<\/p>\n<p>Canales was a rookie play-caller, never having done it at any level before. And Bowles and the Bucs found themselves in a similar situation last year with Josh Grizzard, who was promoted from pass game coordinator to offensive coordinator to replace Coen, who left to become the head coach in Jacksonville.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1502268\" class=\"wp-image-1502268 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Bucs Oc Liam Coen And Qb Baker Mayfield\" width=\"1024\" height=\"679\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 10\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Coen-Liam-Baker-Mayfield-Bucs-49ers-playsheet-1024x679.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1502268\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Bucs OC Liam Coen and QB Baker Mayfield \u2013 Photo by: Cliff Welch\/PR<\/p>\n<p>Grizzard had never called plays before, and it showed as the offense slipped in many categories from the heights it achieved under Coen in 2024 when it was a top 5 unit in points scored and rushing offense. To be fair, Grizzard dealt with way more injuries in 2025 than Coen dealt with the previous season. Not only was the offensive line and receiving corps ravaged with injuries, but quarterback Baker Mayfield was banged up for the second half the year and running back Bucky Irving missed most of the first half of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Enter Zac Robinson, who was the Rams quarterbacks coach under Sean McVay while Coen was the offensive coordinator out in Los Angeles. Robinson, who is best friends with Coen, took the job after being part of the firings that took place in Atlanta when Raheem Morris was dismissed after a pair of 8-9 seasons.<\/p>\n<p>The expectation with Robinson in Tampa Bay is that he can essentially be Coen version 2.0 this season. The two offensive minds share the same philosophy and brand of football that they learned from years of coaching under McVay in L.A.<\/p>\n<p>In my conversations with Bowles and Coen at the NFL Annual Meeting earlier this week, I was told that Robinson knows how to effectively marry the run game and the pass game, knows how to get receivers open, and ably deploy both 11 (three receiver sets) and 12 personnel (two tight end sets), as well as the Pony package (two-back sets in 21 personnel) that Coen incorporated in his lone season with the Bucs.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1525937\" class=\"wp-image-1525937 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Bucs Oc Zac Robinson\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 11\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Robinson-Zac-Bucs-opening-presser-opening-1024x681.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1525937\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bucs OC Zac Robinson \u2013 Photo by: Cliff Welch\/PR<\/p>\n<p>Bowles is feeling the same way about Robinson that he felt about Coen heading into offseason workouts. So much so, that he can solely focus on the defense and give Robinson complete autonomy on the offensive side of the ball.<\/p>\n<p>Robinson already knows offensive line coach and run game coordinator Kevin Carberry from their time together in Los Angeles, and he brought in his former college teammate, Andrew Mitchell, to assist Carberry. Robinson also brought in three former colleagues from the Falcons in senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese, pass game coordinator T.J. Yates and quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer, who coached Fernando Mendoza last year at Indiana.<\/p>\n<p>That level of familiarity plus Robinson\u2019s experience as a play-caller should allow him to hit the ground running. Plus, Robinson spent last weekend golfing with Coen in Jacksonville where the two undoubtedly compared notes about Tampa Bay\u2019s offensive personnel and the success that Coen had running that offense in 2024. That certainly helps as well.<\/p>\n<p>As Bowles told me in Phoenix, Robinson\u2019s offensive performance against Tampa Bay in the Falcons\u2019 three wins over the Bucs over the past two seasons were his real interviews. Atlanta scored 36, 31, 20 and 29 points versus Bowles\u2019 defense in those four games.<\/p>\n<p>FAB 5. SR\u2019s Buc Shots<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 While Akheem Mesidor seems like a mild-mannered individual in interviews and away from the gridiron, once he\u2019s in pads and on the football field it\u2019s a different story, according to Hurricanes teammate Anez Cooper, who played right tackle and often went head-to-head in practice at Miami.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAkheem Mesidor and I came in at the same time,\u201d Cooper said. \u201cHe came in from West Virginia and we were like rivals in practice. He would get me in the two-minute drill, and I would get him in one-on-ones. We always competed against each and tried to make each other better. His hands are probably the best hands of any defender I\u2019ve ever blocked in my college career. I\u2019m not going to block anybody better than Akheem.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe plays with an edge. You should see some of the one-on-ones we have in practice. I\u2019m a big trash talker and he\u2019s a big trash talker. So we\u2019ll be going back and forth and competing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 The Bucs are so high on David Walker, the team\u2019s fourth-round draft pick last year, that Tampa Bay will likely draft just one edge rusher this year so as not to take many reps away from him when he returns to action from the torn ACL that cost him his rookie season. The Bucs added veteran outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad this year on a one-year deal, so the depth chart at the position is expected to look like this after the draft:<\/p>\n<p><strong>OLB1 Yaya Diaby\u2028<\/strong><br \/><strong>OLB2 Al-Quadin Muhammad\u2028<\/strong><br \/><strong>OLB3 Rookie \u2013 premium draft pick<\/strong><br \/><strong>OLB4 David Walker\u2028<\/strong><br \/><strong>OLB5 Anthony Nelson\u2028<\/strong><br \/><strong>OLB6 Chris Braswell<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1515089\" class=\"wp-image-1515089 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Bucs Olb David Walker And Te Payne Durham\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 12\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Walker-David-Payne-Durham-Bucs-camp-rush-1024x683.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1515089\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bucs OLB David Walker and TE Payne Durham \u2013 Photo by: Cliff Welch\/PR<\/p>\n<p>Tampa Bay will likely keep just five outside linebackers and values Nelson\u2019s experience, length, edge-setting ability in the run game and special teams ability. Braswell will have a hard time making the 53-man roster this season.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 The biggest non-surprise among the coaches who were fired this offseason in Tampa Bay was quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis. One source told me that he had no idea how Lewis stayed on the staff as long as he did. Lewis was hired by Bruce Arians to be an intern in 2020 and was promoted to assistant receivers coach from 2021-22.<\/p>\n<p>Lewis, a former quarterback at Duke and in the NFL, was kept on the staff by Todd Bowles and moved to quarterbacks coach from 2023-25. That source told me that Lewis didn\u2019t actually coach Baker Mayfield \u2013 rather the offensive coordinators in Tampa Bay did. The source also raved about hew quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer, calling him a future NFL offensive coordinator.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1507088\" class=\"wp-image-1507088 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Bucs Hc Todd Bowles And Qbs Coach Thad Lewis\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" title=\"Sr'S Fab 5: Akheem Mesidor \u2013 The Relentless Edge Rusher The Bucs Need 13\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Lewis-Thad-Todd-Bowles-Bucs-camp-discuss-1024x683.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1507088\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bucs HC Todd Bowles and former QBs coach Thad Lewis \u2013 Photo by: Cliff Welch\/PR<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Saints Pro Bowl defensive end Cameron Jordan has been a thorn in the side of the Buccaneers for well over a decade. Jordan, who turns 37 in July, is a free agent and may not be back in New Orleans after 15 illustrious Hall of Fame-worthy seasons.<\/p>\n<p>While the 6-foot-4, 285-pound Jordan is a villain to Bucs fans, he is actually one of Akheem Mesidor\u2019s favorite players to study film on.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrowing up I watched a lot of Cam Jordan because he was a bigger end,\u201d Mesidor said. \u201cI do watch a lot of edge rushers, and not just edge rushers, but guys inside. Like I watch a ton of Aaron Donald on third down rushing tape. He\u2019s one of the best to ever do it. I like to take bits and pieces from everybody and shape it into my own.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00a0 SR\u2019s FAB 5 column on the Bucs is presented by Gameday Men\u2019s Health Men \u2013 do you&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":702467,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[1318,1317,1315,1316,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-702466","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-football","11":"tag-ncaafootball","12":"tag-sports","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116342009973961382","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=702466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/702467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=702466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=702466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=702466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}