Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Could the Bucs reinforce their defensive line in Round 1?
The defensive line could be considered the
Buccaneers’ strength on defense from 2024, relatively speaking.
Despite missing time with injuries, Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea both played at high levels to be among the team’s individual sack leaders, with Kancey leading everyone (7.5) and Vea not far behind (7). Logan Hall, while still leaving something to be desired, did improve and aims to make a leap in the final year of his rookie deal.
The positives are encouraging, but the Bucs do not shy away from stacking strengths and reportedly were going to draft another juiced-up defensive tackle in Round 1 last year in Jer’Zhan Newton if eventual pick Graham Barton wasn’t there.
In a stacked defensive tackle class, Tampa should again have its eyes peeled for quality talents like Oregon’s Derrick Harmon. Let’s take a closer look.
DERRICK HARMON’S COLLEGIATE CAREER
Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The first three years of Harmon’s collegiate career came and went with very little buzz.
A 3-star prospect from Detroit, Harmon had his pick of Power 5 programs but chose to remain in-state with the
Michigan State Spartans. He redshirted as a freshman, then gradually worked his way into a mainstay role over the next two years with modest production (15 starts with 70 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 passes defensed, and 1 forced fumble).
He chose to transfer to Oregon and then flourished when surrounded with superior talent and empowered by a creative defensive coordinator in Tosh Lupoi who consistently moved Harmon around the line and took advantage of his unique skillset.
The result manifested in a second-team All-American nod, as Harmon tallied 45 tackles (10.5 for loss), 5 sacks, 4 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles and led the FBS in pressures among defensive tackles (55).
PRO DAY AND SCOUTING COMBINE
Derrick Harmon attended the NFL Scouting Combine but only had measurements taken and ran the 40. He checked in with great overall size, measuring 6-foot-4, 313 pounds with 34 ⅜” arms and 10 ⅜” hands (all well above average). He ran a very good 4.95 in the 40 with a 1.74 10-yard split.
He definitely hits the landmarks the Bucs would look for at 5-technique size-wise, which is where Hall plays the majority of his snaps, but Harmon’s got the chops to move around the line and afford Todd Bowles the freedom to employ his creativity.
While the Bucs typically aim for elite athletes with their early picks, Harmon did not participate in explosiveness or agility drills so it’s hard to have an easily quantifiable picture of his true athleticism. He did not qualify for Relative Athletic Score (RAS).
WHAT HARMON CAN DO FOR THE BUCS IN 2025
Harmon is built to garner significant snaps right from the jump for the Bucs.
His NFL-ready size, length, and strength will play up in a rotation with Hall as he refines the finer points of his game. As aforementioned, Harmon got to move around the Ducks defensive line from 3- and 5-technique to 4i and nose, so that familiarity should help him get up to speed in Bowles’s exotic packages (get ready to also learn dropping into coverage, buddy).
The Bucs value gap-shooters who can make plays in the backfield, and Harmon showcases the quickness and surge to do that routinely. Paired with that massive length and strength to stack and shed, Harmon should be able to generate significantly more push than Hall as a rookie, where strength has been a consistent issue since he was drafted 2022.
Derrick Harmon moves incredibly well for someone at 6’5/310lbs…
*Among NCAA DTs in 2024*
55 Pressures (#1)
17.6% Pass-Rush Win (#4) *snap min
Twitchy, active, athletic.
pic.twitter.com/rAKEeZupFa
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl)
February 17, 2025
Harmon’s got a nice toolbox to win 1-on-1, as well as some ready counters to keep blockers guessing. He also understands how to play stunts, which is another staple of the defense. Harmon is much less project and more ready with production to boot, which should appeal to a Tampa team that really needs more oomph anywhere they can find it on defense.
THREE-YEAR OUTLOOK
The expectation will be that Harmon starts in a timeshare role with Hall in 2025, and how he does from there will largely determine how 2026 and beyond goes.
Ideally, you’d like to see Harmon use his pro-ready skill set to make a notable impact from the jump and seize near total control of the snap share by end of the season, which sets up him to be the team’s stalwart 5-technique moving forward.
It’s fair to call him a high-floor prospect with a questionable ceiling, so here’s the catch. Harmon is not overwhelmingly agile with a high center of gravity, so lateral movement and easy body control don’t really come natural to him. He excels in other areas enough to stymie this issue, but the primary side effect is that it can create problems with finishing plays.
Loved watching
#Oregon iDL Derrick Harmon on tape. Led the FBS in interior pressures among DTs and finished second in pressure rate last season. Still needs to do a better job of playing under control and finishing plays.
pic.twitter.com/E6Xrb3dYFL
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid)
February 21, 2025
Improved discipline in both his leverage and aggressiveness will be paramount for him taking the step from active disruptor to genuine menace for offenses. That can be a slow process, so Harmon could be a plus starter as soon as next year or closer to the end of his rookie deal.
STOCK REPORT
Harmon is universally heralded as a first-round pick who will likely go within the top 25.
Funnily enough, several draft evaluators all land on the same comparison for Harmon:
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.
This is a flattering comparison, as Jones has built a steady 11-year career as an established starter. Jones has never been a prolific sack man, but he’s always been reliable and a complementary pocket pusher in a variety of roles for several teams.
You could do a lot worse!
ON THE CLOCK...
What say you, Bucs Nation? Would you be pleased to see Harmon join the Bucs’ defensive line room as a complement to Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. Discuss in the comments and vote in the poll below.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25942696/2191508028.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 01 CFP Quarterfinal Rose Bowl Game - Ohio State vs Oregon")
