Before the 2018 NFL Draft, Bucs fans were clamoring from the rooftops for the team’s general manager Jason Licht — who held the seventh overall pick — to draft local Florida State do-it-all safety prospect Derwin James.
Shortly after the start of the draft, Licht traded the seventh pick to Brandon Beane to the Buffalo Bills, in exchange for the 10th overall pick and two additional second round picks. Not bad to move back just five places.
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So with Derwin James still on the board when the Bucs clocked 10, Tampa fans got even wilder, hoping their GM had caught a glimpse of the big, athletic, hometown Seminole safety for they pleaded.
The Krewe didn’t get their wish, however, as the Bucs transferred Derwin James to draft a 350-pound University of Washington nose tackle named Tevita Tuli’aki’ono Tuipolutu Mosese Va’hae Fehoko Faletau Vea. More commonly called Vita Vea.
Despite their initial disappointment, it didn’t take long for Vita Vea to establish themselves as a fan favorite in Tampa. He’s proven to be a plug-and-play, gap-filling interior defensive lineman with exceptional athleticism for a guy his size.
The investment in Vea paid immediate dividends for the Bucs. He is a player who has helped the Buccaneers defense turn a corner as the team’s performance on that side of the ball has continued to improve along the same trajectory he has continued to develop as a player.
Due to his sheer strength and power, Vea commands an automatic double team every time he plays. Which naturally opens up a lot of doors for his teammates on the defensive line. His value to the team extends far beyond his boxscore contribution. And while his teammates, coaches and fans would certainly like to see him play more snaps and register more sacks, that’s not really what he does — nor is it the only way to measure his effectiveness.
Coming off a brand new 4-year, $71 million contract and his first Pro Bowl appearance, there’s no doubt that Vita Vea’s impact on the field has been recognized around the league.
The question is, how exactly does he stack up against the best of the best at his position?
ok Jeremy Fowler of ESPN just released their Top 10 defensive tackles for 2022 and you better believe Vita Vea made the list.
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Despite being ranked #3 on Fowler’s list before and #9 last year (despite playing in just five regular season games), Vea entered as the seventh best defenseman entering this season, according to Fowler. Here’s what he said:
“Some voters peg Vea as a two-down player, more of a traditional nose tackle. And yes, his 581 total snaps in 16 games last year are considered low among the top infielders, many of whom recorded at least 700. But Vea is still impactful when he takes the field.
“The way he can handle centers and can also play on third down and be effective when he’s fresh really impresses me,” said an NFC executive who selected him in the top three. “I wouldn’t want to go against him.”
“Veah recorded 33 tackles and 4.5 sacks with a 10.5 percent inside win percentage (16th among defensive tackles) last year. He has always been a solid, solid shortstop throughout his career. as of 2019 ranks him among the top 15 defenders.”
“He’s a top guy for me and it’s not that close,” said an NFL scouting coordinator. “He has a raw power that you can’t teach.”
I’m sure some Bucs fans are surprised to see that Vea isn’t even higher on this list. The fact is, most of the defensive tackles listed above offer a different approach to the position – one that includes the pass rush as a key aspect of their arsenal – unlike Vea, who operates as a more traditional nose tackle.
I wouldn’t be too salty, though, because as long as he’s able to stay healthy, I believe the contributions we’ve seen from Vea so far in his career represent the absolute foundation of his production. What he has accomplished so far is repeatable based on his size and strength alone. As he continues to refine his approach as a pass rusher — and hopefully improve his durability — he still has plenty of room to grow as an overall player.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Vita Vea recognized as a top 5 defensive tackle on this list around this time next year. I’m actually looking forward to it.
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