TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has all the physical tools to be a top-tier NFL pass rusher.
The criticism of his game is that he has been close to making impact plays but hasn't been able to finish tackles and put up big numbers. By Tryon-Shoyinka's own admission, he hasn't been able to put all of the pieces together—yet.
"It’s just mental at that point. You’ve got to have that willpower to finish, and being in position isn’t enough," Tryon-Shoyinka said after practice. "You want to make those plays – you’re going to rewind those plays that you missed every time and be sick, thinking about what could have been. At the end of the day, you’ve got to move on and try to improve and that’s all I’m going to do."
Tryon-Shoyinka, the Bucs' first-round pick in 2021, has four sacks in each of his first two NFL seasons. Head coach Todd Bowles admits that number could be, and probably should be, at least double.
"It’s not leaving your feet so early and it’s going through – pushing through – with your shoulder and understanding when you can go for the ball and when you can’t go for the ball," Bowles said as he described Tryon-Shoyinka's play. "If he can wrap up and tackle those, he’ll be right where we want him to be."
Tryon-Shoyinka showed up on the first day of voluntary workouts, and he says the key to having a breakout season is learning as much as he can from his teammates and coaches.
"Me and [Anthony] Nelson have been doing a really good job this offseason, just talking and picking each other’s brain," he added. "Different players have different perspectives and you can learn from a lot of different people. It’s been a good mental [exercise] for me this year.”
Tryon-Shoyinka, 24, joked that he went from a young player to an "old guy" really quickly. Now, he wants to be the one to lead by example.
"Just a different mindset going in. You have more expectations for yourself. You want to be that crutch a younger guy could lean on that you would’ve needed when you were younger."
Cornerback Carlton Davis III is entering his sixth NFL season. He agrees with Tryon-Shoyinka and wants to be a veteran resource for all the young players on defense.
"It’s a blessing to be an old guy in this league," Davis said. "So, I just want to do my part teaching the young guys and catching them up to speed."
Mandatory minicamp runs next Tuesday through Thursday. Despite linebacker Devin White's trade request, Bowles said he expects everyone to be in attendance.
