Bucs GM wants Yaya Diaby to be around well beyond 2026

The Bucs have not been able to find that game-changing pass rusher or linebacker in the NFL Draft or free agency in recent years, despite their best efforts. However, general manager Jason Licht has found some gems in the draft for the defense, like linebacker Yaya Diaby. The former Louisville pass rusher was selected by the Bucs in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

In three seasons, he has become a disruptor for the Bucs defense as he is able to average a combined 19 sacks and tackles for a loss. While the sack numbers aren't as great as perhaps some folks had hoped for, they have at least gotten incredible value out of Diaby. That leads us to the news from the comments Licht gave to the media during the NFL's Annual League Meetings.

Rod Maaddi shared Licht's comments on social media, saying, "I'd love to have YaYa here long term. He's a very good, young player that's probably a little bit underappreciated, I think, overall for what he's done. He's a good, young player.

We like him a lot. " Diaby showed some more promise as a pass rusher in 2025 with the arrival of Haason Reddick. However, once Reddick went down, so did the pressure generated by Diaby.