Vita Vea didn’t land in ESPN’s top 10 defensive tackles, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran still got his due in the network’s annual positional rankings.
Vea was listed as an honorable mention after voting from NFL executives, coaches and scouts in the poll compiled by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. One NFL defensive line coach made the case for why the Buccaneers’ interior force still commands attention across the league.
"He's still such a load to deal with, and he played a little lighter last year, which is good for him."
That kind of recognition fits with what Vea has continued to do on the field. Per PFF, he closed the 2025 season with a 72.8 overall defensive grade, along with 51 total pressures, four sacks, eight quarterback hits and 39 hurries over 764 defensive snaps. He also earned a 77.0 pass-rush grade and logged 21 defensive stops, all while regularly facing double teams.
For Tampa Bay, the bigger story is the steadiness Vea brings year after year. Since becoming a full-time starter, he has grown into one of the NFL’s most complete interior defensive linemen, pairing run defense with the kind of power that can wreck a pocket from the middle. His numbers have held up, too: at least 38 pressures in each of the last five seasons and PFF overall grades above 72.0 in six of the last seven years.
The Buccaneers are counting on that same presence again in 2026. With first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr., Calijah Kancey and Yaya Diaby expected to apply pressure off the edge, Vea’s job in the middle remains central to Tampa Bay’s hopes for a defense that can take a major step forward.
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