What Type of Impact Will Vita Vea Have in 2018?
Washington defensive lineman Vita Vea projects to make a huge impact in the NFL for 2018
Washington Football defensive lineman Vita Vea was one of the biggest stories on draft day, and the Buccaneers ended up taking him with the 12thoverall pick. Vea joins a revamped defensive line in Tampa Bay that acquired Jason Pierre Paul and Vinny Curry in the offseason. Some NFL draft experts project Vea to be a pure nose tackle and run stuffer, but Tampa gives him an opportunity to be so much more. Playing next to Gerald McCoy, one of the best defensive tackles in the league, Vea is going to get his opportunities.
He has shown the ability to take on double and even triple teams in college, but he won’t have to do that with McCoy by his side. With veterans everywhere else on the line, some teams might challenge the rookie to beat them. They might try leaving him one on one or running right at him. Both of those sound like bad ideas after watching his film, but some people seem to gloss over the fact that Vea finished third in the country with 41 total pressures in 2017. His pass rush arsenal isn’t totally defined yet, but he still had the pure talent to rush at the college level. I can’t stress enough that Vea is NOT a two down player.
Veteran Presence
Vea is also going to have his backup, so he won’t have to take every snap. The Bucs also signed Beau Allen in the offseason, who is a very similar player to Vea. Allen will be able to take some of Vea’s snaps, which will keep both of them fresh down the stretch. This will also give Vea more of a chance to watch and learn two veterans in Allen and McCoy. All the experience he can gather from them will only help him in the long run.
Talking about a veteran presence, there are two excellent pass rushers on the outside to assist as well. The Bucs learned a lot from the Philadelphia Eagles, who showed the league that a dominant defensive line can win a Super Bowl. Vita has the potential to be a key cog in that type of defensive line. Having Allen is a great rotational piece, and adding a high upside pass rusher in Noah Spence adds to the lethal combo of JPP and Curry.
Perfect Fit
This is more than just a good fit for Vita Vea, this is the perfect fit. Now, I’m going to do something crazy, I’m going to call out Warren Sapp. Warren Sapp is “skeptical” of the Vea pick, and believes that “football players at 350 pounds can’t exist in Florida, especially west coast guys.” He clearly doesn’t know a lot about Vea’s upbringing, past, or even watched his game film.
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Vea is a freak, who has the ability to dominate anywhere he goes. Vea is the son of Tongan immigrants, and the island has a very similar environment to that in Florida. The stigma against west coast football players is one of the dumbest things around. Vea has proven that he can compete against schools like Alabama and Penn State. He has proven that he is as strong as an ox and still incredibly athletic. Playing on the west coast is NOT a disadvantage. People on the west coast have to deal with same heat and humidity that people on the east coast do. Vea is from California where it’s not exactly 75 and perfect all year long. He has a tremendous opportunity to succeed in Tampa Bay, and he’s going to take full advantage of that opportunity.