AJ Epenesa fits into this story: Despite not making the playoffs in 2019, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still had one of the best defensive lines in the league last season.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Buccaneers won their individual pass rush battles 51 percent of the time, which is a mark that's good enough for third in the league. That high win rate is largely due to Shaq Barrett and Vita Vea, who ended the year in the top 10 in pass rush win rate at their respective positions.
Barrett, who led the league with 19.5 sacks last season, has said publicly that he wants to stay in Tampa Bay, but with his upside as a pass rusher, the Buccaneers may not be able to match offers by opposing teams for the unrestricted free agent.
Whether the Buccaneers retain Barrett or not, Football Outsiders advises that the team has room to grow when it comes to pressuring the quarterback. Even though they were the third-best team at stopping the run, they only ranked 20th when rushing against pass protection.
Iowa product A.J. Epenesa could help improve the Buccaneers' pass rush, as he accumulated 101 total tackles, 26.5 sacks and nine forced fumbles in 37 games as a Hawkeye.
He earned a bevvy of awards for his efforts, getting named second-team All-Big Ten honors after leading the Big Ten with 10.5 sacks and topping Iowa's defense with 16.5 tackles for loss (among 37 total) and four forced fumbles.
As a junior, Epenesa fulfilled his potential as an elite pass rusher, receiving second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team all-conference accolades with 49 tackles, 14.5 for loss, and 11.5 sacks to go along with four forced fumbles in 13 starts. This is what the Buccaneers can make use of.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com loves the fit of Epenesa in Tampa Bay, as his size could work well in defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' defensive scheme for the Buccaneers.
Even if Shaq Barrett returns, as is expected, the Bucs could use another big body like Epenesa on the defensive line.
Drawing comparisons to Carlos Dunlap, Espenesa can use his massive 6'6″, 280-pound frame to make offensive linemen look like rag dolls.
He has the tools to set the edge well for the Buccaneers. He manages the B-gap extremely well and has a pupu platter of moves, including a vicious power chop and a quick two-hand swipe to get past blockers.
AJ Epenesa has all the tools to start in the NFL from Day 1 and can take a very good Buccaneers defensive line and give them a chance to be the most dominant front four in the league.
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