A third-round pass rusher out of Louisville who has become Tampa Bay's top edge threat.
Yaya Diaby has steadily developed into one of the most productive pass rushers on Tampa Bay's defense. After starting his college career at Georgia Military and transferring to Louisville, Diaby has racked up sacks in each of his first three NFL seasons and enters 2026 as the Buccaneers' top-producing edge rusher.
Path to the league
Diaby began his college career at Georgia Military College before transferring to Louisville, where his physical tools and pass-rush ability made him a coveted prospect. Tampa Bay selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Diaby exploded onto the scene as a rookie, recording a team-leading 7.5 sacks along with 38 tackles and 12 tackles for loss despite starting only seven games. His production dipped to 4.5 sacks in his second season even as his snap count rose, before he rebounded to post a team-best 7.0 sacks in 2025, giving him 19.0 sacks through his first three NFL seasons.
2025 season recap
Diaby was Tampa Bay's top-producing pass rusher in 2025, leading the team with 7.0 sacks. The performance re-established him as the centerpiece of the Buccaneers' pass rush heading into 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: YaYa Diaby
- Pro Football Reference: YaYa Diaby
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
17 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | buccaneers | 17 | 50 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | buccaneers | 17 | 54 | 39 | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | buccaneers | 17 | 38 | 25 | 7.5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Louisville
- Hometown
- Atlanta, GA, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
