Throughout the Buccaneers' offseason workout program, third-year linebacker SirVocea Dennis has turned heads, garnering the attention of the coaching staff with plays on the football. Following practice on Tuesday, Head Coach Todd Bowles named Dennis as the OTA standout thus far.
"He gets his hands on a lot of balls and I want to say [he has had] a very good four days and that does not mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but I like where he is at right now," noted Bowles. "Right now, he is in the best shape he has been in since he's been here."
Dennis is coming off shoulder surgery last season, correcting a long-standing injury that eventually halted his 2024 campaign. The Pittsburgh product played in four contests before being placed on injured reserve in October. Prior to the injury, he split time with K.J. Britt opposite Lavonte David, mostly coming onto the field in third-down passing situations to solidify the team's pass coverage. Now in 2025 at full health, Dennis has taken reps as the MIKE linebacker. In the role, Dennis has been responsible for relaying the defensive play calls from the sideline, communicating with the defense, as well as covering the middle of the field, blitzing, spying the quarterback and aiding in stopping the run. The MIKE linebacker is the player identified by opposing offenses as the priority to block in pass protection. Dennis has taken ownership of his revitalized role and has showcased his versatility on the grass.
"Everything has slowed down for me," said Dennis. "It is fun just being out there and telling guys where to be, line up and things like that; just being around the other guys. I am just excited to be where I am…Growing up, I played a lot of different positions, so I think that definitely helped. Really, it is just the feel of the game. You have to understand certain coverages but also certain times and plays that the offense likes to attack you. I think once you understand that pretty well, you know where they want the ball to go. You need to know how to manipulate the quarterback in front of you and then it is that much better."
While at Pittsburgh, Dennis played the MIKE linebacker role in Pat Narduzzi's 4-3 scheme. He only had four missed tackles registered in 2022 and Dennis notched 36.0 tackles for loss over his last 35 games at the collegiate level. Dennis possesses outstanding range to make plays up-and-down the line of scrimmage and pairs elite play recognition with quick reaction skills dropping into space. He plays with superb discipline in zone, a byproduct of his experience playing as a defensive back in high school, and he is adept at disguising blitzes. He has taken strides in Year Three and is another chess piece for Bowles to weaponize.
