Bucs Coach Compares Rookie DeMonte Capehart To Will Gholston
May 1st, 2026
Former Bucs defensive tackle Will Gholston’s name is invoked.
What exactly did the Bucs get in Round 5 of last week’s NFL Draft when they selected defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart out of Clemson?
Todd Bowles himself weighed in on this subject during a visit to SiriusXM NFL Radio this week.
Capehart is an athletic freak. At 6-5, 313 pounds, he ran a 40-yard dash in 4.85 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, with a 33 1/2-inch vertical leap. That’s almost Tristan Wirfs territory. (Wirfs was only 320 pounds at his 2020 Combine.)
Bowles compared Capehart to former Bucs defensive lineman Will Gholston (2013 – 2024). Like Gholston, Capehart has a big wingspan but is more athletic.
“Well, [Capehart] actually can run,” Bowles said. “So he is a big body but he really can move. He’s more in the type of a Will Gholston right now. He is a very physical guy. It’s just a matter of how he fits into the scheme and whether he plays the four-technique, the five or the three, you know, he can move all across the line. So he has versatility that way and there’s gonna be a lot of competition down there. So we’ll see whether he is a backup or a starter.”
There sure is a lot of competition in the Bucs defensive trenches. The Bucs still have second-year man Elijah Roberts, last year’s fifth-round pick who flashed pass rush ability, in addition to new veterans A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches. Also, rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain can play inside (more on that later) and Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey are returning starters.
It’s going to be a lot of fun if Capehart is legit and Roberts takes a big step in his game like good second-year players do.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:35 pm
I use to poke fun at Will Gholston on this site, when he was a rookie
I use to call him Will (2 sack) Gholston
But he turned out to be a pretty good player
I think Demonte Capeheart will be a good player also
May 1st, 2026 at 6:35 pm
Dude was a 12 year pro ?
Can he make the team first?
May 1st, 2026 at 6:43 pm
Space Eater that needs to get stronger. If he could provide any kind of an inside Pass Rush eventually-he could prove to be a great pick. No complaints on this draft overall and filling needs this offseason. Todd is still here but…. Let’s get ‘Born Again Baker’ signed before the Season starts and we are ready for 2026 and beyond IMO.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:44 pm
Gholston was misused by the Toddster. Shocker.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:45 pm
I’ll take that. Will Gholston was a mainsray for around a decade and helped be come great at run stopping.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:46 pm
Doesn’t need to start, just come in and hold the line while our starters take a breather. Another bully.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:46 pm
“There sure is a lot of competition in the Bucs defensive trenches.” – Joe
Feels so good to know that is the case…at last.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:48 pm
3.28.Evans Says:
“Gholston was misused by the Toddster.”
Actually, no he wasn’t. The Bucs were near the top at stopping the run, and that was Gholston’s jam.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:49 pm
Wait – 3.28 and HC Grover don’t like Bowles or our drafts picks, or anything? Wow – I didn’t know that. 🤦♂️
May 1st, 2026 at 6:52 pm
“The Bucs still have second-year man Elijah Roberts, last year’s fifth-round pick who flashed pass rush ability, in addition to new veterans A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches. Also, rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain can play inside (more on that later) and Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey are returning starters.”
AQM can play inside as well, in fact he had a sack against us rushing from the 3-tech last year
May 1st, 2026 at 6:53 pm
Line changes, send them in waves. No drop-off. Iron sharpens iron. You never have too many studs up front.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:55 pm
That’s not good why do Jason Licht love meadicory so much and Joe and the rest of the meadi celebrate Jason Licht for drafting guys like this.
May 1st, 2026 at 6:55 pm
Will Gholston was one of the best run stuffing DE
He wasn’t getting many sacks, but he was great against the run
May 1st, 2026 at 7:08 pm
Plus Bain can move inside, no! Let him lock down the edge. Sometimes less, is more.
May 1st, 2026 at 7:10 pm
Point – he could have been a better pass rusher. The Genius wanted him to do other things, hence no coaching up on the pass rushing skills.
May 1st, 2026 at 7:17 pm
“Oneilbuc Says:
May 1st, 2026 at 6:55 pm
That’s not good why do Jason Licht love meadicory so much and Joe and the rest of the meadi celebrate Jason Licht for drafting guys like this” (sic)
If you could manage to correctly write a sentence it might help you with your argument, but when you write like a truant middle-schooler, it lets us know that you are not to be taken seriously. Your love of Jaboo is also a good indicator that your takes are as fresh as the pond that’s likely in your backyard.
May 1st, 2026 at 7:19 pm
We have greatly improved the talent and toughness on our defense this off season. Totally different team on D. Would like to see some FA CBs brought in to challenge and hopefully continue to toughness push. Would also like a thumper RB added for short yardage smash mouth.
May 1st, 2026 at 8:15 pm
Big 3-4 end who can play inside. He will be stopping that run and hopefully getting some pressure while the others rush
May 1st, 2026 at 8:26 pm
“It’s just a matter of how he fits into the scheme…
There it is.. the Bowles kids of death. FML.
May 1st, 2026 at 9:14 pm
Bowles wants to see how he fits into the scheme.
Gee Todd, do you mean the 32nd ranked red zone scheme?
Or the wide open Swiss cheese pass defense that made Cousins and Ewers look like Marino in his prime?
He actually brought up his scheme in a positive light!!!!’
That is why Mike left. Todd Bowles is completely clueless.
May 1st, 2026 at 9:24 pm
Right on, Lynch.
May 1st, 2026 at 9:39 pm
There is certainly a lot of meat up front. It’s as deep as it’s been for awhile.
I need to see the clip package on Roberts from last year. McCoy is saying he was out of his depth? Is that right? I thought he flashed and looked pretty solid for a 5th round rookie. If Capeheart can have a Roberts like season… can’t be anything but thrilled with a couple 5th rounders.
Jayson Jones and that Simmons are big bodies as well. No reason not to have a lot of these guys active on game days and rolling waves at opposing offenses.
May 1st, 2026 at 11:08 pm
Gholston was 6′-6″ 281 lbs coming out – and ran a 4.96 – 40
Capehart is 6′-5″ 313 lbs – and ran 4.85
Not sure I get the comparison……
Other than both were mainly known for stopping the run…..
The intriguing thing about Capehart with that size and athleticism is the potential for him to play anywhere on the line – NT, 3-Tech, DE
May 2nd, 2026 at 12:25 am
Not a bad comp.
I’d say what makes the two different, is Will had to change to playing in the interior and changed his body to be able to 2-gap. Gholston had to change his game while the way the game was played, changed. Gholston was one of my favorite players, not because he had some insane production,
Capehart on the other hand, is coming in well versed as an interior defender. One reporter during his video conference with Bucs media asked him how does he cope with taking on double teams and the young man started eloborating on his base and hips to split/absorb the contact and maintain leverage and it left me impressed.
If Capehart can get the playbook down and soak up whatever he can observing and learning with the vets ahead of him, he’ll be on his way. Even wondered if Vita is still working with Suh, bring that young man along with you, and make him buy lunch lol
May 2nd, 2026 at 6:53 am
Joe … ‘Bowles compared Capehart to former Bucs defensive lineman Will Gholston (2013 – 2024). Like Gholston, Capehart has a big wingspan but is more athletic.’
Will Gholston had the heart of a lion IMO, and kept rising to the occasion (like in 2020 when Vea went down early in the season, but Will & the rest of the DLine ‘rose to the occasion’ & got us a Super Bowl). BTW, Will is recognized as the longest-tenured DLineman in Bucs’ 50-year history, giving us 12 years as a DT/DE from 2013-2024. I’d love to see Capehart give us that same ‘heart of a lion’.
I admit that I hadn’t even heard of DeMonte Capehart prior to the Bucs selecting him in the 5th Rnd. But after watching some of his film, I think he’s gonna surprise some folks, and not just in run defense. Gholston was much better as a run defender in his early years, but improved in pass rushing under Suh’s tutelage in 2019-2021. I’m hoping that’s the same impact that Robinson & RNR will have on both Capehart & Roberts this season.
May 2nd, 2026 at 7:15 am
Big time starters Vea, Kancey, with Roberts, Robinson, Simmons (Flashed last year), Nacho (Back home), Gotsis, now Capehart I’m thinking it could be an improvement with Hall and Gaines gone. Think they may add another FA before camp? Not counting the UDFs here but who knows? Jason has a great bunch of scouts.
Go Bucs
May 2nd, 2026 at 7:54 am
I rewatched his combine performance and it is impressive. Wondering how Clemson coaches got so little production from him. Then again it’s Clemson.
Hope he can develop more here being surrounded by some very good d line players
May 2nd, 2026 at 8:58 am
Gholston was a big reason why this teams Run defense was so outstanding. But since he didn’t get the flashy sack numbers most outside if Tampa didn’t know him. I hope this kid is that good foe us for that long also. It would truly be one of the steals of the draft.
May 2nd, 2026 at 9:30 am
I really like this pick.
May 2nd, 2026 at 9:44 am
Ereaction. Again Will Gholston ain’t a good comparison because if he is another Gholston means he will not add anything to the pass rush rather you like or not. This will be a bad pick if he’s another Gholston. Stop celebrating meadicory bucs fans that’s why the Glazers will resign Baker Mayfield because they know you don’t have to win in Tampa just make it fun while you are losing games and a lot y’all will be happy and say it was a fun season.
May 2nd, 2026 at 11:57 am
He could barely stay on the field at Clemson. Now Bowles is wondering if he will be starting for the Bucs? Another JTS style draft pick based on athleticism instead of production. It’s OK to take a shot like this in round 5, just don’t put him in the pro-bowl before he takes a snap….if he ever does.