​Vita Vea got the new contract he wanted; his agent and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made sure he remained one of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive tackles.The Bucs agreed with Vea on a fully guaranteed, one-year, $30 million extension, keeping the two-time Pro Bowler under contract through the 2027 season. The agreement also adds $6 million to what Vea was scheduled to make in 2026, bringing his compensation this season from $18 million to $24 million. In total, Vea is now set to receive $48 million guaranteed over the next two seasons.So where does the new deal put him compared to other players at his position in the NFL?According to the contract numbers from Over the Cap, Vea’s $30 million in new-money average per year would rank fifth among NFL defensive tackles, trailing only Jalen Carter, Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons and Chris Jones.Highest-paid NFL defensive tackles by average annual valueRankPlayerTeamAverage per year1Jalen CarterEagles$38 million2Quinnen WilliamsCowboys$35.3 million3Jeffery SimmonsTitans$35.276 million4Chris JonesChiefs$31.75 million5Vita VeaBuccaneers$30 million6Milton WilliamsPatriots$26 million6Jordan DavisEagles$26 million8Nnamdi MadubuikeRavens$24.5 million9Alim McNeillLions$24.25 million10Derrick BrownPanthers$24 millionThe $30 million figure represents the “new money” in his one-year extension, rather than his average compensation across the two seasons he is now under contract for. Counting the $18 million he was already scheduled to earn in 2026 plus the $6 million added to this season and $30 million for 2027, Vea will receive $54 million over the two years, with $48 million guaranteed based on the reported contract information.Tampa Bay paid a premium to resolve what had become one of its biggest offseason storylines. Vea had requested a trade a few weeks back during the two sides’ contract dispute, but the Buccaneers consistently stated that they wanted to keep him, and lo and behold, they did. Instead of moving the centerpiece of Todd Bowles’ defense, Tampa Bay found enough common ground to keep Vea in place through 2027.This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Where Does Vita Vea Rank Among the NFL’s Highest-Paid DT’s?