 David struggled in his first year under defensive coordinator Mike Smith's new scheme and received an overall grade of 77.6 from Pro Football Focus in 2016.Head coach Dirk Koetter officially named David and Kendell Beckwith the starting outside linebackers, along with middle linebacker Kwon Alexander.In Week 2, David made nine combined tackles and recovered a fumble by quarterback Mike Glennon, which set up the Buccaneers on an eventual touchdown scoring drive in their 29–7 victory against the Chicago Bears.