A general view of Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmets against the Kansas City Chiefs. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Buccaneers rookie earns praise from analyst after preseason debut

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Nick Jackson is fighting to make the 53-man roster out of training camp.

The odds are stacked against him as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa, but his performance in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans could help his chances in carving out a role with the Bucs.

"Jackson went undrafted because of his lack of size and average speed, but he showed out in the second half against Tennessee, ultimately leading Tampa Bay with six tackles," NFL.com contributor Chad Reuter wrote.

"Jackson recognized plays in a hurry, coming downhill or scraping down the line versus the run, bringing down a receiver screen for a loss and beating a running back's block for a sack. He chased down a screen pass after pushing aside veteran guard Andrew Rupcich and stuck with running backs and tight ends in coverage, making stops immediately. Jackson stayed blocked at times, but he kept his head in the game, intercepting a tipped pass with one hand while being challenged on a blitz."

Jackson making impact with Buccaneers

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is happy with the progress Jackson has made so far during training camp.

“[He was] a football player from the time he came in here,” Bowles said postgame. “He was somebody we wanted to see, we wanted to watch, and we were paying close attention to him. He knows how to play the game, he’s very instinctive, he can read things, he’s physical when he needs to be physical, and he knows how to cover. He did a very good job tonight.”

Jackson has an uphill battle ahead of him to make the team with Lavonte David, SirVocea Dennis, Anthony Walker and Deion Jones ahead of him on the depth chart, but he is auditioning for every team in the league looking for a linebacker.

If Jackson continues to perform at a high level, he'll have a job either with the Bucs or another team in the league.

The Bucs are back in action on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7 p.m. ET inside Acrisure Stadium.