Rookies Are Standing Out Early In Buccaneers Training Camp

All eyes this offseason have been on Rueben Bain after the Buccaneers used their 15th overall pick to select him in the NFL Draft. The Bucs have been dying for an impact edge rusher ever since Shaq Barrett got injured and was never the same. Yaya Diaby has shown flashes, Haason Reddick was a bust signing, so the fans – and the Bucs themselves – were over the moon when his name was called back in April. That doesn’t mean he’s the only rookie that’s stepping up and balling out. While Monday was the first training camp practice I personally attended, it was also the first one where the Bucs wore pads. The player that jumped out the most throughout the morning? Josiah Trotter, the Bucs’ second round pick out of Missouri. This guy is going to be a big reason the Bucs’ linebacking corps is a huge upgrade over what we’ve seen the last several seasons.

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Think about it – the last time the Bucs had two really impressive linebackers was back in 2020 on the run to Super Bowl LV. That’s when Devin White had an all-time postseason and helped send the Saints home and retire Drew Brees. He regressed in 2021, regressed more in 2022, lost his starting job in 2023, then came K.J. Britt in 2024 and SirVocea Dennis in 2025. None of these combinations alongside Lavonte David gave the Bucs two formidable linebackers to manage the middle of the field. Trotter brings that to this team. His ability to read, react, and put himself in position to make a play was beyond impressive. Alex Anzalone, who is the leader in the middle of that defense now following Lavonte’s retirement, spoke about Trotter’s ability to read these plays with the media Monday, saying; “Yeah, some good plays too, not just some typical zone plays. We [have] some gap scheme plays where you had to read the pulling guard and he’s a good, heady player, so that’s not super shocking.” This combination of linebackers is on track to be the best we’ve seen in Tampa since 2020 – and that’s not a knock against Lavonte. He just hasn’t had the kind of partner that he’s needed or that Bowles has needed to anchor the middle of that defense.

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That said, he’s not the only one that stood out. Keionte Scott is a dude. After a slow start on Monday, he made play after play throughout the rest of the morning – breaking up passes, crashing down on ball carriers. There is a very real scenario where we see the Bucs’ draft picks from the first, second, and fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft all starting for this defense week one in Cincinnati. Benjamin Morrison is a darn good corner and can be a huge asset to this team – but missing time with his second hamstring injury in as many years is not helping his case when you have someone like Scott making plays and, in turn, making a case for himself to be on the field. Rueben Bain was as advertised – fast, fierce, electric, powerful – so while he did everything you wanted to see from him, it was the other two defensive rookies that stood out. Maybe it was because they weren’t first round picks, maybe it was because the excitement and expectations for Bain are already so high – but there’s no question in my mind that Trotter and Scott are going to be two key figures for the Bucs defense if they’re going to right the ship and make some noise this season.

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There is a long way to go before that game in the Queen City. There’s lots of camp left, there’s preseason – a lot can change between now and then. However, if Trotter continues to grow and perform the way he did at that first padded practice when the season gets underway, you can bet your bottom dollar that he’s going to be a major contributor this season for Todd Bowles.