Slivon’s Slant: Bucs 2026 Training Camp Preview

There are not a ton of question marks about who will start and make an impact, especially with the entire offensive line at full health. With plenty of continuity, there are not a ton of position battles. If one question was to be raised about potential competitions, it is which wide receiver becomes the biggest difference-maker? The room remains one of the team’s biggest positional strengths, which says a lot about the wave of young talent Tampa Bay has drafted in recent years.

Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson, and Ted Hurst were all drafted in the past three seasons and will compete with veteran Chris Godwin Jr. for targets. That creates a problem many offensive coordinators would like to have in having plenty of mouths to feed. Still, a pecking order will be established one way or another.

The question is — how?

The likeliest name to emerge is Egbuka, as he enters 2026 with sky-high expectations. The second half of his rookie year was a struggle, but there were several variables that played a part in his declining performance. After having plenty of big moments early on, it will be critical for him to be a precise route-runner capable of creating separation, making big-time catches, and displaying improved chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Egbuka has the potential to take off in his sophomore campaign and follow the trajectory of former college teammate and Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but that hinges on him kicking off the summer with a bang.

McMillan was on his way toward breaking out in 2025 before his neck injury, but an encouraging end to last season provides optimism that his most productive days are ahead. Godwin might be the elder statesman of the group, but he has a chance to thrive in the slot role of Zac Robinson’s offense. Add in Hurst as a tantalizing X and Johnson as a gadget weapon, there are a variety of outcomes in how things could shake out.

The names are all but established in who will be making the team at wide receiver, but how the football is distributed and who separates themselves in training camp will be telling for who Mayfield trusts the most entering the season.

Biggest Bucs Defensive Position Battle: Determining The Second Cornerback

Plenty has been said about the state of the Bucs cornerback room in 2026. It is a position group that has struggled in recent years and just saw its most productive player (Jamel Dean) leave in free agency. The long-term outlook is unclear, with it expected to be Tampa Bay’s biggest need next offseason. While the team can survive uncertainty elsewhere, cornerback is different.

In today’s NFL, a weakness on the outside can dictate how a defense is attacked.

Heading into training camp, there will be an intriguing battle between two players for one starting outside cornerback spot.

The extent of the position’s success largely hinges on Zyon McCollum’s level of play, but the team’s second cornerback remains unsettled. As of now, it is an open competition between 2025 draft picks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. Morrison entered the offseason as the natural candidate to replace Dean after Tampa Bay invested a second-round pick in him last year, but the team drafting Keionte Scott has opened the door for Parrish to move over from being the full-time nickel.

If this battle was based only off last season’s production, Parrish would get the nod as he had a solid rookie year and offers competitiveness and versatility. What makes it a battle is that Morrison has better size, more pedigree, and undeniable talent with a higher ceiling. If both remain healthy, this is the position to watch the closest.

Not only will both be given extended action in the dog days of summer, but each will also have to face the talented wide receiver room mentioned above. Whoever makes their name known will earn every bit of it, and the winner of this battle will have a more secure future in red and pewter.

Bucs Rookie To Watch: Rueben Bain Jr.

This one is obvious, right?

Rueben Bain Jr. will be an absolute must-watch during training camp.

Tampa Bay’s first-round pick became the centerpiece of an offseason that emphasized defensive improvement, as he was the crown jewel of a 2026 draft class that received widespread praise across the league. The fanfare should not be dismissed, but none of it matters when the pads come on and football is played.

Given his business-minded attitude, Bain will embrace demonstrating his worth, even if that means competing against offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke off the edge. Bain is expected to rejuvenate the team’s pass rush, one that mustered just 37 sacks last season. Should he prove to be a gamechanger, it will do wonders for a four-man pass rush that has failed to generate consistent pressure.

His initial tests will be proving grounds and answer questions some have of his unconventional frame given his short arm length. The biggest thing to watch will be whether Bain can consistently win with his first-step quickness and power or if his shorter frame forces him to rely on counters early.

Even though he is only 21 years old, all eyes are on how polished of a player he is from the start. That means taking on Wirfs and Goedeke in stride, winning repetitions against them, and being a force multiplier that creates opportunities for himself and others upfront.

If one player models the organization’s thought process over the offseason, it is the addition of Bain.

He brings much-needed production, intensity, and a level of nastiness that has been missing.

Bucs Player Under The Most Pressure: Tykee Smith

Tykee Smith is not under the most pressure because his job is in jeopardy.

Far from it.

He is under pressure because expectations have changed.

Entering his third season, it is Smith’s time to take the next step not only in terms of production, but in being a defensive leader. He was mentioned by former inside linebacker Lavonte David as being someone ready to spread his wings after learning under him. A no-nonsense kind of person, Smith has worked hard behind the scenes to develop into one of the unit’s best players and someone head coach Todd Bowles can trust. He took a major step in his second season and first as a strong safety after playing the nickel. His tackle total jumped from 54 to 100, his pass break ups nearly doubled from seven to 13, and his nose for the football was evident.

The Bucs no longer need Smith to be a promising young player. They need him to become one of the players who sets the standard.

Winfield and Vita Vea remain the veteran leaders on defense, but with David no longer in the middle of the defense, Tampa Bay needs someone younger to become the voice of the next era. I want to see a motivated Smith who wants to showcase that there is another level to his game and he is ready for the challenge of being more vocal.

There are other players under more pressure to make the team, carve out a role, or bounce back after a tough season. For Smith, the pressure is on to prove he is a long-term building block and someone other players start gravitating toward as training camp gets underway.

Closing Slant

To me, training camp is one of the most enjoyable parts of the football calendar.

Not only was it my first experience as a Pewter Report intern back in 2022, but it is an exciting period that begins to ramp up the season. After months of waiting, it symbolizes a fresh start and the most extended look at how the team is coming together. Even though it means fighting through 90-plus degree practice sessions in the Tampa Bay heat, it is well worth it. Having 90 players out there competing for a spot on the 53-man roster or the practice squad adds another level to the competition.

For the Bucs, many positional battles are brewing across the roster.

Even though the offense is set in place for the most part, it is a different story on defense.

Jason Licht and Todd Bowles have been hard at work revamping each level of the unit, with plenty of new faces along the defensive line, at inside linebacker, and in the secondary. The most impactful competition will be at cornerback, but there are plenty of defensive tackles vying for playing time and a starting inside linebacker position will not just be given to second-round pick Josiah Trotter. Beyond Bain, Trotter and Ted Hurst will compete for immediate roles, while Keionte Scott could see significant snaps despite being a Day 3 selection.

The biggest question entering training camp is not whether the team has talent. It does. The question is whether the young players expected to carry this next era of Bucs football are ready to take that next step. The answers Tampa Bay finds over the next month will determine whether this roster is ready to compete in the NFC in 2026.