Training camp is upon us. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will soon be taking the field and beginning to prepare for the 2025 NFL season. Expectations are high and everyone should be paying close attention to this Super Bowl contender.
Today I turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball. This was a group that didn’t live up to expectations for various reasons last year. Now they are healthy and fresh off adding some new faces and we are expecting this group to round back into form.
With so many unproven guys or guys with question marks from off last year coming into camp there will be plenty to watch. Can all of these unknowns possibly turn into strengths? Here are my five biggest story lines for the Buccaneers defense going into training camp.
Chris Braswell Jump
It was an underwhelming year for the Bucs second round pick in 2024. With just 1.5 sacks and 1 tackle for loss in 17 games, Chris Braswell made very little impact on the defense. However, this was somewhat expected.
For pass rushers who base their game on power, such as Braswell, it can be a slow adjustment to the NFL. It’s a bigger, faster, stronger league and the things that worked in college won’t always work at this level. There is a learning curve for this type of player that usually results in slow starts in their career.
With that said, Braswell did show flashes last year. The front office is expecting him to take a jump this year and I tend to agree. The only question is how big of a jump.
Rookies Fighting For Important Jobs
The Buccaneers have a lot of rookies who could play important roles on the defensive side of the ball. Of their six draft picks four of them were on defense. Then the team also signed some interesting defensive rookie free agents.
Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish are both fighting for starting corner jobs. I expect Parrish to win the starting nickel job, but he will have to beat out Christian Izien to earn that spot. And while Morrison was the higher pick, it will be more difficult to unseat one of the returning starters on the outside.
David Walker and Elijah Roberts are both fighting for a spot in the pass rush rotation. The staff has spoken glowingly of Walker and what he can bring off the edge. However, I’m more interested in Roberts who has a more immediate path to playing time.
Depth In The Safety Room
Last year the safety position was a problem. With Antoine Winfield Jr. hurt and Jordan Whitehead not having a good year it left the back end of the defense vulnerable. This year they are hoping to bounce back.
Tykee Smith is moving from the nickel to full time safety. He’s someone the staff puts a lot of trust in and made this switch to get him on the field more. In terms of a running mate for Winfield, Smith projects to be at least pretty solid.
Beyond that Izien is a Swiss Army knife who plays both safety and nickel as the projected primary backup. He’s a super sub who provides high level depth at multiple positions.
Then it’s a bit of a free for all between veteran Kaevon Merryweather and undrafted rookies JJ Roberts and Shilo Sanders. Personally, I really like Roberts in this group and will be watching this competition closely.
How’s Haason?
One of the biggest moves of the Buccaneers offseason was signing Haason Reddick. After a turbulent year last season, the veteran pass rusher is looking to bounce back. Reddick had four straight seasons of double digit sacks before a contract dispute derailed his season in 2024.
Reddick is over 30 years old and coming off a bad year. And while we understand why he is coming off a down year, older players usually don’t recapture the success they found in their prime. If we see that burst and bend around the edge then it will be very encouraging.
If Reddick can be the pass rusher we saw in Philadelphia then that would go a long way to help this Bucs pass rush. This is the kind of risk vs reward move that could put the Bucs over the top in their Super Bowl chase if it pays off.
SirVocea Dennis A Rising Star
The defense looked very good until SirVocea Dennis went down last year. After his injury, the middle of the field was wide open in the passing game. No he is back, fully healthy from his shoulder injury, and looking to establish himself at this level.
Dennis has all the makings of a breakout player. He looked great in coverage last year and he’s always be very good at attacking what’s in front of him and making tackles. Now going into his third year, all of which learning from future Hall of Famer Lavonte David, he’s looking to put it all together.
I expect this to be a breakout year for Dennis. His play has been brilliant in limited action in his first two seasons. Don’t be surprised if he looks like a Pro Bowler in training camp and eventually becomes a Pro Bowler this season.
Five Biggest Training Camp Storylines For The Buccaneers Offense
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