The Buccaneers’ first unofficial depth chart of the year already gives a few hints about where things stand, even if plenty can still change once the pads come on in New York and the preseason games begin.
Tampa Bay is in New York for joint practice with the Jets, and that work will lead into a preseason game on Friday. Over the next three weeks, the Bucs will get a much clearer look at their roster against outside competition. For now, though, the depth chart offers an early snapshot.
One of the most notable items is at outside cornerback. Jacob Parrish is listed as the starter opposite Zyon McCollum, pushing Benjamin Morrison down the chart for the moment. Parrish made his mark in the nickel spot last season, finishing with two interceptions, but the Bucs moved him outside this offseason after drafting Miami standout Keionte Scott to handle nickel duties.
Morrison had been expected to compete for that outside corner role, but a hamstring injury after the first OTAs practice has kept him out of team drills since then. With no chance yet to show what he can do in live team work, his spot behind Parrish makes sense based on what’s happened in camp so far.
Linebacker brings another interesting wrinkle. SirVocea Dennis is still listed as the starter, even though many fans and draft observers have been eager to see second-round pick Josiah Trotter seize that job. Trotter has flashed in camp and made some big plays, but Dennis remains the incumbent and appears to be getting the benefit of his experience in the system.
That said, the depth chart is clearly not locked in stone. Rueben Bain Jr. is listed as the starter at edge rusher, which shows rookies can indeed land on top right away. Trotter’s splash plays have stood out, and it would not be a surprise if he keeps climbing as the preseason unfolds.
For now, the first unofficial depth chart gives Tampa Bay an early look at how the competition is shaping up. The real sorting-out will come once the Buccaneers get game action to match all the work they’ve done in camp.
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Bucs Depth Chart Just Sparked A Real Defensive Competition Debate
The Buccaneers first official depth chart ahead of their preseason opener against the Jets offered an early look at how the defense is being sorted out, and it came with a few eyebrow-raisers. First-round rookie Rueben Bain Jr. is the lone rookie listed with a starting spot, while Vita Vea remains penciled in as the starting nose tackle even after missing practices, a reminder that these early charts can say as much about expectations as they do about current availability.
SirVocea Dennis also shows up as the starting middle linebacker, a noteworthy call in a camp where Josiah Trotter has drawn attention with more splash plays. The secondary has its own intrigue, with Benjamin Morrison sitting as a second-string cornerback despite limited practice time because of injury, and J.J. Roberts listed behind the starters at safety even though he has not been on the field because of injury. The chart does not settle the competition, but it does make clear that several jobs remain very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]