The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have three rookies on The Athletic’s midseason All-Rookie Team, and the names tell the story of a class that has already made a real impact in Tampa.
Jalon Daniels, Keionte Scott and Josiah Trotter all earned spots, with Daniels landing on the first-team offense at quarterback, Scott making the first-team defense at nickelback and Trotter checking in on the second-team linebacker group.
Daniels has been the biggest surprise of the bunch. The undrafted quarterback went from preseason rise to backup job, then into the lineup after Baker Mayfield was injured.
He became the first rookie quarterback to start a game in the NFL this season and ended up starting three games. The Bucs were 0-3 when he was thrust into action, and he helped steady things enough to lead Tampa Bay to its first win of the season in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys.
He won one of his three starts and, according to the evaluation, looked like a veteran for much of the stretch before showing rookie mistakes late against the Pittsburgh Steelers in his third and final start.
The assessment of Daniels also pointed to the same issue that helped push him out of the draft in the first place: turnovers. He has more interceptions than touchdowns in two of his three starts. Even so, his Week 5 outing stood out because he was turnover-free that Thursday night and used his mobility to avoid negative plays.
Scott’s rise has been more about fit than surprise. Tampa Bay viewed him as a draft bargain, and he has settled in quickly as a nickel defender.
The rookie has shown he can handle coverage, help against the run and contribute as a blitzer. The note on his game is simple: when used in the right role, he can make a real difference.
He has almost as many solo tackles as Styles and is tied with Caleb Downs for the most defensive stops (14) among rookie DBs.
Trotter has been the steadiest rookie of the three. The second-round linebacker has already become one of the defense’s best players and earned praise for the way he attacks the run.
The report also highlighted how much he has improved in coverage, which was considered his biggest question coming out of college. His second-team placement came in a loaded rookie linebacker group, but he was still viewed as a player who could have made the first team.
The Buccaneers’ rookie class was supposed to be headlined by Rueben Bain Jr., the first-round pick who came in with enormous expectations after a dominant offseason. But the source notes that Bain has largely disappointed so far, along with Hurst, while Trotter has stood out and Scott and Daniels have exceeded expectations. Daniels was Tampa Bay’s first-team quarterback, Scott the starting nickelback, and Trotter the best rookie on the team’s defense.
That leaves the Bucs with three rookies already earning leaguewide recognition, a strong sign for a class that could become even more important if Bain and Hurst begin to reach the level many expected when Tampa Bay brought them in.
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