The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2026 rookie class is already turning heads at training camp, and a few of these first-year players look ready to matter right away.
Some are being counted on immediately, with Rueben Bain and Josiah Trotter penciled in as starters. Others, including DeMonte Capehart and Billy Schrauth, are expected to begin their careers in backup or rotational roles. Either way, this group has the look of one that could shape Tampa Bay’s roster for a while.
Here’s one bold prediction for each rookie heading into the season.
Rueben Bain Jr. wins Defensive Rookie of the Year
Bain is coming off a monster college season that included 83 pressures, which tied for the most ever in the PFF College era. He has also been strong throughout the offseason and looks like someone who can make an immediate splash in Tampa Bay.
The setup around him should help, too. He’ll be working on a defensive front with Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and Yaya Diaby, assuming Vea is available, which should keep the pressure off while he adjusts to the NFL.
And history says he doesn’t need an outrageous sack total to get noticed. Jared Verse won the award with 4.5 sacks, Will Anderson with 7.0 and Chase Young with 7.5. If Bain keeps creating disruption the way he did in college, he’ll be in the mix.
Josiah Trotter finishes with a team-high 15 tackles for loss
Trotter brings a downhill, physical game that should translate quickly. He’s still working on his coverage, but as a blitzer and run defender, he fits the kind of role Todd Bowles can use right away.
He has already been spending a lot of time in the backfield during training camp, and that kind of activity should carry into the regular season. Tampa Bay’s leader in tackles for loss last year was Yaya Diaby with 13, followed by Sirvocea Dennis with 10 and Lavonte David with eight.
Trotter can top that number and finish with at least 15.
Ted Hurst catches double-digit touchdowns
The Buccaneers have had a few productive rookie receivers in the end zone, but nobody has ever reached 10 touchdown catches in a season. Mike Evans owns the franchise rookie record with 12, followed by the late Mike Williams with 11. Jalen McMillan is next with eight.
Hurst has the kind of size and ball skills that make him a natural red-zone target. He has flashed Evans-like contested-catch ability and a wide catch radius throughout camp, which should make him a trusted option for Baker Mayfield near the goal line.
That’s enough to project 10 touchdown catches in his rookie year, putting him in rare company.
Keionte Scott gets at least 3 sacks
Scott’s blitzing ability is one of the reasons he fits so well in Tampa Bay. Todd Bowles should have plenty of ways to deploy him.
Last season, Scott led all college defensive backs with five sacks and 17 pressures. The Buccaneers can lean into that same skill set, and in a scheme that likes to send heat, he should have a real chance to get after the quarterback.
Three sacks feels like a reasonable target for his first NFL season.
DeMonte Capehart logs at least 3 tackles for loss
Three tackles for loss may not sound like a huge number, but it would still be a solid rookie return for a Day 3 pick. Greg Gaines, Logan Hall and Elijah Roberts each finished last season with just two.
Capehart is expected to work as a rotational interior presence, and if he can create even a modest amount of disruption, that would be a strong early sign for his development.
A three-TFL rookie year would fit that bill.
Billy Schrauth earns the No. 2 left guard job
This one isn’t the flashiest prediction, but it’s a realistic one. Schrauth probably won’t see much action unless Tampa Bay runs into another serious injury situation, but he can still make his mark in camp.
He should compete with 2024 sixth-round pick Elijah Klein for the backup left guard role behind Ben Bredeson. If Schrauth has a strong preseason, he has a chance to claim the No. 2 spot on the depth chart and keep building toward a future starting opportunity.
Bauer Sharp catches two touchdown passes
Sharp was the final draft pick in the Buccaneers’ rookie class, but he has already made noise across OTAs, minicamp and training camp. He’s pushing veterans Ko Kieft, Payne Durham and Devin Culp for snaps, and there’s a path for him to finish the season as the No. 2 tight end behind Cade Otton.
That would fit with the way Tampa Bay’s tight ends produced last year. The group combined for just two touchdowns, with Otton and Culp each scoring once.
Sharp can match that total by himself, finishing his rookie year with two touchdown grabs.
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