The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rough 0-4 start has plenty of explanations, but Josiah Trotter isn’t one of them.
The rookie linebacker has been one of the few constant bright spots on Todd Bowles’ defense, piling up 34 tackles and taking over the middle of the field with the kind of urgency Tampa hoped to get from its second-round pick. Even with a missed game, Trotter still leads the team in tackles and has stayed in the mix for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
He picked up right where he left off on Sunday, returning from the injury that cost him Week 3 and finishing with nine tackles and 1.5 stuffs at the line of scrimmage. That performance added to a start that has already pushed him into the franchise record book. Through three games, his 34 takedowns are the most by any Buccaneers player, passing Antoine Winfield Jr.’s 23 from 2020.
This has been a weekly routine for Trotter. In his NFL debut, he delivered 11 total tackles, a sack, and a pick-six. The next week, he was even busier, leading all players with 13 tackles against the Cleveland Browns and standing as Tampa Bay’s only defender with double-digit takedowns in that game.
The injury against Cleveland kept him out of the Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but the Bucs clearly need him back in the lineup. With Rueben Bain Jr. still needing to show improvement when healthy, Trotter has been the most dependable presence on Bowles’ defense.
His game shows up in a few different ways. As a pass rusher, he uses a mix of power and finesse, along with quick hands, to work into the backfield.
But the trait that really jumps off the tape is his pursuit. Trotter has shown he can run ball carriers down from all over the field, and he did that again on Sunday.
Trotter’s rise didn’t happen overnight. He started his college career at West Virginia, where a season-ending leg injury forced him to redshirt his freshman year.
The next season, he broke through for the Mountaineers and earned Freshman All-American honors. He also won Big 12 Conference Defensive Newcomer of the Year and was named an Honorable Mention All-Big 12.
For a player with only two full seasons of college football behind him, Trotter has looked remarkably polished. He’s been the most impressive defender in Bowles’ front seven, and part of that poise may come from his background - his father, Jeremiah, was a four-time Pro Bowler who played 11 seasons in the NFL.
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