Josiah Trotter hasn’t even settled into his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he’s already drawing the kind of praise that turns heads in camp.
The second-round pick from the 2026 NFL Draft arrived with real expectations. Tampa Bay grabbed the SEC standout from Missouri knowing it needed help in the linebacker group after Lavonte David retired, and early signs suggest the Bucs may have found a quick-impact defender.
Todd Bowles said Trotter’s comfort level has been obvious once the pads came on. “Yeah, he’s been coming along great.
We knew his impact would be felt once we got in pads," Bowles said about the early comfort Trotter has been showing. "That’s kind of what we saw in college.
He makes his presence felt. He’s really picking up the scheme really well and understanding what he can do to cheat to make plays within it.”
That kind of early processing matters in Bowles’ defense, and Trotter appears to be handling the mental side as well as the physical one. Through training camp, he’s been popping up all over the field, flashing the burst to attack the backfield as a blitzer while bringing plenty of energy and physicality.
His teammates are noticing too.
"He’s different. I think he’s going to have an amazing year," Bucs outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad said about what Trotter brings to the defense.
"Those are the types of guys you want on your team, to be able to play with that mentality that he plays with. He’s going to be a good one.”
The biggest question left is whether Trotter can overtake SirVocea Dennis for the starting spot next to Alex Anzalone. That battle isn’t settled yet, but if Trotter keeps stacking strong days and proves he can hold up in coverage as well, the decision may start making itself.
Tampa Bay spent the offseason trying to reshape its defense, and Trotter looks like a major piece of that plan. If the unit comes together the way the Buccaneers want, a return to the playoffs starts looking a lot more realistic.
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