Bucs Projected Depth Chart After 2024 NFL Draft

White remains the starter after nearing the 1,000-yard rushing mark last year. He is one of the best receiving backs in the league and proved he could carry a workload as a three-down back in 2023. Edmonds is back on a one-year deal. The team likes the burst he provides as a capable change-of-pace back.

Irving was a bit of a surprise pick as he is undersized and provides a redundant skillset to White (receiving). But the Bucs aren’t a team that has typically carved out a “third-down back” role, eschewing the roster spot for more of a full-series sub. To that direction, Irving makes more sense. Irving also provides an option for the team as a returner, with 14 kick returns for 336 yards in his college career.

Tucker was an exciting undrafted free agent that the Bucs picked up last year. He made the active roster out of training camp and even began the year as the RB2. But he quickly lost that position and barely saw the field after the first quarter of the season. Bucs general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles have both said he will need to step up considerably this year in order to make the team.

Wide Receiver

Starters – Mike Evans, Chris Godwin
Backups – Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillan
Bubble – Deven Thompkins, Rakim Jarrett, Ryan Miller, Cephus Johnson III, Raleigh Webb

The starters are entrenched with both Evans and Godwin working on $20+ million contracts. Palmer had a good rookie season considering his draft status but has far from secured the WR3 spot in an offensive system that is sure to be 11-personnel heavy. He should be a lock for the active roster though. As should rook McMillan, who the Bucs just spend a day-two draft pick on in a deep class. Those two should lead the battle for the WR3 spot.

There is a chance the team only rosters five receivers. If so, either Thompkins or Jarrett will be the odd man out. Jarrett has a higher ceiling as a receiver, but Thompkins offers more special teams value as a returner. There is also a world where both players make the active roster as the Bucs decide to keep all six receivers.

Tight End

Starter – Cade Otton
Backups – Payne Durham
Bubble – Ko Kieft, Devin Culp, David Wells, Tanner Taula

Otton looks to continue his role as the starting tight end in 2024. Otton isn’t a world-beater, but he is a solid receiver. Behind him Payne Durham is likely to have a roster spot secured. After those two it is anyone’s guess. Seventh-round pick Devin Culp has 4.47 speed, which can be fun to scheme up a package for. But the track record for seventh-round picks making the Bucs active roster is…not good.

David Wells and Ko Kieft are veteran options with very limited ceilings. Neither is guaranteed a roster spot, but both have a path to securing one. Practice squader Tanner Taula is back for another year and is in the mix.

Offensive Line

LT – Tristan Wirfs
LG – OPEN
C – Graham Barton
RG – Cody Mauch
RT – Luke Goedeke
Backups – Robert Hainsey, Ben Bredeson, Sua Opeta, Justin Skule, Brandon Walton
Bubble – Elijah Klein, Silas Dzansi Logan Stenberg, Luke Haggard, Lorenz Metz

This group is by far the most difficult to project at this juncture. Barton, the team’s first-round pick was introduced as a center, suggesting that last year’s starter, Robert Hainsey is being pushed into either a backup role once more or going to be given a chance to win the left guard spot from a plethora of players vying for it. I framed the roster with that thought in mind.

Opeta and Bredeson both have starting experience at the NFL level and would be the most likely candidates to win the starting left guard spot. But the way assistant general manager John Spytek spoke about the interior offensive line over the weekend it should really be said that all three spots are in flux with two of the three starting jobs likely reserved for Barton and Mauch.

There is some buzz about Klein, a sixth-round pick out of the University of Texas El Paso, but I would caution against unreasonable expectations for the young sixth-round pick. Offensive line guru Brandon Thorn has a great writeup on him and said (emphasis mine), “…he’ll have starting potential down the road if he can clean up his pass protection technique while adjusting to NFL rushers.” If he is to secure an initial roster spot it likely means one of Opeta/Bredeson/Walton gets cut. The Bucs will likely keep Justin Skule as a swing tackle.

Interior Defensive Line

Starters – Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey
Backups – Greg Gaines, Logan Hall, Will Gholston
Bubble – Mike Greene, CJ Brewer, Eric Banks, Lwal Uguak

This group remains almost entirely unchanged from 2023. Kancey looks to take a big step forward after a promising rookie season as a pass rusher. Vea remains one of the most well-rounded nose tackles in the league. Gaines and Gholston are veteran run-stuffers who can provide high-quality snaps on early downs.

Hall remains the enigma that could transform this group from “solid overall, but top heavy” to a “Top 10 unit.” He made strides last year from borderline unplayable his rookie season to solid backup in year two. If he can take another step and become anything close to a consistently solid pass rusher then things look a lot different for this group. Greene’s spot on the roster will be dependent not on him beating out someone at his position group, but rather how the team wants to portion out the roster positionally.

Outside Linebacker

Starters – Yaya Diaby, Chris Braswell
Backups – Randy Gregory
Bubble – Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, Markees Watts, Jose Ramirez

Let’s start with the elephant in the room. I have JTS as a roster bubble player. Here’s the reasoning. He lost his starting job last year. He is entering the final year of his rookie deal. There is almost no chance the team is going to pick up his fifth-year option for 2025 at a price-tag of $13.251 million.

If they choose to cut him, they will eat some salary cap (just over $3 million) but that can easily be afforded if they come to an agreement with either Tristan Wirfs or Antoine Winfield Jr. on long term deals before the beginning of the season. If another team loses one of their top pass rushers during training camp or the preseason, I think the Bucs could trade him for a late-round pick.

Nelson is a player the team likes and comes with a high floor as a run stopper. But his contract can be easily shed as well. If the Bucs decide to go younger with more upside, he could also be a player on the outside looking in.

Diaby had a promising rookie season and looks to build on it as the team’s top pass rusher to begin the year.  The team just invested significant draft capital in Braswell, a second-rounder, and this year there is no Jason-Pierre Paul or Shaq Barrett standing in the way of a young, highly drafted pass rusher cutting into his snaps. Gregory is the most accomplished pass rusher of the group and will be a rotational player. Watts and Ramirez have lots of potential but also a wide range of potential outcomes.

Inside Linebacker

Starters – Lavonte David, K.J. Britt
Backups – SirVocea Dennis
Bubble – J.J. Russell, Kalen DeLoach, Vi Jones

The team has operated on a three-linebacker roster before (see last year) and that may be the case this year. David is a future Bucs Ring of Honor inductee who should be given a significant look for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Britt earned starts over Devin White last year and looks to be the leader in the clubhouse for the Mike linebacker role this year.

Dennis profiles more as a “Mo” ‘backer like David rather than a thumping “Mike” like Britt. But there is a world where he balls out with more athleticism than Britt and wins the starting job alongside the veteran. Russell has lived the life of a bubble player for two seasons now, alternating between the active roster and the practice squad. DeLoach was a productive member of the Florida State ACC-championship defense last year.

Secondary

CB1 – Jamel Dean
CB2 – Zyon McCollum
NB – Christian Izien
FS – Antoine Winfield Jr.
SS – Jordan Whitehead
Backups – Tykee Smith (NCB/S), Josh Hayes (CB), Bryce Hall (CB), Kaevon Merriweather (S)
Bubble – Tavierre Thomas (NCB), Keenan Isaac (CB) Quandre Mosely (CB)

Like the offensive line, this is a group that will flux with several players vying for multiple spots. Dean and Winfield Jr. are holdover starters entrenched in their starting spots. Whitehead returns to the Bucs after a two-year hiatus as the starting strong safety.

The team is high on Zyon McCollum after he logged the most snaps on the team at outside corner last year. His athleticism is the stuff defensive coordinators drool over and he took a big step forward last year on the mental and technique sides of the game. After those four it gets a bit tricky.

Three players have a shot to be the starting nickel this year. I would say at this juncture the spot is Christian Izien’s to lose. He was the starter last year and displayed solid play. The Bucs just took Tykee Smith in the third round of the draft and that is the position he profiles best to. I could see him winning the job outright. Both players are listed as safeties and could also factor into the roster battles for the backup roles behind Winfield and Whitehead.

Bryce Hall brings a veteran presence the team brought in to provide some stability in case Dean’s injury history continues. The Bucs also liked what they saw out of Hayes last year in limited defensive snaps as well as solid special teams play. After spending training camp vying for the nickel cornerback job, Hayes has moved to outside cornerback which is where he’ll compete for a roster spot in 2024.

Tavierre Thomas has had a solid career as a nickelback himself, but he is really boxed in to that position alone. He’s not built to play outside corner and has no experience as a safety. As such I would think if he doesn’t win the starting nickel role it is likely he doesn’t make the team due to limited positional versatility unless he shines on special teams.

Kaevon Merriweather logged a decent number of snaps down the stretch last year as an undrafted rookie free agent and will be vying to take one of the backup safety jobs himself. Isaac will be in the mix with Thomas and Merriweather for the final spot among the defensive backs.

Special Teams

K – Chase McLaughlin
P – Jake Camarda
LS – Zach Triner
Bubble – Evan Deckers (LS)

This group seems pretty set. The Bucs gave kicker Chase McLaughlin a new three-year deal after he had a historic season in 2023. Punter Jake Camarda is entering year three of his rookie deal after the team invested a fourth-round pick on him in 2022. Pro Football Focus had McLaughlin as its top-graded kicker last year and Camarda was ranked 21st overall. Both provide stability to the position.

The team also re-signed longtime long snapper Zach Triner for another year. It’s his job to lose, but at age 33, the Bucs may want to go with a younger, cheaper option in 25-year old Evan Deckers