The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are holding their first padded training camp practice on Monday, which means battles are now officially starting to ramp up. So without wasting any time, let’s go ahead and dive on in.

Before we get started, however, I want to preface this with the notion that some of these position battles are going to be multiple guys vying for one spot, and then there are going to be more clear battles between a couple of players, and we’ll obviously dissect those as needed. Let’s go ahead and get started.

1. Linebacker

Alex Anzalone is going to wear the green dot this year. He’s the guy who’s going to be on the field the most. He’s the veteran. Who plays next to him, though, is where it gets really interesting.

Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter probably has the head start right now in terms of who’s going to be playing next to Anzalone. However, it remains to be seen if he’ll be on the field a lot for coverage. A lot of people were saying coming out of the draft that coverage was not his strong suit. And while he’s not perfect by any means, those concerns are a bit overblown. He wasn’t asked to cover a lot at Missouri, but still, how will that translate to the NFL? Because as we all know, things completely change once you get to this level.

Behind him is Christian Rozeboom and SirVocea Dennis. Dennis probably sits third on this list of him, Rozeboom, and Trotter, just because we’ve seen what he can do in coverage and it’s not very good. He’s a smart player and he knows his defense inside and out, and that can give him an edge, but I wouldn’t hold my breath when it comes to Dennis.

Rozeboom is a different kind of wild card, however. He is a good coverage backer, and there’s definitely a world where Trotter plays early downs and Rozeboom comes in during obvious passing situations or even third and long.

Either way, all these guys are going to have to compete with each other for playing time, and now’s a chance where we get to really see them run, hit, and tackle in live action. 

2. Edge

Yaya Diaby is the starter, and Rueben Bain Jr. is the overwhelming favorite to start opposite him. However, that’s not guaranteed right now. Bain has had a very good offseason and his first few days of training camp practice have gone well. But now it’s really time to see just how quickly the first-round rookie can adapt his skills to the NFL. Will he be able to carry this momentum and keep it going, or will he take a couple steps back to where it opens the door for a guy like Anthony Nelson or even David Walker, who’s having a really good camp himself?

It remains to be seen who is starting next to Diaby. And while Bain does have a commanding lead, now’s the time where he’s got to solidify it.

3. Outside cornerback

Benjamin Morrison was able to practice finally on Sunday, albeit in a limited capacity. That’s big news for both him and the Buccaneers because there is a plan for Morrison to be a big part of this defense in 2026. But he’s got to stay healthy, and if he can’t, guys like Keionte Scott, Damarion Williams, and Josh Hayes are hungry and want to prove they belong on an NFL field as a starter. Until Morrison can prove that he can stay healthy for a long stretch, this is going to be a spot that should be open for business.

4. Wide receiver 4-6

I am going to go ahead and put the fourth wide receiver position on here. I know a lot of people think Ted Hurst is going to lock that up, but again, like Bain, while he’s the overwhelming favorite, it’s currently no guarantee. So it’s at least still worth discussing some viable candidates for these last three positions if the Buccaneers do decide to carry six receivers on the roster.

Hurst should fill in as wide receiver 4. But Tez Johnson is having a sensational camp so far. Pads come on today, so we’ll see how it carries over, but he’s been stacking some really impressive practices, per reports. He could find himself in an increased role despite the fact that Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Chris Godwin Jr. are on this roster.

Kam Johnson is the next guy, and then David Sills V has been having a pretty good training camp himself. Sills knows this offense after playing under offensive coordinator Zach Robinson in 2025.

Don’t rule out Garrett Greene or Eric Rivers Jr., however. Green is the converted former quarterback out of West Virginia. The Buccaneers really like his progress, and he’s a viable candidate to win one of the kick return jobs, which would obviously help him win one of these wide receiver spots. Then there’s Rivers, the undrafted free agent. He can really play. He’s shifty, fast, and great with the ball in his hands. There’s a lot of traits that stand out. Past the wide receiver 4 position, special teams are what’s really going to determine who wins these jobs, and that’s where he’ll have to shine.

5. Swing tackle

As I’ve said in the past, I still think the Buccaneers are going to bring two swing tackles onto the roster this year. However, who’s going to be swing tackle 1, for lack of better words? Right now Ben Chukwuma has been getting a lot of the reps with Tristan Wirfs out, so he’s getting valuable experience, and he’s going to get a lot more of it today. Once the pads come on, he’s got to go up against Bain, Diaby, Al-Quadin Muhammad, David Walker, and all of them.

Justin Skule is obviously the veteran. Chukwuma is the ascending, promising youngster. This will be a really intriguing battle to watch because swing tackle is one of the most underrated yet most important positions on an NFL roster.

6. Backup quarterback

Jake Browning literally has a Week 1 bonus in his contract of $187,500. That tells you all you need to know about his stability when it comes to the backup quarterback job. It’s wide open.

The staff really wants to see what Jalon Daniels can do with pads on, and it’s going to be hard for him to get reps as QB4 coming into training camp. Preseason games are where he’s going to have his chance to shine. Then there’s Connor Bazelak. The team loves his progress, they really like what he can do, and he’s got to show that he’s taking that step forward as well.

Nothing’s guaranteed for Browning in this backup quarterback job. That doesn’t mean whoever wins quarterback 2 results in the other guys being castoffs. Tampa Bay could easily carry three quarterbacks, but we’ll just have to see on that one.