The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wrapped up training camp and the preseason with a 23-19 loss to the Buffalo Bills, and now it’s on to Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.

However, the Bucs still have to go through final roster cuts and shape the initial 53-man roster before preparations begin for the Atlanta Falcons. Injuries have already taken their toll on the Buccaneers, and they will play a sizable role in how the first 53-man roster shapes up.

Our last 53-man roster projection came before the first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, but with the preseason over, we can log an official 53-man roster prediction ahead of cutdown day.

I believe Anthony Walker starts the year on the non-football injury list (NFI), which means he’ll miss the first four weeks of the season, but won’t count against the 53-man roster while on NFI.

So, with that being said, let’s dive in.

Note: Players with a single asterisk (*) are 2025 draft picks, and players with double asterisks (**) are 2025 undrafted free agents.

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Quarterback (2)

IN: Baker Mayfield, Teddy Bridgewater
OUT: Kyle Trask, Connor Bazelak**

The skinny: The Bucs can say all the good things they want about Kyle Trask, but it’s clear the offense has a limited ceiling with him behind center. Sure, Teddy Bridgewater didn’t play on Saturday against the Bills, but he did enough in three drives against the Pittsburgh Steelers to show he’s worth the QB2 spot. Outside of the game against the Tennessee Titans in preseason Week 1, Trask just can’t consistently move the offense up and down the field, regardless of whether he’s with 1s, 2s, or any other level of the Buccaneers’ roster.

Practice squad prediction: Trask ends up on the practice squad.

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Running back (3)

IN: Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, Sean Tucker
OUT: Owen Wright, Josh Williams**, Jase McClellan

The skinny: There’s a world where Williams makes the 53 if the Bucs weren’t experiencing the bad injury luck they’re going through. Unfortunately for him, that’s not the case, and it ends up costing him a spot on the initial 53-man roster. Owen Wright missed the second preseason game against the Steelers after a good performance against the Titans, which is enough to kill his momentum

Practice squad prediction: Williams should make the practice squad.

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Wide receiver (7)

IN: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka*, Sterling Shepard, Tez Johnson*, Kameron Johnson, Ryan Miller, Jalen McMillan (will be placed on IR on cutdown day)
OUT: Trey Palmer, Dennis Houston, Garrett Greene**, Jacob Harris, Rakim Jarrett

The skinny: The decision to draft Emeka Egbuka with the 19th overall pick looks better than ever after Chris Godwin’s slow recovery and Jalen McMillan’s unfortunate situation. Tez Johnson made enough plays to warrant a spot on the 53, and Ryan Miller is the most complete receiver past Johnson. Kameron Johnson’s big night on special teams against the Bills earns him the final spot over Trey Palmer, especially when considering the latter has been hurt and hasn’t done enough since returning to the field.

Practice squad prediction: Palmer, Greene, and Jarrett.

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Tight end (4)

IN: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, Devin Culp
OUT: Tanner Taula

The skinny: The Bucs need to carry four tight ends simply because of Cade Otton’s injury, which has really limited him during training camp. It’s a solid group, and it’d be a surprise if Taula makes the 53.

Practice squad prediction: Taula gets the nod.

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Offensive line (10)

IN: Tristan Wirfs (LT), Ben Bredeson (LG), Graham Barton (C), Cody Mauch (RG), Luke Goedeke (RT), Charlie Heck, Elijah Klein, Ben Chukwuma**, Mike Jordan, Ben Scott**
OUT: Luke Haggard, Lorenz Metz, Raiqwon O’Neal, Jake Majors**, Tyler McLellan, Sua Opeta

The skinny: Let’s be real: The Buccaneers’ offensive line depth is a bit shaky heading into the regular season. The front five needs to avoid serious injuries until Wirfs gets back because things can get messy if another starter goes down before the All-Pro left tackle returns. Opeta doesn’t make the final cut because he’s still ramping up from last year’s ACL injury. He can stick on the practice squad, however, and represents a good call-up option when/if the time is right.

Practice squad prediction: Opeta, O’Neal, and Metz end up on the PS.

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Defensive line (6)

IN: Calijah Kancey, Vita Vea, Logan Hall, Greg Gaines, Adam Gotsis, Elijah Roberts*
OUT: Mike Greene, C.J. Brewer, Desmond Watson**, Nash Hutmacher**, Dvon J-Thomas**, Eric Banks

The skinny: It’ll be curious to see what the Buccaneers do with Watson, who is on the non-football illness list. I think the Bucs will outright release him. The rest of the group is chalk outside Gotsis, who brings a veteran presence to the group, while Roberts continues to develop.

Practice squad prediction: Green and Brewer.

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Linebacker (4)

IN: Lavonte David, SirVocea Dennis, Deion Jones, Nick Jackson**, Anthony Walker (NFI)
OUT: Antonio Grier Jr., John Bullock**

The skinny: Walker’s stint on the NFI list has been a disappointment when considering how much Todd Bowles talked him up earlier in the year. At this point, it makes sense for him to stay on the NFI, which gives preseason standout Nick Jackson a shot at making the team. Don’t rule out John Bullock, either. He really stood out on special teams, which could be the key to making the team, but Jackson’s in-game plays also weigh heavy enough to where he gets the edge over his roomate.

Practice squad prediction: Grier Jr. and Bullock.

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EDGE/Outside Linebacker (4)

IN: Yaya Diaby, Haason Reddick, Anthony Nelson, Chris Braswell
OUT: Jose Ramirez, Warren Peeples, Markees Watts
IR: David Walker*

The skinny: The Buccaneers have talked up Chris Braswell all offseason, and he’s flashed enough in training camp/the preseason that Todd Bowles should feel good carrying four guys into the regular season. The trio of Haason Reddick, Yaya Diaby, and Anthony Nelson is chalk.

Practice squad prediction: Ramirez.

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Cornerback (6)

IN: Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison*, Jacob Parrish*, Bryce Hall, Kindle Vildor
OUT: Tyrek Funderburk, Josh Hayes, Roman Parodie**, JayVian Farr**, Tre Avery

The skinny: This is another tough position group to predict, as Morrison’s hamstring injury complicates things. Bryce Hall also recently came back from injury, but has had a solid enough preseason to make the team. The same goes for Vildor, who brings veteran experience on the outside of the defense.

Practice squad prediction: Hayes.

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Safety (4)

IN: Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith, Kaevon Merriweather, Christian Izien
OUT: Rashad Wisdom, Shilo Sanders**, Will Brooks**
IR: J.J. Roberts**

The skinny: Shilo Sanders’ ejection on Saturday night sealed his fate when it comes to making the 53-man roster and at this point, the practice squad doesn’t even seem like an option after Rashad Wisdom’s strong game against the Bills. Even with Izien’s oblique injury, the Bucs carry four safeties simply due to the versatility of the defensive backs.

Practice squad prediction: Banks and Wisdom.

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Specialists (3)

IN: Chase McLaughlin (K), Riley Dixon (P), Evan Deckers (LS)
OUT: N/A

The skinny: Again, no changes here. McLaughlin and Dixon are considered weapons in their own regard, which gives the Bucs a lot of comfort. Johnson had a really nice punt return against the Steelers, and he should be the team’s primary punt returner in 2025. Kick returner is a bit more unclear, however, as the Bucs have had a different player return each of the three returnable kickoffs they’ve encountered. My money is on Tucker to win that job as the primary returner.

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Final Word

The injuries to guys like Wirfs, Godwin, Morrison, Izien, and even Bridgewater’s illness complicate a lot of depth positions, but one can see the path toward the Buccaneers’ initial 53-man roster when looking at it closely enough.

Bridgewater deserves the nod over Trask simply because he has so much more experience, and that experience came in handy during his limited showing in the preseason. Bridgewater made more throws and plays than Trask has during the majority of his five years in Tampa Bay and offers a higher ceiling when it comes to the Bucs offense.

On defense, there are a couple of injuries like Morrison’s hamstring and Izien’s oblique that complicate matters, but overall, the starting and depth positions are mostly set. The biggest loser of the night was Sanders, who made the dumb decision to throw a punch at a Bills player, which caused him to get ejected.

Regardless, the Bucs need to get healthy, as their depth is already getting tested before Week 1. Still, this team is in a spot to win the NFC South for the fifth-straight year as long as the injuries stop accumulating sooner rather than later.