As the Buccaneers prepare for their final preseason tilt against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, roster evaluations are already in the final stages.
At this point, the a huge chunk of the 53-man roster seems fairly settled for one of the deepest talent wells in the league, but there are still lingering questions that will be answered by this time next week.
So who are some veterans that may be in jeopardy of losing out to newer competition? Let’s take a look.
WR Rakim Jarrett
A former 5-star recruit, Jarrett never lived
up to the hype in college but came to Tampa in 2023 as a higher-upside UDFA. He flashed each of the last two years in camp and has stuck around and played 20 total games (2 starts), totaling 13 catches for 184 yards.
However, Jarrett has reportedly looked very rough in camp and has been basically non-existent in preseason games (2 catches for 26 yards and multiple drops). He’s facing stiff competition this year, even in spite of several injuries.
Rookie seventh-rounder Tez Johnson and former UDFA Ryan Miller both have flashed and make strong cases in a crowded room. There’s also proven veteran Sterling Shepard, who played meaningful, significant snaps last year and has a strong connection with Baker Mayfield. If you’re looking at a pecking order like this, it’s hard to see where Jarrett fits in.
- Mike Evans
- Chris Godwin (injured)
- Emeka Egbuka
- Jalen McMillan (injured)
- Sterling Shepard
- Ryan Miller
- Tez Johnson
- Trey Palmer
Godwin seems likely to open the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list due to his ankle rehab and McMillan has a neck sprain that will keep him out more than half the season in all likelihood, so that may spare Jarrett, but it’s far from a sure thing right now.
TE Ko Kieft
There is no shame in making a living off the dirty work when it comes to football. That is Ko Kieft to a tee.
A Buccaneer since 2022, Kieft came in as a surprise sixth-round pick but has made a living on the team’s roster as a blocking specialist and special teamer. For reference, Kieft has played in an impressive 50 games and has…8 catches for 82 yards and 2 TDs. In 2024, he played a career—high in special teams snaps (69%) and a career-low in offensive snaps (9%) as the Bucs played extensively in 11 personnel (3 receivers, 1 tight end, 1 running back).
Circumstances seem unlikely to change under new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, who’s worked extensively in systems that near unanimously do not feature the tight end as a prominent part of the offense. Cade Otton will dominate TE1 reps, as he’s proven capable, and even Payne Durham and Devin Culp offer much more offensive upside than Kieft.
Then factoring in the Bucs’ need for added receiver depth in light of major injuries, it seems like Kieft’s positioning on the roster is anything but snug. Blocking and ST play are important, but will they be enough?
CB Josh Hayes
Former sixth-round pick Josh Hayes needed to play a lot last season (17 games, 2 starts, 28% of defensive snaps) due to the team’s various injury issues, and the results were not pretty.
His coverage grade from Pro Football Focus sat well below average at 139th-best out of 222 qualified players, as he allowed 22 receptions for 216 yards and a troublesome 4 touchdowns on only 33 targets. For reference, full-time starter Zyon McCollum allowed the same number of scores but on more than three times as many targets (108). And as frustrating as he can be, Jamel Dean allowed only 1 score in 12 starts and 66 targets.
Upgrading secondary depth became a huge point of emphasis for the team this offseason, leading to both of its Day 2 picks in the NFL Draft being cornerbacks (Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish). In addition to experienced vets Bryce Hall and Kindle Vildor, it feels like Hayes has been pushed to the brink of the margins.
Unless some injuries impact Week 1 availability, it appears Hayes is more likely to be battling second-year Tyrek Funderburk for a practice squad spot rather than anything on the 53-man.
DL C.J. Brewer
As a camp standout last year, C.J. Brewer showed some decent promise as a deep rotational lineman and ended up playing 12 games and 20% of defensive snaps, collecting 2 sacks in the process.
However, the Bucs didn’t rest on their laurels in this area either after drafting Elijah Roberts and signing veteran Adam Gotsis — Roberts has looked good and is a lock to make the roster. Gotsis and Brewer aren’t the same type of player, as the former is a bigger, more stout run defender with a lot more special teams value (he’s also 32). The Bucs return familiar depth pieces like Mike Greene and Eric Banks as well.
Brewer has not looked particularly impressive this preseason, so it’s difficult to consider him a shoe-in for the final defensive line spot. It will come down more to what the Bucs want in their defensive line depth — pass rushing chops or lane-clogging / special teams ability. If it’s the latter, either Gotsis or Greene is almost certain to claim the role.
