OLB Jack Pyburn
It's difficult to imagine Tampa Bay putting together its final roster without Jack Pyburn on it. The undrafted rookie entered an extremely crowded outside linebacker room, meaning simply playing well wasn't necessarily going to be enough. Pyburn needed to make himself impossible to ignore, and that's essentially what he did. His best performance came in the preseason finale against Jacksonville, when he recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss. It was the finishing touch on a strong summer in which his motor, physicality and ability to impact plays consistently showed up. The numbers at edge still aren't easy, but Pyburn has done too much to risk losing him.
LB Cayden Fordham
Tampa Bay's linebacker competition meant Fordham needed to show he could provide
more than developmental depth. Throughout camp and the preseason, he did enough to establish himself as a player the Buccaneers should want to keep around. Fordham's physicality and willingness to attack downhill showed up consistently. He also demonstrated the type of versatility that matters for a reserve linebacker, particularly when special teams become part of the equation. With SirVocea Dennis and Christian Rozeboom missing most of the preseason action and little depth behind Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter, Fordham should find himself as the next young depth piece in an overhauled backer room.
CB Ayden Garnes
What started as a legitimate battle for Garnes has become a situation where it would be surprising if Tampa Bay didn't keep him. The Buccaneers entered camp with several options and questions at cornerback. Garnes used the preseason to stake his claim as an UDFA as someone who was overlooked in the draft process. Garnes continued to make plays when given opportunities, showing the coverage ability and physicality that initially made him an intriguing addition to the Buccaneers' cornerback room. With Tampa Bay evaluating several young defensive backs behind its established starters, Garnes needed to separate himself rather than simply blend into the competition, possibly as the first corner in the rotation outside of the starters.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Three Buccaneers who played their way into roster locks
