{"id":293838,"date":"2026-07-25T09:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T13:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=293838"},"modified":"2026-07-25T08:45:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T12:45:17","slug":"buccaneers-rookie-linebacker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/07\/25\/buccaneers-rookie-linebacker\/","title":{"rendered":"This Buccaneers Rookie Could Change Everything for the Defense in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Buccaneers rookie <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.buccaneers.com\/team\/players-roster\/josiah-trotter\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josiah Trotter<\/a> isn&#8217;t getting a lot of buzz heading into training camp. However, the talented linebacker could be the key to Tampa Bay&#8217;s defense that nobody is talking about.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span>This Buccaneers Rookie Could Change Everything for the Defense in 2026<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Tampa Bay selected Trotter with the No. 46 overall pick in the second round of this year&#8217;s NFL Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Trotter earned First-Team All-SEC honors last season at Missouri, posting 84 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He established himself as a strong run defender and pass rusher with the Tigers, generating 14 quarterback pressures and 33 defensive stops at or behind the line of scrimmage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>In 2024, Trotter had a strong freshman season at West Virginia, recording 92 tackles and four tackles for loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Both of those productive seasons convinced the Bucs to draft Trotter to fill some big shoes.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/24YODNWCU6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/24YODNWCU6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Josiah Trotter (@TrotterJosiah) <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TrotterJosiah\/status\/2048089981718057389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><span>Trotter&#8217;s Potential Role for the Bucs in 2026<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>The elephant in the room throughout Trotter&#8217;s career will likely be that he was drafted in the same offseason legendary Bucs linebacker <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/07\/14\/rookie-rueben-bain-jr-praise\/\" target=\"_self\">Lavonte David<\/a> retired.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>David spent 14 seasons with Tampa Bay. He finished his career tied with Derrick Brooks for the most tackles in franchise history with 1,714.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>It&#8217;s very unlikely that the new Buccaneers rookie will put together the career David did. But he might be able to produce a season similar to what David accomplished in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_293877\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-293877\" style=\"width: 7512px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/USATSI_28338298.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"7512\" height=\"5008\" class=\"size-full wp-image-293877\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/USATSI_28338298.webp 7512w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/USATSI_28338298-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/USATSI_28338298-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/USATSI_28338298-1200x800.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 7512px) 100vw, 7512px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-293877\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter (LB26) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>David recorded 114 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and eight tackles for loss while starting all 17 games in his final NFL season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Trotter has a lot of similarities to David coming out of college. Both are physical run defenders with a knack for getting to the quarterback as blitzers. Both also tended to struggle in coverage during college.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/07\/20\/nfc-south-linebacker-2026\/\" target=\"_self\">Tampa Bay brought in linebacker Alex Anzalone in free agency this offseason<\/a>. He is expected to start and serve as the Bucs&#8217; on-field defensive playcaller.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>That leaves one starting spot open, and Trotter will likely battle fourth-year linebacker SirVocea Dennis for the job.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_293878\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-293878\" style=\"width: 4870px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/2026-01-03T215740Z_1612612920_MT1USATODAY27925604_RTRMADP_3_NFL-CAROLINA-PANTHERS-AT-TAMPA-BAY-BUCCANEERS.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"4870\" height=\"3247\" class=\"size-full wp-image-293878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/2026-01-03T215740Z_1612612920_MT1USATODAY27925604_RTRMADP_3_NFL-CAROLINA-PANTHERS-AT-TAMPA-BAY-BUCCANEERS.webp 4870w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/2026-01-03T215740Z_1612612920_MT1USATODAY27925604_RTRMADP_3_NFL-CAROLINA-PANTHERS-AT-TAMPA-BAY-BUCCANEERS-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/2026-01-03T215740Z_1612612920_MT1USATODAY27925604_RTRMADP_3_NFL-CAROLINA-PANTHERS-AT-TAMPA-BAY-BUCCANEERS-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/07\/2026-01-03T215740Z_1612612920_MT1USATODAY27925604_RTRMADP_3_NFL-CAROLINA-PANTHERS-AT-TAMPA-BAY-BUCCANEERS-1200x800.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4870px) 100vw, 4870px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-293878\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Sirvocea Dennis (8) celebrates after a tackle against Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Dennis started 16 games last season after appearing in just 17 games combined during his first two NFL seasons. He finished 2025 with 66 tackles and 10 tackles for loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Overall, Dennis struggled in 2025. He finished with a 49.1 Pro Football Focus grade. His biggest issues came in coverage, where he allowed 12.9 yards per completion and a 122.0 passer rating when targeted. Those struggles were a major reason the Bucs allowed the most receiving yards to opposing running backs in the NFL last season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Dennis&#8217; struggles make the starting linebacker position a legitimate competition heading into 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOB0HId3iOT\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 2099px; aspect-ratio: 2099\/3148;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h2><span>What Trotter Can Bring to the Bucs Defense<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Trotter&#8217;s elite run defense fits right in with Todd Bowles&#8217; defensive philosophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/05\/24\/revamped-tampa-bay-rush-defense-looks-to-return-to-dominance-in-2026\/\" title=\"The Bucs have finished with a top-five rushing defense\" target=\"_blank\" data-schema-attribute=\"about\" target=\"_self\"><span>The Bucs have finished with a top-five rushing defense <\/span><\/a><span>in six of the eight seasons Bowles has served as the team&#8217;s defensive playcaller.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Trotter was one of the SEC&#8217;s most prolific run defenders, posting an 89.2 run-defense grade, according to Pro Football Focus. He helped lead the Tigers to the nation&#8217;s 13th-ranked rushing defense last season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>His pass-rushing prowess could also provide a potentially huge boost to the Bucs&#8217; defense. Tampa Bay ranked 19th in the NFL in sacks last season despite blitzing the third-most of any team in the league.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>Trotter has shown the ability to get to the quarterback when sent on a blitz, posting three sacks, four quarterback hits, and seven quarterback hurries with the Tigers last season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><span>If Trotter can translate his strong college play to the NFL, he could be poised to start as a rookie. His style of play fits the mold Todd Bowles has favored in the past, and the starting job is wide open. \u00a0He could change everything for the Bucs defense. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But if the Buccaneers&#8217; rookie wants to earn that starting spot, he&#8217;ll have to put together a strong training camp beginning next week.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Buccaneers rookie Josaiah Trotter isn&#8217;t getting a lot of buzz heading into training camp. However, the talented linebacker could change everything and be the key to Tampa Bay&#8217;s defense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5859,"featured_media":293879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,6431,29],"tags":[3624,34055,33898],"class_list":["post-293838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-nfl-teams","category-buccaneers","tag-alex-anzalone","tag-josiah-trotter","tag-sirvocea-dennis"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5859"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293838"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":293883,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293838\/revisions\/293883"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}