Each week I’ll be taking a closer look at the snap count distribution for the Bucs offense and defense, assessing what we can learn from who played the most and who played the least on Sunday.

Here’s a look at which Buccaneers played the most and the least in the team’s 19-14 preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Of the Bucs offensive linemen, it’s clear tackle Chidi Okeke is last in the pecking order right now. Okeke was a late addition to the roster, as was veteran guard Earl Watford. Watford notched 23 snaps after an injury to Sadarius Hutcherson. After the game, Arians praised the 31 year-old’s effort.

Bucs QB RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn and WR Tyler Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

Tyler Johnson led all non-offensive linemen in snaps, picking up 30 reps on the evening. It was a clear indication that Arians wanted Johnson to get plenty of work, likely to measure his conditioning. Considering Johnson was still running by defenders in the second half when Kyle Trask missed him for a sure touchdown, I’d say he passed the test. Still, Johnson played just two special teams snaps, but he did make an important tackle. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to be a major factor on those units this season.

Tanner Hudson and Codey McElroy are competing for the same spot on the roster at the team’s No. 4 tight end. On Saturday, McElroy outpaced Hudson by a single snap, but got nine reps on special teams compared to Hudson’s zero. That’s a big advantage for McElroy, although Hudson played very well, catching five passes for 50 yards. I think the coaches are giving McElroy every opportunity to win the job, but Hudson isn’t going to make it easy.

One player who isn’t worried about making the final roster is Ke’Shawn Vaughn. The second-year running back should be safe to make the roster, but will he be active on game days? Vaughn wasn’t perfect on Saturday, but he received 27 offensive snaps and four reps on special teams, where he impressed. Vaughn’s easiest path to a hat on game days is by being a standout gunner. That’s a rare role for a running back, but Vaughn looked comfortable there on Saturday.

Trask and Ryan Griffin essentially split the No. 3 quarterback snaps, with Trask coming out slightly more impressive despite a lot of dropped passes. In the running back competition, Leonard Fournette took the first two snaps, then Ronald Jones got the next two.

As for the bad news? It’s probably not a great sign for WR T.J. Simmons (9 snaps) to be the clear-cut last option at wide receiver. In a deep position group, he’s likely to be one of the five players released by Tuesday’s deadline. The same could be said for RB C.J. Prosise (5 snaps) and TE De’Quan Hampton (3 snaps). Prosise is light years behind Troymaine Pope (22 snaps) for the running back practice squad spot, and Hampton has barely played even in practice.

It’s going to be a lot harder for the Bucs to cut defensive players than offensive ones. Of the non-locks to make the roster, CB Dee Delaney had the least amount of reps, but still played 16 snaps. Delaney, S Chris Cooper and DT Kobe Smith are the most likely defenders to be among those released by Tuesday, and their relative snap counts from Saturday indicated as much.

Bucs S Javon Hagan – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It appears that Javon Hagan has put real distance between himself and the other non-top 3 safeties on the roster. He wasn’t perfect in 47 snaps, but had a key interception and three tackles-for-loss. Lawrence White played a lot too, but has consistently run with the third team defense in practice. If the Bucs keep four true safeties on the roster, it’s Hagan’s job to lose.

At cornerback, the picture is much more blurry. Rookies Chris Wilcox and Cameron Kinley led the way in snap counts, but Herb Miller, Nate Brooks and Antonio Hamilton played over them. Hamilton and Miller had strong performances in coverage and in run support, while Brooks broke up a pass on the goal line.

If Ross Cockrell remains at cornerback when the regular season begins, Hamilton feels like a safe bet to win the No. 5 cornerback spot. If the team keeps six cornerbacks, it’s a dead heat between Brooks and Miller right now. One thing to note: Miller doubled up Brooks in special teams snaps on Saturday.

At linebacker, nothing changed. K.J. Britt played well enough to stay ahead of Joe Jones on the depth chart, but must clean up the missed tackles. The Bucs might be high enough on both players to force the team to keep five linebackers. Either way, seventh round pick Grant Stuard is clearly on the outside looking in.

Bucs DT Khalil Davis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs got a long look at Khalil Davis, who played well on Saturday. He’s the leader for the sixth interior defensive line spot, but Pat O’Connor and Benning Potoa’e also played very well. Jeremiah Ledbetter added a huge tackle-for-loss late in the contest. Tampa Bay is loaded with capable defensive tackles, but Davis has the highest ceiling of the group. The second-year defensive tackle also led all players in special teams snaps. That’s rare for a defensive tackle.

At outside linebacker, Elijah Ponder has been impressive, and Quinton Bell has continued to flash. There’s a strong chance the Bucs won’t keep five outside linebackers, especially if Cam Gill is injured. But I could see Tampa Bay keep two guys on the practice squad, with Bell and Ponder clearly ahead of Ladarius Hamilton. Bell’s superiority on special teams could be the difference in the end.