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After two and a half weeks of training camp, it’s finally time for the Bucs to get their three-game preseason slate underway Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium. They’ll be hosting the Tennessee Titans, who were in town for a joint practice earlier this week, in their exhibition opener, which is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said after Thursday’s practice not to expect many of Tampa Bay’s starters to play against Tennessee, but there are still plenty of intriguing players to watch under the lights. Here, we’ll take a look at some of the top players to watch on the Buccaneer offense. We’ll then follow up with a breakdown of the defensive players to watch in a separate article.

Bucs To Watch In Saturday’s Preseason Opener: Offense

QB: Kyle Trask – No. 2

Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield won’t play in Saturday’s game against the Titans, so it’ll be fifth-year signal-caller Kyle Trask getting the start for Tampa Bay. Trask, who re-signed on a one-year deal this offseason, likely won’t play any more than a quarter, but he’s still the one to watch here given recent developments. The Bucs brought Teddy Bridgewater in this week and while Bridgewater won’t be ready to play Saturday nor is there any indication from the team that he’ll be challenging Trask for the QB2 role, his presence should put at least some pressure on the former Florida Gator.

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Trask obviously has the inside track to the backup role behind Mayfield given his experience within the offense and the fact that Michael Pratt hasn’t been healthy enough to challenge him for that job this offseason. But with a veteran like Bridgewater in the room now, it’s important for Trask to prove that he can be a reliable No. 2 for a team that has high hopes for 2025.

The 2021 second-round pick had his best preseason yet in 2024, completing 65.1% of his passes with three touchdowns to one interception. His last preseason game saw him complete 17 of his 24 passes for 141 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 113.4 passer rating.

However long Trask plays on Saturday night, a calm, collected and efficient performance would have to be a confidence booster both for Trask himself and for the Bucs, who have enjoyed a seemingly unprecedented run of not having to rely on their backup quarterback that dates all the way back to 2019.

RB: Sean Tucker – No. 44

Tampa Bay brought Owen Wright into the mix earlier in training camp after both DJ Williams and Josh Williams picked up injuries. DJ Williams is gone and Josh Williams remained sidelined at practice this week, so Saturday’s preseason opener may feature a lot of Wright, the former Baltimore Raven. But there’s bound to be heavy involvement from Sean Tucker, too, and whenever Tucker is on the field, it tends to be pretty fun to watch.

While the former Syracuse star was a distant third in terms of carries among the Tampa Bay running backs last season, his 6.2 yards per carry led the way. He ran 50 times for 308 yards and two touchdowns, and of course there was his NFC Offensive Player of the Week performance in Week 6 when he filled in alongside Bucky Irving and ran for 136 yards and a touchdown while adding three catches for 56 yards and another touchdown.

It’s hard to get three different running backs a fair share of carries, and with Irving and Rachaad White atop the depth chart for the Bucs, Tucker is still going to slot in as RB3 in 2025. But he’s typically an explosive, fun player to watch and he should get an extended runout in the preseason to put pressure on new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard to find ways to get him involved, perhaps in some Pony packages with one of the other backs.

WR: Emeka Egbuka* – No. 9

Let’s start this section with a caveat, as there’s no official indication one way or another right now as far as whether Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay’s 2025 first-round pick, will play Saturday night. But it would seem fair to think Egbuka wouldn’t be lumped in with the starters/stars who won’t suit up for the exhibition opener. It would make sense to let the rookie get his feet wet with his first NFL action, even if that means only playing a quarter or however long Kyle Trask and the rest of the “starting” group plays.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Egbuka and Jalen McMillan could realistically be the Bucs’ starting receivers Saturday night, as that’s what they’ve been during training camp when Mike Evans has taken his veteran days off. If Egbuka does get a chance to make his preseason debut against the Titans, he’s an obvious pick as someone to watch on the offensive side of the ball. The No. 19 overall pick in this year’s draft has looked like a polished pro already during camp, and it’s time to see whether that immediately translates under the lights.

Egbuka has drawn rave reviews from team personnel, coaches and players whenever his name is uttered, and it’s easy to see why given the consistency he has shown in training camp. With Chris Godwin in danger of missing the start of the regular season, it’ll be on the rookie to fill that role in Josh Grizzard’s offense, and considering his Godwin-like skill set, the way he prepares and his overall mentality, he should be up to the task.

WR: Dennis Houston – No. 89

Two and a half weeks ago, it would’ve felt utterly bizarre to imagine Dennis Houston winding up on this list. The 26-year-old wide receiver was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Western Illinois in 2022, but he didn’t stick in Dallas. He signed with the Giants practice squad in 2023, but didn’t stick there either. Eventually, he landed on the Bucs’ practice squad last year. And coming into training camp, there was little reason to believe he would be a factor in the race for one of Tampa Bay’s final receiver spots.

But all of that thinking has been washed away over the course of the first 12 practices of training camp. It hasn’t been complete domination from Houston, but he has emerged as a steady playmaker and will continue to take advantage of the team’s injuries at receiver when the lights come on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium. Trey Palmer, Kameron Johnson and Tez Johnson all remained out of action this week, so it’s fair to assume they’ll all miss the preseason opener. Houston won’t.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound receiver has a chance to translate his strong start in camp to production in the preseason, and he should have plenty of opportunities to make an impression in game action against the Titans. Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds had Houston in his 53-man roster projection in the latest edition of SR’s Fab 5, and it’s hard to argue with the logic based on what we’ve seen so far in camp.

WR: Garrett Greene – No. 85

Garrett Greene is one of the more interesting stories on Tampa Bay’s roster this preseason. The Tallahassee, Florida, product was a quarterback in college at West Virginia, throwing for 5,370 yards and 36 touchdowns while running for 2,128 yards and 28 touchdowns over five seasons from 2020-2024. His athleticism was on full display in Morgantown, which is why it wasn’t an earth-shattering surprise when he signed with the Bucs this spring as an undrafted free agent – to play wide receiver.

Bucs WR Garrett Greene – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But what has perhaps been a bit more of a surprise throughout training camp has been just how polished Greene looks as a receiver. Considering he just made the position switch not too long ago, the fact that he has the nuances of the position down and has shown reliable hands has been impressive, and he’s been another under-the-radar standout who has taken advantage of increased reps with the injuries Tampa Bay is dealing with at receiver.

Greene may be a long shot to make the initial 53-man roster, but if he can put together a strong preseason and prove to be a useful special teams player, he could force the hand of the team’s decision-makers when it comes time for final cuts. Even if that’s not the case, though, a strong preseason showing could cement a practice squad spot for the former Mountaineer.

TE: Devin Culp – No. 82

Everything looks much smoother and easier for tight end Devin Culp heading into year two in the pros. Tampa Bay’s seventh-round pick in 2024 out of Washington, the speedy Culp came on strong late in his rookie season when given the opportunity, catching five passes for 88 yards, making for a whopping 17.6-yard average. This offseason, he has made strides within the offense and continues to work on improving as a run blocker. With his unique skill set at the tight end position, he has a chance to carve out a role within Josh Grizzard’s offense this season, even if he’s the Bucs’ TE3.

Culp, along with Payne Durham, have seen increased reps during training camp while Cade Otton has been held out with a hamstring injury. There have been ups and downs for the second-year tight end, as he’s suffered from some bad drops at times during practice. Still, the increased opportunity will be crucial in his development, as will the preseason action he’s set to get over the coming weeks.

It’ll be interesting to watch Culp during these games as Grizzard looks to find the best uses for his quick tight end. He’s made some plays down the field in practice, but we’ve also seen him as a target in the short passing game, as that allows him to get in space and put his speed and YAC ability to use.

OT: Charlie Heck* – No. 77

There’s an asterisk on Charlie Heck’s name here, as there was with Emeka Egbuka’s. That’s because technically, Heck is currently a starter on the Bucs offensive line. The veteran is filling in for injured left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is recovering from knee surgery. So, it’s not a guarantee that Heck plays Saturday night, though it would seem likely that he and the rest of the starting O-line for Tampa Bay could get a few drives to a quarter as the group looks to build chemistry together in Wirfs’ absence.

Bucs OT Charlie Heck and OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Heck would stand to benefit from some extended playing time this preseason, especially when it comes to getting reps alongside left guard Ben Bredeson, as the two will be lining up next to each other for at least the first couple of regular season games while Wirfs recovers and prepares to return to action. There’s been some good and some bad in camp for the big 6-foot-8, 315-pound veteran who has split the first five years of his career between the Texans, Cardinals and 49ers.

While Heck is doing battle with Yaya Diaby, Haason Reddick and other teammates during camp, Thursday’s joint practice with the Titans had to be a help, too. Exhibition play, as well as next week’s joint practice with T.J. Watt and the Steelers in Pittsburgh, can only help prepare big No. 77 as he looks to put in a shift in Wirfs’ place to start the season.

G: Elijah Klein – No. 79

How about the versatility of 2024 sixth-round pick Elijah Klein? The guard out of UTEP put that versatility on display even as a rookie in his first preseason, sliding over to play right tackle in a pinch. He’s gotten some looks at tackle from time to time during training camp this year, too, though he’s far better suited for his natural position on the interior of the offensive line. But with that being said, Klein, a guard by trade, has also taken some second-team reps at center throughout training camp.

The potential for Klein to see some time at center in the preseason makes him an even more intriguing watch, as the Bucs are looking for a backup center after Robert Hainsey departed this offseason to sign with Jacksonville. There are a pair of undrafted free agents in Jake Majors and Ben Scott who are vying for the right to back up starter Graham Barton, but Tampa Bay seems to be keen on the idea of Klein potentially being an option as well.

In any case, there’s so much to love about Klein as a depth piece considering the versatility he has. Seeing him at tackle certainly isn’t ideal, but the fact that he can slide over and play it in addition to serving as a backup guard and a potential backup center makes him a valuable piece for Tampa Bay. Team personnel is high on 25-year-old, and he could potentially be a future starter. But for now, it’ll be great to see what strides he can make in his second preseason in the NFL.

C: Jake Majors – No. 65

One of the undrafted free agents who is looking to back up starting center Graham Barton will be Jake Majors, a 6-foot-3, 310-pounder out of Texas. As Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo wrote about him earlier this offseason, Majors’ greatest assets are his IQ and preparedness. He handled the line calls and protections for the Longhorns, and his communication skills and ability to identify disguised pressures pre-snap proved impressive, and it’s certainly part of what led to Tampa Bay’s interest in him

Bucs Cs Graham Barton and Jake Majors – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It’s hard to get a true gauge of how NFL-ready Majors is simply through training camp reps, so the preseason will go a long way in determining whether he’ll be able to a.) beat out Elijah Klein for the backup center job and b.) make the final 53-man roster in general. He should get a decent amount of playing time to prove his mettle throughout the preseason, starting on Saturday night against Tennessee.

How the Bucs split up the center reps could give some insight into which way they’re currently leaning with the backup role behind Barton, but it’s probably in the team’s best interest to give both Klein, Majors and perhaps even fellow undrafted free agent Ben Scott a decently fair split to get the best evaluation possible.