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It’s already been a unique week for the Bucs as they continue to work their way toward the 2025 season opener. After last Saturday’s preseason-opening win against Tennessee, Tampa Bay had one practice at home Monday morning before heading up to Pittsburgh for the week. After practicing on their own in the Steel City Wednesday, the Bucs then matched up with the Steelers for a joint practice Thursday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium (it’s still Heinz Field to me).

Now, the two teams are set to do battle again Saturday night, this time under the lights at Acrisure Stadium (yes, still Heinz Field) as the preseason rolls on. The Bucs, 1-0 in exhibition play, meet the Steelers, who beat the Liam Coen-led Jaguars in their preseason opener last weekend.

This is Tampa Bay’s lone preseason game away from home, as the team will return to Raymond James Stadium when they wrap up the preseason slate next Saturday against Buffalo.

For now, though, let’s dial in on some of the key players to watch on the Buccaneer defense this Saturday night against the Steelers. If you missed our previous article, it featured some key Bucs to watch on offense in the second week of the preseason. You can read that article here.

Bucs To Watch In Preseason Week 2: Defense

DT: Calijah Kancey* – No. 94

With the Bucs planning to play the majority of their starters for perhaps the only time during their three-game preseason slate, we’re likely to get our first Calijah Kancey cameo Saturday night against the Steelers. Kancey has had a great offseason and is looking to enter the 2025 season fully healthy after calf issues cost him time early in his 2023 rookie season as well as his 2024 sophomore campaign.

Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

He may only get a drive or two against Pittsburgh, but it’s sure to be an exciting night for the 2023 first-round pick as he returns to the field where he played his college ball for Pitt. During his career with the Panthers, he earned All-American honors and 2022 ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Over his final two seasons with Pitt, he notched 14.5 sacks. Now, through two seasons with the Bucs, he has 11.5 sacks. He’s coming off a career-high and team-leading 7.5 sacks in 2024.

Kancey has, at times, looked the part of a dominant pass rusher. And he certainly has a strong belief in his ability to be one of the league’s elite pass rushers, not just on the interior but in general. He said earlier this offseason that a full season of a healthy Calijah Kancey would see him lead the league in sacks. That’s a lofty goal, but at the very least, he has double-digit sack and Pro Bowl potential. Saturday will be his first chance in 2025 to show he’s on that trajectory.

OLB: Haason Reddick* – No. 5

Speaking of starters, Saturday could mark the Bucs debut for veteran pass rusher Haason Reddick. Tampa Bay signed Reddick, a former Cardinal, Panther, Eagle and Jet, to a 1-year, $14 million deal this offseason in hopes of shoring up its pass rush. This may be the first chance to see him and fellow starter Yaya Diaby rush the passer in tandem, even if it’s only for a series or two. Reddick has looked healthy, motivated and ready to go throughout camp, with several would-be sacks over the course of the team’s 11-on-11 periods in the last few weeks.

Reddick is also making somewhat of a return Saturday night, as he comes back to Pennsylvania after playing his college football at Temple before later starring for the Eagles in Philadelphia. Under normal circumstances, a 30-year-old veteran like Reddick may not need any kind of runout during the preseason. But he’s coming off a down year in 2024 in which he missed training camp, the preseason and the start of the regular season due to a contract dispute with the Jets. So, getting some preseason action in could help him get off to a good start in what promises to be a bounce-back year.

Reddick and Diaby could give Tampa Bay the type of starting outside linebacker tandem it hasn’t had since the duo of Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul was in its collective prime back between 2019-2021ish. Barrett and Pierre-Paul were crucial parts of the Bucs’ run to Super Bowl LV, and if this team has designs on making a run to the Lombardi Trophy this year, Reddick and Diaby will have to play a huge part in that. Saturday could be a good jumpstart to a big year for Reddick, as well as Diaby.

ILB: Nick Jackson – No. 53

If Ryan Miller was the player who helped his case the most on offense during last Saturday’s preseason opener, inside linebacker Nick Jackson may have been the player who most helped his case on defense. The undrafted rookie out of Iowa made a big splash against the Titans, first coming through with the Bucs’ first sack of the night on a blitz before intercepting a pass deflected by fellow undrafted rookie inside linebacker John Bullock. Jackson drew rave reviews from head coach Todd Bowles after the game.

“[He was] a football player from the time he came in here,” Bowles said about Jackson. “He was somebody we wanted to see, we wanted to watch, and we were paying close attention to him. He just knows the game. He knows how to play the game. He’s very instinctive, he can read things, he’s physical when he needs to be physical and he knows how to cover. He did a very good job tonight.”

Bucs ILB Nick Jackson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Jackson will be looking to build on that preseason debut, which saw him earn a 90.0 defense grade from PFF. With Lavonte David getting the night off as an established veteran and Anthony Walker Jr. still yet to return from the non-football injury list, the former Iowa Hawkeye should once again get the bulk of the snaps during the early-to-middle parts of the game. He had 30 snaps last week, and with another heady and productive performance against the Steelers, he could make his case for a roster spot even stronger.

ILB: John Bullock – No. 57

Speaking of inside linebackers, John Bullock had himself a strong NFL debut last Saturday night as well. The undrafted rookie out of Nebraska had the deflection that led to Nick Jackson’s interception, getting his hand on the ball on a blitz. He had another pass breakup, too, and finished the night with a strong PFF grade of 80.3, the fourth-best mark of any Buccaneers defender.

At one point, it looked like Bullock was facing really long odds as far as making the 53-man roster. That’s still largely the case, assuming Anthony Walker Jr. returns by the start of the regular season. Still, though, with Lavonte David unlikely to play in the preseason and SirVocea Dennis and Deion Jones likely only getting a couple series each, it’ll be Bullock and Jackson who get some meaningful exposure over the next couple of preseason games.

Bullock has already made a good impression on head coach Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay personnel, and even if he doesn’t make the roster out of training camp, he should be a practice squad lock and someone the team could count on sooner or later. His 88.5 coverage grade last week was a breath of fresh air at the inside linebacker position after what the Bucs went through last year, so there’s certainly some promise to the former Cornhusker’s game. He could continue to impress and cement a future for himself in red and pewter.

CB: Kindle Vildor – No. 22

One of the sneaky interesting signings the Bucs made on defense this offeason, Kindle Vildor made his debut with the team last Saturday night against Tennessee. The sixth-year veteran played 28 snaps, with 25 coming at outside cornerback. He earned a solid 67.6 overall grade from PFF, with a 72.5 tackling grade and a 61.7 run defense mark. His 67.4 coverage grade was solid, too, as he allowed one catch on three targets.

Bucs CB Kindle Vildor

Vildor has a big opportunity come Saturday night and potentially into next week, as the Bucs practiced without four key cornerbacks this week. Benjamin Morrison, Bryce Hall, Josh Hayes and Roman Parodie have all been sidelined, and that could open the door for a veteran like Vildor to showcase his value. He was a notable omission from Scott Reynolds’ early 53-man roster projection, but he can’t be counted out just yet, especially if he stays healthy and plays well throughout the preseason.

CB: JayVian Farr – No. 11

With injuries hitting the cornerback room hard over the past week or so, the Bucs signed rookie JayVian Farr earlier this week. Farr joined the team in Pittsburgh and will likely be thrust into action quickly Saturday night with Benjamin Morrison, Bryce Hall, Josh Hayes and Roman Parodie all banged up at the cornerback position right now.

Farr took part in Bucs rookie mini-camp back in May on a tryout, and now he has another opportunity in Tampa. After playing his college football at Division II Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he has a shot in an NFL training camp. Over his four seasons in college, he played 46 games and totaled 99 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, 21 pass breakups, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown.

A second-team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selection in 2023 and first team honoree in 2024, Farr has to get up to speed quickly to fill in for the injured Bucs corners in a pinch. The 5-foot-9, 192 pound corner is certainly undersized, but if he can step up and do a job in a dire situation for Tampa Bay, that could be just what he needs to make an impression and potentially sneak onto the practice squad in a couple of weeks.

DB: Christian Izien – No. 29

Christian Izien truly is one of Todd Bowles’ Swiss Army knives on defense, as he can play anywhere. He was the Bucs’ starting nickel cornerback as a rookie in 2023, then he spent time as depth at nickel, safety and even outside cornerback in 2024. He’s the ultimate super sub on the back end of Tampa Bay’s defense, which is why it was no surprise to hear Bowles come right out and say he’s already made the team early in training camp.

Bucs NCB Christian Izien – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Izien played 17 snaps last Saturday, with 10 at free safety, four in the box, one on the line and two in the slot. He didn’t grade out particularly well, with a missed tackle dragging his tackling grade down to 50.2. He had an overall grade of 59.0, and he wasn’t targeted at all in the passing game.

With so many injuries in the defensive backfield for the Bucs, Izien may see even more snaps in Saturday’s game at Pittsburgh. The team is down several cornerbacks, which could lead the likes of Jacob Parrish and Kindle Vildor to kick outside more often. That would open up the nickel spot for Izien to fill. Then again, Antoine Winfield Jr.’s injury could lead Izien to start back there in his place, working alongside Tykee Smith early in the game. Regardless, the third-year pro is likely set to display his value and versatility once again this weekend.

DB: Jacob Parrish – No. 25

A repeat from last week’s list, rookie defensive back Jacob Parrish continues to be one of the key players to watch Saturday night as he is one of the newest Bucs who will become a regular for the team’s defense in 2025. He played only 18 snaps in his debut last week against the Titans, but it was largely a good start for the former Kansas State Wildcat as he tallied a pair of pass breakups early in the game.

Parrish allowed three catches for 30 yards last week, with a couple of his rougher reps coming out of the slot. That’s a position he’s still adapting to at the NFL level and in Todd Bowles’ defense. There are bound to be some growing pains, but as Bowles said after last Saturday’s game, this preseason will be huge for Parrish as he continues to grow and develop as a player at this level. Saturday will be the next test for the third-round pick, and he may draw some tough matchups from the Steelers offense. That can only aid in his development, too.

It’ll continue to be worth it to monitor where exactly Parrish is getting his snaps. He played 11 of his 18 snaps last week in the slot, with five more at corner and two in the box. More than likely, he’ll be Tampa Bay’s starting nickel this season, so the more snaps he gets at that spot this Saturday and in the preseason finale next week, the better equipped he’ll be to handle the role come time for Week 1.

S: Shilo Sanders – No. 28

Fan favorite Shilo Sanders had a solid NFL debut last Saturday night against the Titans, logging 37 snaps on defense and recording a pressure on a blitz in the third quarter. He graded out pretty well, earning a 66.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, with a 68.8 run defense grade and a 56.3 coverage grade. His 79.8 pass rush grade was likely inflated quite a bit by that pressure, though his 27.2 tackling grade likely cut into his overall grade in a big way.

Bucs S Shilo Sanders – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Zooming out and looking at Sanders’ professional debut as a whole, there was plenty of good to take away from it. But as Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds discussed in his most recent Pewter Pulse episode, time is running out for the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders as he looks to carve out a role on the Bucs’ 53-man roster out of training camp. Sanders, an undrafted free agent out of Colorado, was always facing an uphill battle to make the roster, and he likely needs to do a whole lot more with the reps he receives in the final two preseason games in order to give Buccaneer decision-makers something to think about.

There have been a lot of positives coming out of One Buc Place regarding what Sanders has done on the practice fields, but he continues to face an unfavorable numbers game as J.J. Roberts likely has an inside track at one of the final spots in the Tampa Bay secondary, while the likes of Christian Izien and Kaevon Merriweather likely have the other couple of spots on the back end of the defense. Sanders will need to play really sound football over the next two Saturdays with no missed assignments and no missed tackles, and he may even need to make a splash play or two.