Bucs DTs Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

SR’s FAB 5 column on the Bucs is presented by Gameday Men’s Health

Men – do you feel tired? Are you gaining weight despite working out… struggling with sleep, focus, or sexual performance? Did you know that 1 in 4 men over the age of 30 have low testosterone? And many men don’t even realize it – and I didn’t either, which is why I am on testosterone replacement therapy at age 54 and feel like I’m 10 years younger.

At Gameday Men’s Health, low testosterone is quickly diagnosed and treated. Gameday offers a FREE testosterone test and consultation – with results in minutes. Gameday specializes in testosterone replacement therapy, along with weight loss, ED treatments, and peptides — all designed to help optimize your health and performance.

With 6 Tampa Bay area locations in Westshore, South Tampa (the clinic I go to), Brandon, Palm Harbor, Largo, and Sarasota … getting started is EASY. Visit GamedayMensHealth.com today to schedule your FREE consultation. Feel better and get back in the game with Gameday Men’s Health!

INTRO: With the start of training camp only a week and a half away, let’s take a look at where each Bucs starter and key reserve need to improve the most when the pads come on. Last week’s SR’s FAB 5 focused on the offense and special teams. This week’s SR’s FAB 5 focuses on the defense. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Where The Bucs Must Improve In Camp: Defensive Line

Let’s start this week’s defensive-focused SR’s FAB 5 by analyzing where where the Bucs defensive tackles need to improve the most in training camp prior to the start of Tampa Bay’s 2026 season. Here are the five likeliest defensive tackles to make the roster.

DT Calijah Kancey: Become a better tackler

The obvious issue for Kancey is staying healthy, but that is beyond his control as injuries are a part of the game. While subjective, Pro Football Focus has dinged Kancey for the past couple of years for being a poor run defender. The Bucs don’t necessarily feel like that’s the case, but at 6-foot-1, 281 pounds, Kancey can get overwhelmed in the run game from time to time when he fails to penetrate the line of scrimmage and make a play in the backfield.

Part of the issue is Kancey’s short arm length (30 5/8 inches), which causes him to fail to wrap up ballcarriers – and quarterbacks – on occasion. His arm length is in the 1% percentile for NFL defensive linemen and has caused him to have 21.7% career missed tackle rate per PFF. According to PFF, Kancey has made 41 tackles with six assists and missed 13 tackles. Practicing better tackling form in training camp should help Kancey improve in this area.

DT Vita Vea: Run defense

Vea had a similar issue to Calijah Kancey last year as his run defense slipped to a 62.5 grade per Pro Football Focus, which was the second-worst mark in his eight-year career in Tampa Bay. Part of that was a result of poor tackling, as he earned a 39.1 grade last year with eight missed tackles, resulting in a 19.5% missed tackle grade, which was the second-highest of his career.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby and Panthers RB Rico Dowdle – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Ray Seebeck

At age 30, Vea was healthy last year and played well overall, but he faced more double teams without Kancey playing next to him for the majority of the season. Vea needs to do a better job of shedding double teams and being more effective in the run game, in addition to tackling better. With another healthy season and hopefully Kancey lining up next to him, Vea is looking to rebound in the run game, especially as he enters a contract year. That starts with improved block shedding in training camp.

DT A’Shawn Robinson: Better pad level

The 31-year-old Robinson comes to Tampa Bay to help stop the run and bring a bigger body to the line of scrimmage. At 6-foot-4, 320 pounds with grown man strength, Robinson is a powerful defensive tackle, but like all trench players, that power can be lost without proper pad level. The old adage about the line of scrimmage is never wrong: the low man wins. And while being 6-foot-4 is not gargantuan, Robinson must work on keeping his pad level lower in training camp.

It’s natural for any lineman – offensive or defensive – to see their pad level naturally rise off the snap of the ball even more quickly as fatigue sets in. First quarter pad level is generally better than fourth quarter pad level. So for Robinson, part of better pad level is also working on his conditioning in training camp and adjusting to the Florida heat and humidity so he won’t tire and get stood up late in games by opposing offensive linemen looking to run block.

DT Elijah Roberts: Stronger anchor

Roberts, last year’s fifth-round pick, was thrust into the role of playing way more snaps than either he or the team had planned for his rookie year. But losing Calijah Kancey for 14 of the 17 games called for the SMU product to play a bunch at the defensive tackle position – a position he was learning on the fly. Roberts played defensive end at 275 pounds for the Mustangs but transitioned inside to play defensive tackle at the NFL level, much like former Bucs defensive tackle Logan Hall did.

Bucs DTs Elijah Roberts and Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Roberts’ weight fluctuated between 280-290 pounds last year, but he was too light to hold up against the run on a down in and down out basis. His mission this offseason was to increase the strength of his lower body and add significant size and muscle to better anchor against one-on-one blocks and double teams in the run game. Roberts did an effective job in the weight room and has gotten his weight up to 305 pounds. Now he must learn how to use that additional mass to his advantage and better hold his ground at the point of attack in the August practices.

DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches: Prove to be more than a cheerleader

The big reason why the Bucs re-signed Nunez-Roches this offseason is because of the energy he brings to practice. Nunez-Roches is a firestarter in practice, always running his mouth with vocal encouragement for his teammates. But at age 33, he must prove to be more than a cheerleader in practice to make the 53-man roster. That means he must prove that he is still a capable run defender as a backup nose tackle and he’ll have to earn a roster spot with his play on the field this August, especially with young defensive tackles like DeMonte Capehart, Jayson Jones, Elijah Simmons and others also vying for spot on the depth chart.

There is a huge difference between the paychecks for players on the active roster and on the practice squad. Nunez-Roches can be just as an effective force of energy in street clothes on the sidelines on game days as a practice squader than he can be suited up in pads. The key for him is to prove that he’s one of the six best defensive tackles on the team worthy of dressing on game day as a member of the active roster rather than as a member of the practice squad. Nunez-Roches needs to have a productive camp and preseason and will get plenty of playing time this August to prove his worth.

FAB 2. Where The Bucs Must Improve In Camp: Outside Linebackers

Now let’s took a look at the outside linebacker room, which has been overhauled this offseason. Here are the six mostly likely candidates vying for one of five spots on the OLB depth chart.

OLB Yaya Diaby: Improved pass rush plan

Diaby has proven to be a top 10 edge rusher when it comes to pressures. With 132 pressures and an average pass rush win rate close to 18% over the last two seasons, Diaby is one of the best when it comes to getting to the quarterback. Well, close to the quarterback. With 19 sacks over three seasons, Diaby has averaged six sacks per year and led the team with a career-high 7.5 in 2023 as a rookie and seven sacks last year. But he has yet to reach double-digits because he must become a better finisher.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby and Texans QB C.J. Stroud – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

That comes with having a better pass rush plan – not just on a given play, but by setting up his move on third down by what he does on first and second down. Diaby needs more pass rush moves and effective counters in order for that to happen. His primary moves are a bull rush through opposing tackles’ chests, a long arm move to win the outside or a sudden ghost step to try to rush inside. Diaby needs to diversify his pass rush plan to incorporate a push-pull to work off the bull rush, and a club-rip to dip-and-rip to the outside or inside in camp.

Rueben Bain Jr.: Beat NFL length/speed

Bain is one of a few rookies I’ll include in this SR’s FAB 5 because he is slated to start opposite Yaya Diaby on Tampa Bay’s defensive line. At 6-foot-2, 263 pounds with just 31-inch arms, Bain doesn’t have the arm length to effectively beat offensive tackles with his reach. To prevent being engulfed and neutralized by opposing offensive tackles with longer arms, Bain must rely on his quick get-off and his power and technique to win each down. Against bigger, better and faster NFL lineman that could become a problem.

Bain’s arms aren’t going to get any longer. So he must use his natural low center of gravity and win with leverage and proper hand usage. That’s going to be a work in progress during his rookie season in the NFL. That process begins in training camp where he will have to experiment with what works against NFL competition and what he can get away with in terms of his moves, while also learning to avoid what won’t work at the pro level and staying away from that. The good news is that Bain will have two worthy and different opponents to test those moves against in Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke in practice this August.

Al-Quadin Muhammad: Win earlier in the rep

Muhammad is coming off a breakout season in Detroit where he notched a career-high 11 sacks. While he will be more of a rotational piece in Tampa Bay than a full-time starter, Muhammad needs to show some improvement earlier in the rep regardless of how many snaps he winds up playing in red and pewter. That means having a full understanding of his role in the defense on every play so he can play with a great sense of urgency.

Muhammad plays with a high motor and the majority of his sacks last year came by hustling and not quitting on the play rather than getting quick wins off the snap by beating offensive linemen instantly. Better hand usage off the snap and being decisive in his path to the quarterback or the running back can help create more sacks and tackles for loss. Muhammad must be more deliberate from the get go and win one-on-one opportunities rather than relying on getting clean-up sacks from the penetration of others with his hustle.

Anthony Nelson: Maintain consistency

Nelson is known as a “steady Eddie” – a defender who is reliable and consistent. Nelson’s football I.Q., his experience and his reliability are all valued by head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles. As a result, Nelson is one of Bowles’ favorite players even though he is a reserve rather than a starter. At age 29, Nelson still has plenty of good football left in him, but he must prove that he is worth a roster spot because he is dependable.

Bucs OLB Anthony Nelson and ILB SirVocea Dennis and Saints QB Spencer Rattler – Photo by: USA Today

That means Nelson must use his 6-foot-7 size to continue to set the edge in the running game and continue to be effective on special teams, primarily on field goal protection and block units. The Bucs have added two outside linebackers this offseason who will likely surpass Nelson on the depth chart in first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. and Al-Quadin Muhammad, plus get David Walker back from injured reserve. Nelson could slide down to OLB5 on the depth chart as a result. But the eight-year veteran must prove to be consistent enough not to slide off the roster in training camp.

David Walker: Prove athleticism is back

Walker is the great unknown in Tampa Bay due to the fact that his rookie season was spent on injured reserve after tearing his ACL on the third day of training camp last year. The fourth-round pick in 2025 showed great promise in OTAs and mini-camp as an athletic edge rusher. Now he must prove that he’s completely healed from his knee surgery and that he has regained the athleticism that got him drafted out of Central Arkansas.

That means overcoming the mental hurdle about his surgically-repaired knee and going all out in training camp. Walker has a lot of ground to make up after missing last year. The 2026 campaign will essentially be his rookie season, and he needs to prove he can be the athletic monster Tampa Bay believes he can be. If he lives up to his athletic potential he could be OLB3 on the depth chart. If he doesn’t, he could wind up as OLB5 this year and playing more on special teams than on defense.

Chris Braswell: Become a finisher

This is a make-or-break training camp for Braswell. The former second-round pick is on his last leg in Tampa Bay. He must really come on and live up to his potential to earn a roster spot. But given his athletic limitations and his fractured confidence, suddenly showing up and showing out will be a tall order for the Alabama product.

What Braswell needs to do is show that he can be a playmaker by becoming a finisher. He needs to convert pressures to sacks, force fumbles instead of just making tackles, and pick off passes instead of just dropping in coverage. Basically any opportunity Braswell has to make a splash play, he needs to make it. He must do anything and everything he can to stand out as an impact player in camp and in the preseason. Otherwise he won’t make the team in 2026.

FAB 3. Where The Bucs Must Improve In Camp: Inside Linebackers

The Bucs will keep four inside linebackers and here are the top candidates to claim those spots on the depth chart.

ILB Alex Anzalone: Prove he can rush the passer

The Bucs signed Anzalone to help in pass coverage at the linebacker level. That area has been a sore spot for Todd Bowles over the last couple of years with not just K.J. Britt and SirVocea Dennis, but also with Lavonte David during his decline. Anzalone takes over for David as the team’s Moneybacker or Mo’ linebacker on the weakside and he will be tasked with dropping in coverage quite a bit. But Bowles also likes to blitz his linebackers in his various pressure packages – both of them.

Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

David recorded 16.5 sacks over the last four years in Tampa Bay as Bowles ramped up his blitzing opportunities, and he recorded 5.5 sacks in 2024. By comparison, Anzalone has just 13 sacks over his nine-year career between New Orleans and Detroit with his career-high being three sacks with the Lions in 2023. Can he prove to be an effective blitzer in Bowles’ scheme? That means disguising and timing his blitzes right, and then having the technique to possibly beat a blocking back and finish the sack opportunity at the quarterback? Anzalone will need to brush up on those skills in training camp.

ILB Josiah Trotter: Identifying plays early

The knock on Trotter coming off just two years of playing time at the college level is his pass coverage ability. The Bucs don’t think he’s as bad in that area as some would believe he is, and Trotter did show improvement in coverage as the year went on at Missouri when he had a better grasp of the system. The key in pass coverage – as well as in run defense and blitzing – is quickly identifying the play. That comes with a combination of intense film study and mastering the playbook as well as reps on the field.

Trotter needs to learn, learn, learn during camp. He has the physical attributes to be a good NFL linebacker. Where he needs to win is from the neck up. Like all rookies, there will come a time when his head is swimming until the game slows down for him. Trotter will need to try to limit his mistakes and not make the same ones twice. The quicker he is to I.D. plays correctly, the faster he will be able to show up to the ball and make a play on it when he arrives. The only way to have the game slow down is to get on-field reps. But using his eyes and quickly processing plays – whether they be in coverage or versus the run plays – will be the key to early success for Trotter.

ILB SirVocea Dennis: Improving angles

Dennis is a limited athlete. That’s why he was drafted in the fifth round on Day 3 in 2023 rather than on Day 2 in the middle rounds. His best attributes are his football I.Q. and his toughness against the run, as he is a willing tackler as well as an effective blitzer. But his athletic limitations show up not just in taking poor angles in coverage, but also in taking the same poor angles in the running game.

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis and Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier – Photo by: USA Today

Dennis cannot overcome his physical shortcomings in the weight room. He can get slightly bigger and stronger, but his frame is already maxed out. He can possibly get a bit more agile and a tick quicker, but the real improvement he can make in terms of his effectiveness as a linebacker is taking the proper angles to the ball in coverage or the ballcarrier once the catch has been made or the runner takes the handoff. This can be repped and practiced in training camp, and that’s where Dennis needs to make the most strides. He simply cannot overcome taking bad angles and must learn to always take the correct path to the football.

ILB Christian Rozeboom: Improve as a tackler

A quick look at Pro Football Focus reveals that Rozeboom doesn’t do much right. Despite leading Carolina in tackles last year, Rozeboom earned a 48.4 overall grade, a 56.6 run defense grade, a 49.4 tackling grade, a 61.7 pass rush grade and a 42.3 coverage grade. Rozeboom won’t start in Tampa Bay, and will likely be ILB4 on defense and a core special teams contributor. So which area does he need to improve the most as he makes his Buccaneers debut?

Probably tackling, as that will be the common denominator for his play on both defense and special teams. Rozeboom, a former undrafted free agent, has physical limitations just like Dennis. He has to overcome them by not just taking better angles to the ball, but by also improving his tackling technique when he arrives. Both linebackers had a missed tackle rate just below 13%, which isn’t awful, but it’s not great either. Yet the limited time that Rozeboom will be on the field in 2026 he has to make those tackle opportunities count, and that means working on this area while learning the Bucs’ playbook in camp.

FAB 4. Where The Bucs Must Improve In Camp: Cornerbacks

Tampa Bay will keep five or six cornerbacks, but these are the four cornerbacks assured of claiming roster spots on the 53-man roster.

CB Zyon McCollum: Regain confidence

The last time we saw McCollum was during Tampa Bay’s Week 15 loss to Atlanta on Thursday Night Football. McCollum left the game due to a hip injury and didn’t return for the rest of the season. The 2025 campaign was the worst for McCollum, as he allowed a career-high five touchdowns despite only playing in 13 games. McCollum’s concentration lapsed at some critical moments of games against the Texans, Jets, Patriots and Rams and his confidence began to erode during the year as a result.

Rams WR Davante Adams and Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

That came at the worst time as he received a huge contract extension prior to the start of his contract year, making $16 million per year. McCollum failed to live up to expectations and that probably took a toll on his confidence as well. McCollum has two big allies in head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles, as well as new cornerbacks coach Rashad Johnson, who was promoted to that post with the firing of Kevin Ross. The key for him to rebound in 2026 is to attack training camp with a clean slate and a fresh mindset. He needs to be confident and play aggressive football at the start of training camp and don’t let up.

CB Jacob Parrish: Perfect technique as an outside cornerback

Parrish is undersized to play outside cornerback at 5-foot-10 from a height standpoint. At nearly 200 pounds, Parrish has enough strength to handle the physical rigors of playing outside, just as he did for three seasons at Kansas State. But NFL receivers are taller, bigger and better at the pro level, and that will require Parrish to perfect his technique when playing outside during training camp and the preseason.

Parrish proved to be a very good slot defender at nickelback when he was a rookie. However, when injuries struck, Parrish was forced to play outside and start a few games there where he wasn’t as effective as he was inside. With the team needing a replacement for Jamel Dean, who departed in free agency, Parrish has the inside track to be that guy over the oft-injured Benjamin Morrison, who is taller at 6-foot. The key for Parrish is working on winning at the line of scrimmage off the snap and staying in phase with the receiver, then timing his pass breakup and interception attempts down the field in camp.

CB Benjamin Morrison: Limit big plays

Hamstring injuries caused Morrison to miss an entire month of training camp and all three preseason games during his rookie season. He re-injured his hamstring during the regular season and missed seven more games. As a result, Morrison missed valuable reps in camp and in game situations where he could have improved. While he can’t control how healthy he’ll be this August, when he’s on the field Morrison will need to improve his concentration, his route identification and his coverage technique.

Bucs CB Benjamin Morrison and Bills WR Tyrell Shavers – Photo by: USA Today

Morrison gave up too many plays last year, including critical long touchdowns in losses to New England and Buffalo. The key to any successful cornerback is preventing the big play downfield first. That can be done with following coverage rules and responsibilities and by using better technique. Morrison is still playing catch-up from an inconsistent and injury-riddled rookie season – and he needs to catch up fast and not be a liability in coverage during his second season in Tampa Bay.

CB Keionte Scott: Prove he can hold up in man coverage

Scott arrives from Miami as a fourth-round pick. After transferring from Auburn, Scott proved to be an excellent blitzer out of the slot, using his 4.33 speed to record five sacks in his lone season for the Hurricanes. That speed also showed up with two big pick-sixes when he timed his jump on the ball perfectly, including a game-changing INT versus Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs to beat the Buckeyes and advance.

For all of Scott’s speed and athleticism, it doesn’t quite show up in man coverage. He’s a much better zone defender at this stage of his career, despite being three years older than Jacob Parrish at age 25. Scott will likely start at nickelback for the Bucs and he’ll need to prove that he can be sticky in man coverage, especially with the amount of blitzes that Todd Bowles likes to call. Getting as many man coverage reps in during training camp will prove to be incredibly beneficial for his rookie season.

FAB 5. Where The Bucs Must Improve In Camp: Safeties

The Buccaneers will ultimately keep four or five safeties, but only two are assured of roster spots – starters Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith.

S Antoine Winfield Jr.: Find the big plays again

The reason why the Bucs made Winfield the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL after the 2023 season was because he was a big-play machine. With six sacks, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and three interceptions to go along with 122 tackles, Winfield was a first-team All-Pro safety in 2023 despite being an egregious Pro Bowl snub. His follow-up season was a huge letdown as his production and effectiveness dipped during an injury-plagued 2024 season.

Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jets QB Tyrod Taylor – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Last year saw Winfield return to better health, but he only recorded two interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The reason why Winfield did not make as many plays as in years past was because he had to play more free safety as Tykee Smith had some limitations in coverage. Smith was used more in the box as a strong safety, and Winfield was further away from the action as a result. In order for Winfield to play closer to the line of scrimmage, the Bucs need Smith to improve in coverage. But when Winfield is in the box, he needs to make those plays count, starting in camp in order to build confidence.

S Tykee Smith: Improve his range as a free safety

Smith transitioned from nickelback to safety last year and proved to be the team’s best defensive back during the first half of the season. Seeing more time in the box as a strong safety, Smith recorded his first two NFL sacks as a blitzer and also recovered a fumble and had an end zone interception against New England on a red zone throw. But Smith struggled down the field in coverage, sometimes taking poor angles, and that must be corrected prior to the start of the 2026 campaign.

Bucs SS Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

Todd Bowles likes to rotate his safeties and there will be times when Antoine Winfield Jr. will be the single high safety and Smith will be in the box and vice versa. In order to increase Winfield’s effectiveness closer to the line of scrimmage, Smith will need to improve his range as a free safety in those single high play calls. That means Smith needs to get to his landmarks in coverage at the right time, see the whole field clearly, time his breaks on the ball at the right moment without hesitation and take the proper angles to the ball. All of those skills need to be mastered in August.

Mike Alstott Joins The Pewter Report Podcast On Monday

Legendary Bucs fullback, Ring of Honor inductee and Super Bowl XXXVII champion Mike Alstott will join Scott Reynolds and Matt Matera on the Pewter Report Podcast on Monday at 4:00 p.m. ET on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel. Join us and hear what the A-Train has to say about this year’s Buccaneers team and hear his stories from the glory days of yesterday.