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After a day off on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned to a fully padded practice on Thursday with special guests former Bucs head coach Jon Gruden and former linebacker Lavonte David, who retired in the offseason.

Following another day of training camp, let’s take a look at the list of studs and duds from the action on Thursday.

Studs From Day 7 Of Bucs Training Camp

OLB David Walker

David Walker, the second-year edge rusher, has truly been the star of Bucs training camp – and it hasn’t even been close.

Walker had at least one sack for the seventh straight practice in a row and is easily leading the defense in this category. He had two would-be sacks today, but on his second – and final – sack of Thursday’s practice, he literally had a strip-sack, and the fumble recovery to boot. Walker is quickly stating his case for OLB3 behind Yaya Diaby and Rueben Bain Jr.

S Antoine Winfield Jr.

Antoine Winfield Jr. had a sensational practice on Thursday, making two big splash plays early. First, he was running stride for stride with running back Kenny Gainwell down the sidelines with blanket coverage and then broke up a perfectly thrown pass from Baker Mayfield to Gainwell at the front pylon to deny a touchdown. Then Winfield came flying in and got a sack on a well-timed blitz at full speed. In camp this year, Winfield has looked like the Winfield from the 2023 season when he had an All-Pro campaign, and that’s a terrific sign.

CB Ayden Garnes

The undrafted free agent rookie from Arizona continues to make splash plays. With Benjamin Morrison still being held out of team drills, Ayden Garnes is one of several cornerbacks to rotate in with the starters. After recording his first interception the other day, Garnes continues to display sticky coverage and great instincts and timing. Garnes broke up two passes on Thursday, stepping in front of Ted Hurst and breaking up a pass near the sidelines on a throw from Baker Mayfield, and then had another PBU later, undercutting Bauer Sharp on a crosser in the red zone. Garnes is cool under fire and looks like an NFL cornerback – and a UDFA steal by Tampa Bay so far.

OLB Rueben Bain Jr.

Rueben Bain Jr. wasn’t necessarily the pass rushing phenom he has been in other practices on Thursday, but he made a real heady play that Todd Bowles is going to love when he goes back and watches the film. Bain showed off his high football I.Q. and his quick reaction time and twitchiness sniffing out a quick-hitting throw to the flat to Bucky Irving and got there in an instant. Irving caught the pass but then bounced off of Bain and hit the turf like the rookie outside linebacker was a brick wall.

Bucs OLB Rueben Bain Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ILB Josiah Trotter

Josiah Trotter was making his presence felt again in Bucs practice. He’s been a monster ever since the pads came on during Monday’s practice. After making several tackles for loss on Monday and Tuesday, and then on Thursday he literally tackled tight end Cade Otton on fourth down during the two-minute drill with the starting offense versus the starting defense.

Trotter than flexed after making a big play – deservedly so.

Duds From Day 6 Of Bucs Training Camp

WR Garrett Greene

Garrett Greene continued his shaky performance where he had a myriad of drops during Tuesday’s night practice on Thursday. After hauling in diving catch from Jake Browning where he appeared to redeem himself, Greene got targeted again on the same drive and hauled in a catch on the run while running a crossing route. But as he was making the catch the ball just slipped right out of his hands. Was it a catch? It looked like a catch and fumble for the second-year player out of West Virginia.

CB Zyon McCollum

In reality, Zyon McCollum had a good practice. He didn’t give up any big catches down the field, although he was in the trail position for a touchdown catch in the back of the end zone by tight end Cade Otton – although it was hard to tell if Otton was McCollum’s man in coverage because it was a scramble drill. McCollum also had a sack on a blitz and then undercut a throw in the back of the end zone during the red zone period and should have had an easy interception.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But instead of corralling his third interception of camp, McCollum bobbled it, and bobbled it and bobbled it before the ball fell to the ground. It goes down as a PBU, which is good, but in reality, McCollum has to come down with that gimme pick, which he had both hands on, because it was in the end zone. That’s the difference between Tampa Bay ending a potential scoring drive and allowing the offense another shot at a touchdown on the next play because of the dropped interception. Tampa Bay’s $16 million-per-year cornerback needs to make those plays.

The Pewter Report Podcast Recaps Each Bucs Training Camp Practice

For more coverage on Bucs training camp practices, watch the Pewter Report Podcast – presented by Prize Picks – on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel. Each Pewter Report Podcast goes live at 4:00 pm ET on the days the Buccaneers practice. Visit PewterReportTV for more our exclusive Camp Diaries with QB Jalon Daniels and OLB David Walker and other Bucs video analysis.