Pewter Report’s PR Roundtable
presented by PrizePicks

Sign up for PrizePicks with code: HMA then play a $5 lineup and get $150 if you win by clicking HERE.

A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. Which Bucs player are you most excited to see in the preseason opener?

Scott Reynolds: I Want To See If Jalon Daniels Can Shine Under The Lights

I’ve gotten to know former Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels a bit since doing two installments of the Jalon Daniels Camp Diary on PewterReport.com and on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel. And I’ve seen what he can do in practice during training camp. Daniels, an undrafted free agent, has a very strong arm and great mobility. But Daniels also makes good decisions with the football and can win from the pocket.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

He is in the running for the Bucs’ QB3 role – likely on the practice squad – with second-year passer Connor Bazelak. If Daniels can prove to be effective from the pocket and keep the chains moving with good, accurate passes at the underneath and intermediate levels and mix in a scramble or two using his 4.65 speed that type of efficiency and playmaking ability could be the key to beating out Bazelak.

Daniels has a good rapport with a lot of the receivers and tight ends that will be playing a good amount in the second half against the Jets. Receivers like Dean Patterson IV, Eric Rivers and Dennis Houston and tight ends Bauer Sharp and Kenny Fletcher. I wouldn’t be surprised if Daniels has a big game on Friday night due to his dynamic athleticism and strong arm.

Matt Matera: Bauer Sharp Can Finally Show The Best Traits Of His Game

Bucs sixth-round pick tight end Bauer Sharp has been described as a wild man when he’s on the football field. Never over the line, but just a player that is physical, goes all out, and isn’t afraid of anything. He’s played other positions in college and can end up being a Swiss army knife for the Bucs. While the pads have been put on, Sharp’s hardcore nature is best fit for in the game themselves.

Bucs TE Bauer Sharp – Photo by Cliff Welch P/R

How many sixth-rounders have a chance in their NFL debut (albeit the preseason) to quickly rise up the ranks to be an impact player? This first game with the Bucs playing against the Jets is an opportunity for Sharp to get a ton of reps at the tight end position and move past Devin Culp for third string. In due time, he may push Payne Durham for second string. Sharp has showed early on that he can be a red zone presence. He can put it together on Friday along with his physicality.

Where Sharp will also be able to audition himself is on special teams. It’s open tryouts with new special teams coordinator Danny Smith at the helm, and Sharp looks primed to have an important role in that area. It will be intriguing to see how Sharp can fit in on this team.

Adam Slivon: Can David Walker Translate Camp Dominance Under The Lights?

This week’s PR Roundtable was one of the easiest choices I have ever made. David Walker has been the Bucs best player in training camp so far. After recording sacks in nine straight practices, Walker has been absolutely dominant. As the conductor of his hype train, he is coming for the OLB2 job opposite Rueben Bain Jr. in 2026 and beyond. With all this being said, the excitement surrounding him will only continue if he can translate what he has done in practice against other teams.

Bucs OLB David Walker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That is what makes Walker the player I am most excited to watch as Tampa Bay takes on the Jets on Friday night. He has spent much of camp battling against the second- and third-team offensive tackles but has also given the first-team tough looks as of late, spending Sunday’s practice rotating in and taking on right tackle Luke Goedeke. The joint practices and preseason opener offer a prime opportunity to face a pair of promising young tackles in Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou – if they play. Todd Bowles has already stated that he will get a lot of work this week, which only adds to just how excited I am to see the team’s 2025 fourth-round pick in action.

Now is the time in the football calendar to see which players are for real. It is a completely different beast performing well in camp to performing well in actual games. For David Walker, he will be facing and playing against his first NFL team after suffering a torn ACL last season. A lot is riding on how he looks, but the buzz around him has been warranted and will only increase should his sack streak translate.

Bailey Adams: I’m Ready For A Huge Bucs Debut From Ted Hurst III

There’s been a lot of intrigue surrounding Ted Hurst III ever since the Bucs drafted him out of Georgia State in the third round of the 2026 Draft. Needing a true “X” receiver type after losing the legendary Mike Evans in free agency this offseason, Tampa Bay went with Hurst, a 6-foot-4 playmaker, in hopes of replicating some of what Evans did over his 12-year career in red, white and pewter.

And while everyone who is asked about the rookie receiver is careful to point out that no one is Mike Evans – and I’ll say it, too… no one is Mike Evans – that disclaimer is always followed by major, major praise for Hurst. He was a standout in practice over the summer, and he carried some of the success he was having back then into the early parts of training camp. Little by little, we got glimpses of the type of player he can be for Baker Mayfield and this Buccaneers offense.

Then, everything REALLY took off for the 22-year-old during Sunday’s practice.

Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Hurst made his presence felt during Tampa Bay’s final practice before its trip up north for joint practices with the New York Jets. Whether it was catching a deep ball from Jake Browning over Josh Hayes and displaying some serious body control while doing so or showcasing his length, leaping ability and talent for high-pointing the football on a goal-line fade from Baker Mayfield, the rookie made it clear that he’s ready for the challenges ahead – those joint practices and then Friday’s preseason opener at MetLife Stadium.

With Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson and David Sills V banged up, Chris Godwin Jr. unlikely to feature in the exhibition opener and the potential for Emeka Egbuka to be held out as well, Hurst should get plenty of snaps in his professional debut. From what we’ve seen on the practice fields over the last few months in terms of his sheer ability and NFL readiness as well as the rapport he’s developed with Browning – who is sure to play some – I think Hurst is ready to have a big Bucs debut. I’d go as far as backing him to haul in his (unofficial) first touchdown for Tampa Bay.

Josh Queipo: Can Ayden Garnes Fill A Need At Cornerback?

The Bucs addressed almost every roster need they had over the offseason, save one. The Bucs, to this point, have not added a veteran corner to give some experienced depth to a youthful position room. And with Benjamin Morrison not actively practicing, depth at corner looks conspicuously thin.

Bucs CB Ayden Garnes – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That’s why I am so excited to see Ayden Garnes, who has been a standout all offseason and in the first week of training camp, in preseason action. After scouting him last week I concluded that he has real coverage chops and can hang in the NFL. If I had scouted him during the draft cycle I would have given him a draftable grade. But Garnes isn’t perfect and the critical issues I noted could be catastrophic.

Yes, I’ll be looking for how well he holds up in coverage. But more importantly I want to see if he’s put on any (good) weight since his pro day. Can he hold up against bigger and more physical receivers? How does his tackling look? Is he still diving at ankles or has he adjusted his aiming point? These critical profile aspects will show whether he can hang in the NFL. And I’m excited to see how he answers the challenge.

Nick Geddes: Pepe Williams Has Chance To Enhance His Case To Stick On Bucs Roster

Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish are the known commodities in the cornerback room for the Buccaneers. Sure, we sort of know Benjamin Morrison, but he’s been seen more on the sideline in street clothes than in pads and a uniform since arriving to Tampa Bay as a second-round pick in 2025. Keionte Scott, the team’s 2026 fourth-round selection, is a new face, one expected to serve as the Buccaneers’ nickel corner this season.

With McCollum and Parrish occupying the starting spots outside and Morrison continuing to be sidelined with a hamstring injury, the opportunity is there for someone to step up and earn a spot on the 53-man roster. Enter Damarion “Pepe” Williams, a 28-year-old with only 15 games of NFL in-game action under his belt.

Bucs CB Pepe Williams – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Williams, signed to Tampa Bay’s practice squad last September, has been working primarily with the second-team defense, also seeing select snaps with the first-team. The former Houston Cougar has been a bright spot through nine days of training camp and he, along with undrafted rookie Ayden Garnes, look to be in prime position to lock down a roster spot.

That is especially true now that the Buccaneers have released both veteran cornerbacks they brought in earlier this offseason in Chase Lucas and Kemon Hall. Essentially, it’s Williams, Garnes, and special teams ace Josh Hayes battling for the backup spots behind McCollum, Parrish, and Morrison.

Williams’ case to stick around would only be enhanced by a strong showing in this Friday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets. He should see plenty of work against a relatively inexperienced New York pass catching corps. Garnes has made several splash plays in training camp that have caught the attention of his teammates and head coach Todd Bowles. Now, it’s time for Williams to show he can do the same, though, in this case, live action.