Pewter Report’s PR Roundtable
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A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: What has been a Bucs’ bright spot so far?

Scott Reynolds: A’Shawn Robinson Has Been Everything The Bucs Wanted Him To Be

The Bucs raised some eyebrows when the team signed 31-year old defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson to a one-year, $10 million contract. This coming after the Panthers released Robinson after refusing to pay him $8.5 million in 2026. So why did Tampa Bay give a raise – perhaps unnecessarily – to an aging defensive tackle in free agency?

The Bucs defense needed some toughness, size and physicality up front. The unit also needed some accountability and leadership and Robinson has delivered all of those qualities so far through three games.

Bucs DT A’Shawn Robinson – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Don’t look now, but Robinson is not only the highest-graded defensive player in Tampa Bay with an 85.8 Pro Football Focus grade, but he’s also the league’s fourth-highest graded defensive tackle per PFF. He’s got an 83.8 PFF run defense grade that has helped the Bucs produce the NFL’s second-best run defense this year, holding opponents to just 76 yards per game on the ground. Thanks in part to Robinson, the Bucs also have the sixth-ranked defense in terms of total yardage, allowing 282.7 yards per game.

Robinson leads all Tampa Bay defensive linemen with 13 tackles and he has a tackle for loss, a sack, a pass breakup and an interception. He’s been more productive so far than Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey combined. Again, we’ll see if this holds up over the course of the season, but so far he’s off to a great start and has been everything the Bucs wanted him to be when they signed him.

Matt Matera: Please Play David Walker More

The best edge rusher on this Bucs team plays the fewest amount. I’m talking about David Walker. It’s been three games and Walker leads the team with two sacks. Let’s also remember that Walker did not get one defensive snap in Week 1, so in two opportunities to actually play on defense, he’s taken the quarterback down more than anyone else. 

Bucs OLB David Walker – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

What’s egregious is that head coach Todd Bowles will still say that Walker still needs to do a better job stopping the run, and that’s why he doesn’t play as much as anyone else. But are the other players getting to the quarterback? That answer is no. 

The reality is that Walker should be starting for Tampa Bay. When he’s in, he winds up making plays. With not much else going on for the Bucs’ defense, Walker has been a positive when he is in. If they play him more often, more success will follow.

Adam Slivon: Chase McLaughlin Is The Bucs MVP In 2026 Right Now

Who would have thought that after three games, Chase McLaughlin would be the Bucs’ top source for scoring points? Kickers are always a team’s leading scorer every season, so that’s nothing new. But McLaughlin has kicked far more field goals than extra points, and that’s been a big problem for Zac Robinson’s offense. For an offense that hasn’t consistently moved the football, McLaughlin has been quite busy early on. He has connected on 9-of-9 field goals this season, with his longest being from 59 yards out.

Bucs K Chase McLaughlin – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

“Money McLaughlin” is automatic from anywhere he lines up. During his time in Tampa Bay, he has established himself as one of the NFL’s best kickers. For a team that has made some contract misfires recently, he deserves a new deal that rewards him for his elite performance.

This is nothing new for McLaughlin, though. He has already become the best kicker in team history, making 100-of-110 field goals (90.9%), including 29-of-33 (87.88%) from beyond 50 yards out. Few aspects of the Bucs are enjoyable to watch right now, which makes him one of the team’s biggest bright spots.

Bailey Adams: Bucs Secondary Has Exceeded Expectations Thus Far

Coming into the season, there were real concerns about whether the Bucs had enough in the secondary to complement the supposedly revamped pass rush and rebuilt front seven as a whole. There were plenty of calls for the team to sign a veteran cornerback, yet that move never came. And it seemed to be a gamble.

But three games in and despite the 0-3 start, the secondary has been solid enough for the Tampa Bay defense. Each week, there’s been something to be encouraged by. And while there have been some shaky moments, the defensive backfield hasn’t been the liability many expected it to be.

Zyon McCollum was a key part of the Bucs’ efforts when it came to holding Ja’Marr Chase to two catches for 12 yards in Week 1. And when Jacob Parrish went down with a back injury in that game, Benjamin Morrison stepped up and played well.

Bucs CBs Zyon McCollum and Keionte Scott – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Week 2 was less impressive from McCollum and Morrison, but the secondary was hardly the reason behind Tampa Bay’s loss to Cleveland. The same goes for the Week 3 defeat, which saw Parrish return and have one bad moment where he fell down in coverage and allowed a 41-yard touchdown to Jordan Addison. Even with that, the secondary was all-around solid. Not to mention, through three games, rookie nickelback Keionte Scott has quietly graded out very well.

Much of the concern for the defensive backfield coming into 2026 was specifically with the cornerbacks. So, it comes as no surprise that the safeties have been as reliable as ever. Antoine Winfield Jr. has yet to make a splash play, but he’s done well in the role he’s being asked to play. Tykee Smith, for his part, has been everywhere and continues to play at a high level.

So, while there are plenty of reasons to panic as the calendar flips to October and the Bucs remain winless, the secondary isn’t one of those reasons. And relative to expectations, that makes this group one of the few bright spots on this team during this 0-3 start and going forward.

Nick Geddes: Elijah Roberts Has Leveled Up In Year 2

The Buccaneers are deep at the defensive tackle position and were expected to have one of the best duos in the sport this season in Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. Through three games, I’d firmly say that Elijah Roberts has actually been the most impactful player on the Bucs defensive line.

Roberts, the second-year player out of SMU, was a very reliable player for Tampa Bay during his rookie season, recording 14 tackles (10 solo) and 2.0 sacks in an elevated role due to Kancey’s injury. He’s leveled up in 2026, even if the box score numbers don’t show it. He’s been charted with three solo tackles and one pressure, but his true value has come against the run.

Bucs DT Elijah Roberts – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Entering Week 4, Roberts is 16th among defensive linemen in the NFL with a 70.9 grade against the run, according to Pro Football Focus. He was one of Tampa Bay’s best players against the Vikings, compiling a pair of run stops, one tackle for loss, and a pass breakup. Roberts did all that in just 17 snaps, third-fewest of those who received at least one defensive snap for the Bucs.

Here I am calling for Roberts to see more time on the field. Sitting at 0-3, what do the Bucs have to lose at this point? If Roberts is performing better than those higher than him on the depth chart, let’s see what he can do with more opportunity.

Josh Queipo: Ted Hurst III Is Proving He Needs More Targets

As is often the case with the Bucs, their first draft pick isn’t always the best immediately. The middle rounds are where the team has found gems like safety Tykee Smith (third round), defensive tackle Elijah Roberts (fifth round), cornerback Jacob Parrish (second round) and outside linebacker Yaya Diaby (third round).

That pattern continues in 2026 as third-round wide receiver Ted Hurst III has quietly had a solid start to the season. And he’s getting louder. After catching three passes in a row on a critical scoring drive late in Week 1, he put up the team’s lone touchdown in Week 3 on a 40-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter. Curiously, he was only targeted two more times against the Vikings.

Bucs WRs Emeka Egbuka and Ted Hurst III – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

Hurst currently ranks fourth on the team in targets, receiving yards and yards per route run. And his 17.2 yards per reception is second only to Tez Johnson. All of this comes from a raw talent taken in the third round out of Georgia State.

Hurst hasn’t lit the world on fire, but his performance relative to his expected development is encouraging. He is blocking well and learning how to operate as an X receiver in the NFL. With Jalen McMillan now out for an extended period of time once again, Hurst’s development path is more well-defined and can help Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka be the best versions of themselves.