After a couple weeks of training camp, things will start to get more real as the Bucs open up their three-game preseason schedule Saturday night against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles said Thursday that the majority of starters will not suit up for the exhibition opener, keeping with the strategy he employed last year. Nonetheless, there will still be plenty of Bucs to keep an eye on throughout the game on Saturday night.

After picking out a player to watch at each offensive position on Friday, we’ll flip over to the other side of the ball with the defensive players to watch in the game against Cincinnati.

Bucs To Watch vs. Bengals: Defense

Here are some of the Bucs to watch on the defensive side of the ball in Week 1 of the preseason:

DL Eric Banks

Bucs OLBs Chris Braswell, Eric Banks and Jose Ramirez – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Eric Banks, a defensive lineman out of UTSA, has emerged in recent weeks as a potential sleeper on the defensive line. In fact, Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds had Banks making the team in his initial 53-man roster projection on Friday. The 26-year-old racked up 81 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, three passes defensed and one fumble recovery over 48 career collegiate games before signing with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent parts of 2020-2023 with the Rams, Chargers, Lions and Cardinals before signing a reserve/future contract with the Bucs in January of this year.

Tampa Bay is liking what it’s seeing from the 6-foot-5, 274-pound Banks. In fact, he even got some looks with the first-team defense during a practice last Saturday. He’s made a good impression on team personnel, but he’ll need to carry it all over to the preseason games – starting Saturday against the Bengals. If he can do enough in the exhibition games, he may find himself joining the defensive line room that already consists of locks in Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, Logan Hall and Greg Gaines.

OLB Chris Braswell

The competition at outside linebacker is one of the more intriguing storylines to continue following throughout training camp and the preseason, and 2024 second-round pick Chris Braswell is firmly in the middle of it. With Randy Gregory no-showing training camp and Yaya Diaby’s ankle injury – as well as some time missed by Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Braswell is among those who have benefitted from increased reps in camp. He’s really started to shine more in practice this week, and now it’s time to see him get his first crack at NFL game action on Saturday night.

With Diaby out, Tryon-Shoyinka unlikely to play and fellow veteran Anthony Nelson not necessarily needing the reps, Braswell could get a chance to play a lot in his NFL debut against Cincinnati. He’ll look to showcase the speed-to-power and overall strength that led the Bucs to make him their second-round pick out of Alabama. Diaby and Tryon-Shoyinka figure to be the starters come Week 1 and Braswell isn’t fighting for a roster spot the way Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez might be, but a strong showing in the preseason could position him well on the depth chart and potentially set him up to eventually start on the opposite side from Diaby at some point later in the season.

ILB Kalen DeLoach

Bucs ILB Kalen DeLoach – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

For the first time since 2018, the Bucs are entering a season without Devin White in their linebacker room. They’re lucky there wasn’t too much turnover, though, as longtime captain and team legend Lavonte David is back for his 13th season. But without White, K.J. Britt steps in to start alongside David and 2023 fifth-round pick SirVocea Dennis slides in as the No. 3 linebacker. The No. 4 spot is up for grabs, and that’s where undrafted free agent Kalen DeLoach has a big opportunity. The Florida State product was one of the bigger undrafted free agents Tampa Bay signed back in April, and he’s put together a very good couple of weeks in training camp thus far.

DeLoach, listed at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, is undersized but has exceptional speed that helped him rack up seven sacks for the Seminoles last season. He will have to beat out veteran J.J. Russell, among others, for a roster spot, but he’s on the right track as the first preseason game approaches. Because of David’s veteran camp schedule and Dennis’ recent absence due to injury, DeLoach has worked with both the first- and second-team defense over the last couple of weeks. Those reps should prove valuable as he looks to have a strong preseason and stake a claim to a roster spot when the regular season rolls around.

DB Tykee Smith

It’s been quite a week for Tykee Smith, the team’s third-round pick, as he recovered quickly from a mild ankle sprain during Saturday’s practice to return to action on Tuesday. Despite the sore ankle, Smith was able to participate in all three practices this week without incident. He’s been a part-time starter at the nickelback position, as he played the STAR position at Georgia, which is hybrid safety/slot cornerback role. The Bucs are really high on Smith, as coaches and players have both praised his high football I.Q. and how he seems like a wily veteran despite his rookie status.

Smith has been adept at blitzing from the slot in practice and he’s got a sneaky way of disguising and timing his blitzes so he gets a free run at the quarterback. The Bucs have had some fantastic blitzing DBs from the slot over the years from Hall of Fame legend Ronde Barber back in the day to All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who racked up a career-high six sacks last season. Could Smith be this caliber of a blitzer? Time will tell. The former Bulldogs star has also been impressive in coverage with two great pass breakups in practice against the Bucs starters this week. Could his first interception in August come in Cincinnati in his NFL preseason debut? Stay tuned.

CB Tyrek Funderburk

Bucs CB Tyrek Funderburk – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tyrek Funderburk is another undrafted free agent who has a real shot at making some noise in the preseason and making the Bucs’ 53-man roster come September. The App State product was one of the standouts during OTAs and mandatory mini-camp, even drawing the attention of head coach Todd Bowles. Bowles isn’t always quick to single anyone out publicly good or bad, but he named Funderburk as a player he was looking forward to seeing in training camp once the pads came on. So far, Funderburk hasn’t disappointed.

The 6-foot, 185-pound rookie has been up to the task both physically and schematically during camp, which has him in position to make the roster as the team’s fifth cornerback. Second-year corner Keenan Isaac appears to be his primary competition. Again, with starters like Jamel Dean and potentially Zyon McCollum not necessarily in the mix for the preseason opener in Cincinnati, the Bucs should get an extended look at Funderburk. What he does with that extended look on defense will be key, plus he’ll have to prove his worth on special teams – a role he is embracing.

S Rashad Wisdom

If there’s one thing the Buccaneer defense needs more of, it’s takeaways from the secondary. Tampa Bay has been lacking in interceptions over the last couple of years, and Antoine Winfield Jr. was the only member of the secondary really contributing to the turnover margin last year. Rashad Wisdom, a rookie out of UTSA, has proven capable of helping in that department during camp. He came up with an interception and a forced fumble in the span of one practice at the end of July, plus he’s been generally solid in coverage. On one particular rep, he perfectly covered a deep ball to rookie Jalen McMillan, knocking the ball away at the goal line to prevent a touchdown.

Wisdom faces long odds to make the final roster out of camp given the depth the Bucs have at the safety position. But a strong enough preseason could set him up as a strong practice squad candidate. He figures to get quite a bit of playing time considering Winfield and Jordan Whitehead – Tampa Bay’s starting safeties – are unlikely to get many snaps during the exhibition slate. It’s up to Wisdom, then, to take advantage of his snaps and keep himself in the mix as a potential third W in the safety room some time down the line.