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.

We’ll start here with picking one player at each offensive position to watch in the game against Cincinnati, then we’ll do the same with the defense on Saturday.

Bucs To Watch vs. Bengals: Offense

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

QB Kyle Trask

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It’s a much different situation for Kyle Trask this year compared to this time last year. A year ago, he was competing with Baker Mayfield for the Bucs’ starting quarterback job. Now, he’s firmly a backup. Even still, this preseason will be a big opportunity for the 2021 second-round pick to show some more growth and establish himself as a reliable backup to Mayfield – and potentially position himself to be re-signed or move on to a new team next offseason. Because believe it or not, Trask is already in a contract year.

With Mayfield sitting out Saturday’s preseason opener, Trask will get the start at quarterback for Tampa Bay. Given that No. 4 quarterback Zack Annexstad is still sidelined, Trask may get an extended run before turning the reins over to No. 3 quarterback John Wolford.

So far in camp, the former Florida Gator has thrown the fewest interceptions of the three active quarterbacks, which is a plus. But as good as it is for him to be risk-averse most of the time, Trask needs to show more upside than he has to this point. He’s done little to excite anyone in his three-plus years in Tampa and for the sake of his NFL career, it’s time to change that.

RB Bucky Irving

With Rachaad White expected to be inactive on Saturday, it’ll give Bucs fans a great chance to get an extended look at 2024 fourth-round pick Bucky Irving. Veteran Chase Edmonds may be listed as the No. 2 running back on the team’s initial depth chart, but Edmonds hasn’t practiced since the first day of camp. And by the time Week 1 rolls around, Irving is sure to be the No. 2 behind White. Saturday will be the first chance for the former Oregon star to make an impression in a game setting, and it’ll be interesting to see how many snaps he gets. Tampa Bay also has Sean Tucker, D.J. Williams and Ramon Jefferson in the mix.

As I wrote in Tuesday’s PR Roundtable, Irving is one of the more intriguing Bucs to watch on Saturday night. Because it’s not always the easiest to gather anything from the run periods and 11-on-11 run plays during training camp, the preseason will be an excellent chance to see what kind of juice the rookie can bring to Tampa Bay’s rushing attack, which has ranked dead last in the NFL for two straight years.

Between his tackle-breaking ability and pass-catching prowess, Irving is primed to stand out against the Bengals. And with the introduction of the new kickoff rule, he’s firmly in the mix to return kicks, too, adding another level of intrigue to his Buccaneer debut.

WR Jalen McMillan

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Jalen McMillan has been one of the stars of Bucs training camp to this point – and not just among the rookies. The 2024 third-round pick spoke early on in camp about working toward gaining the trust of quarterback Baker Mayfield, and so far, he’s done just that. Mayfield has looked his way a whole lot during practice, and it’s not hard to understand why considering McMillan keeps making play after play. He has great hands, runs routes well and has a certain level of craftiness to his game that has caught the attention of the defenders he’s facing off against day in and day out.

Of course, the next step for McMillan is to translate all of that from the practice fields at the AdventHealth Training Center to the field on gameday – in this case, the field at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The former Washington standout is essentially a starter in this Bucs offense because of Liam Coen’s tendency to run a lot of 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers). But it would be a surprise to see the team include him as one of the starters who won’t dress for the game, meaning we’ll get a good look at the rookie as a de facto WR1, at least for a few series.

*Note: On the off chance that McMillan does not play, keep an eye on Rakim Jarrett, Cody Thompson and Ryan Miller.

TE Devin Culp

Another rookie on this list, Devin Culp will have his first chance to prove why the Bucs should be giving thought to keeping him as their fourth tight end – or third if they only keep three – when they cut the roster down. There’s a case for Culp to stick over Ko Kieft, who is limited as a receiver. But it’s up to the Washington product to not only showcase his speed and pass-catching ability but also hold up as a blocker and contribute on special teams. Kieft has always been a blocking tight end, plus he plays on special teams. So to unseat the veteran for the TE3 role, Culp has to step up in those areas.

Culp’s speed is his biggest strength, but he also put on some weight this offseason to get his body more NFL-ready. He had somewhat of a slower start to camp, but within the last week or so, he’s begun to make some big plays over the middle of the field. And on more than one occasion, he’s beaten his man over the middle and broken away toward the end zone with no other defenders able to catch him. Culp has gotten plenty of work with both Kyle Trask and John Wolford in camp, so it’s time to see if that’ll translate to game action.

OT Lorenz Metz

Bucs LT Lorenz Metz and OLB Jose Ramirez – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Lorenz Metz is one of the sleepers of Bucs camp who may not get as much shine as some of the bigger, more well-known names. But it’s hard to miss the former Cincinnati lineman, as he stands at 6-foot-9 and weighs in at 310 pounds. He previously spent some time with the Giants and Bears before signing on with the Bucs as part of the International Player Pathway Program. The German-born 27-year-old is technically still a rookie, keeping with the trend of this “Players to Watch” list being Kyle Trask and a bunch of rookies.

Because Metz signed with Tampa Bay as part of the International Player Pathway Program, he doesn’t count toward the team’s roster limit. So, he’s essentially a “freebie” as far as roster spots go for now, and that’s giving coaches and team personnel a great chance to see what he can do. He’s had some exceptionally strong performances in camp, particularly during 1-on-1s. With tackle depth unclear behind Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke and Justin Skule, perhaps Metz has an outside shot at cracking the 53-man roster with an impressive preseason.

OG Elijah Klein

Elijah Klein’s roster spot may have been secured with the season-ending knee injury to veteran left guard Sua Opeta last week. But that makes his preseason debut on Saturday night even more important to watch, as he’ll now be needed as depth both at right guard – his position at UTEP – but also at left guard behind Ben Bredeson. The Bucs drafted Klein in the sixth round of April’s draft, and his immediate path to play right guard is nonexistent given the team drafted Cody Mauch just last year. But that doesn’t mean Klein won’t be an important cog in the offensive line room as a rookie.

Fellow rookie Graham Barton was very complimentary of Klein’s hand placement and footwork last week, and head coach Todd Bowles has lauded his power and just this week praised the development of his technique early on in camp. As with most rookies, the UTEP product may have a couple of “Welcome to the NFL” moments, but this preseason will be extremely valuable for him as he looks to carve out a role as a key depth piece for the Tampa Bay offensive line. Not only that, but with a strong enough preseason, he may be in a position where he can stake a claim to being the team’s left guard of the future.

C Graham Barton

Bucs C Graham Barton – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Speaking of Graham Barton, the 2024 first-round pick should also be making his NFL and Bucs debut Saturday night. He’s gotten a good taste of the NFL already in matching up with Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey in practice, and now he’ll get to test himself further against Cincinnati. Barton is currently listed behind Robert Hainsey for the starting center job, but it’s expected that he’ll assume that role sooner rather than later.

Along with seeing how comfortable he is in making the line calls and how well he puts his speed, power and athleticism on display, another thing to watch with Barton is his snaps. There have been more than a few shaky moments during camp as he has made the transition from tackle back to center, a position he started in for five games as a freshman at Duke. Repetition and game experience will help, but the rookie will need to clean those snaps up in short order – and certainly before the team opens the regular season against the Commanders in just under a month.