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The Bucs opened their 2026 preseason slate last Friday night, beating the Jets 24-16 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With those joint practices with the Jets and that preseason opener behind them, they returned home to the AdventHealth Training Center this week for four straight practices Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and now, all eyes are on Saturday night.

At long last, Tampa Bay will return to Raymond James Stadium, where it will play host to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 of the preseason. This marks the Bucs’ only preseason game at home and the last time they’ll play in the (no longer) New Sombrero until Sept. 20, when they host the Browns in their regular season home opener.

Following Saturday’s game, Todd Bowles and Co. will turn their attention to joint practices with the Jaguars in Jacksonville next week, which will lead up to the preseason finale against them on Friday, Aug. 28.

First things first, though. After taking a look at some the top Bucs on offense to keep an eye on throughout Saturday night’s preseason game at Ray Jay, let’s flip over and take a look at some of the Bucs to watch when the home team is on defense.

Bucs To Watch In Preseason Week 2: Defense

OLB Rueben Bain Jr. – No. 3

Saturday night should be the much-anticipated debut of Rueben Bain Jr., the Bucs’ top pick in the 2026 draft. It felt like the vibes completely shifted for Tampa Bay’s offseason when Bain fell to No. 15 and became a Buccaneer, and ever since he arrived, he’s been as advertised — and more. The rookie looks like he truly can transform the pass rush from the jump this year, and everyone is eagerly awaiting his debut. A sack of Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields Saturday night would certainly fire up the home crowd at Raymond James Stadium.

OLB Jack Pyburn – No. 58

What a weird week it’s been for rookie outside linebacker Jack Pyburn. Only days after a two-sack debut in the Bucs’ win over the Jets, news came out that he was part of a lawsuit against the NCAA looking for a chance to return to college with an extra year of eligibility. As of Thursday, Todd Bowles said he hadn’t heard what the undrafted rookie’s plans might be, which makes you think he’d be suiting up Saturday night. Right? Either way, he’s a player to watch. If he plays, it’ll be interesting to see if he can build on that strong debut. If he doesn’t, that’s also a story, as it may give insight into his immediate future.

DT Elijah Roberts – No. 95

Elijah Roberts affected the game in a big way last Friday night against the Jets. Between a sack of Bailey Zappe, a pressure that led to an interception of Zappe and a nice run stop, the second-year defensive tackle was a big factor for the Tampa Bay defensive line. His pass rush has always been a strength, so perhaps it was the run stuff that was the most encouraging play from last week’s game. He looks like an ascending player who will factor heavily into the rotation for Tampa Bay’a d-line this year.

NT Rakeem Nunez-Roches – No. 56

It’s no guarantee that Rakeem Nunez-Roches will play Saturday night, but assuming he does, he’s always a fun watch given his penchant for talking and bringing juice to the defense. He and A’Shawn Robinson were big additions this offseason for the attitude of the defense, but at 33 and after three seasons away from Tampa Bay, can Nacho still be a valuable rotational piece on the interior of the d-line? With so much depth there, is there any chance he ends up on the outside looking in? Showing that he still has it could render that question pointless.

ILB Josiah Trotter – No. 45

It was a relatively quiet debut for Trotter in Week 1 of the preseason, at least from a production standpoint. You know he was talking, and upon taking a further look at his performance, there was plenty to like. Every chance he gets to play in the preseason will be crucial for the 21-year-old who is primed to start alongside Alex Anzalone this year. Trotter should be extra fired up to take the field in front of the home fans for the first time, and he’s worth keeping a close eye on when the Bucs defense is on the field.

CB Jacob Parrish – No. 25

For all the potential concerns the Bucs have at cornerback heading into 2026, Jacob Parrish moving from the nickel spot to the outside is very low on the list. But it’s still a change, even if it’s one that Parrish has seemingly adapted well to during camp. Saturday appears to be the first chance to see how he takes to it in a game setting, and that brings some intrigue to the cornerback position in this game.

CB Ayden Garnes – No. 24

Whose stock has risen higher and quicker than Ayden Garnes’ has over the past month? The undrafted rookie was one of the breakout stars of the early portion of Bucs training camp, then he went and followed that up with a pick-six in the preseason opener last Friday night. He can certainly cover, but his tackling is the aspect of his game you’d like to see some improvement with. Another good showing Saturday night — complete with improved tackling — could lock up a roster spot for the former Arizona Wildcat.

NCB Keionte Scott – No. 22

Keionte Scott quietly had a very good NFL debut in the Bucs’ preseason opener, especially in pass coverage. More of that would be great to see against the Chiefs, of course. But might we see Todd Bowles send his new nickel cornerback on a blitz? Remember, he had all five of his sacks last year at Miami when rushing from the same side as Rueben Bain Jr., so might we get a glimpse at that? Or will Bowles save it for the regular season? Either way, this will be another good chance to see the fourth-round pick in action, especially surrounded by other starters on defense.

S Tykee Smith – No. 23

Tykee Smith’s camp has been solid, but unspectacular. It’s not as if he’s struggled by any means, of course. He’s played assignment-sound football and hasn’t made many mistakes. But the splash plays haven’t been there quite as much during the 11-on-11 periods, so how nice would it be to see him come up with one in front of the home fans in his first action this preseason?