The Bucs will take the field at Raymond James Stadium Friday night for the first time since their playoff loss in January. The confines will be familiar, but some of the players won’t, as there are a lot of new faces on Tampa Bay’s roster heading into 2023.

There are position battles happening all over the field for the Bucs, and Friday’s preseason opener against the Steelers is the first big chance for anyone in those battles to get some separation.

With that in mind, here is one Buc to watch at each position when Tampa Bay hosts Pittsburgh on Friday night. We already started with the offensive side of the ball, so here, we’ll finish with the defense and special teams.

Bucs Defensive Line: Logan Hall

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs are relying heavily on Logan Hall in 2023. The No. 33 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Hall is set to start on the defensive line next to Vita Vea and rookie Calijah Kancey. Kancey won’t be in action Friday night and as a veteran, Vea is likely to play very few snaps — if he suits up at all. But Hall should get his fair share of snaps, and he has something to prove.

Tampa Bay needed Hall to add some weight this offseason, and he achieved that. But he’s been relatively quiet so far in training camp, which is why the preseason is so important for him. Of course, it can sometimes be hard for defensive linemen to stand out on the practice fields when there is very little in the way of true full-contact periods. Hall needs to show up on Friday night and throughout the preseason if he’s going to prove he’s ready for the larger role the Bucs are giving him.

Bucs Outside Linebacker: YaYa Diaby

The 2023 season needs to be a big one for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, as he has stalled at four sacks in both of his first two seasons in the NFL. He needs to take the next step not only for the Bucs’ sake, but for his sake as well. That’s due in part to the fact that Tampa Bay drafted YaYa Diaby in the third round, and the former Louisville standout could begin to push him as time goes on. Diaby has incredible speed and strength, which he has put on display during camp.

Diaby is one of the more intriguing newcomers to keep an eye on during Friday’s game, as he’s presumably going to get an extended run-out given that Shaq Barrett is unlikely to play and the likes of Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson need to be kept fresh and healthy as the two guys directly behind Barrett on the depth chart. Diaby’s journey has been an incredible one, and it takes a new step on Friday at Raymond James Stadium.

Bucs Inside Linebacker: SirVocea Dennis

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Alongside Diaby, SirVocea Dennis has been one of the most exciting rookies to watch throughout Bucs training camp so far. His football IQ, instincts for the football and speed have been on full display. The fifth-round pick has the makings of a future starter for Tampa Bay, especially if he continues showing those flashes of brilliance when it comes time for real football and a real opponent.

Dennis is another guy likely to see some extended time on the field Friday night, as it seems unnecessary for starting linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White to play much — if at all. If anything, David will rest as a veteran and White might play a couple of series. It could be valuable for Dennis if that’s the case, as he’d get to start with the Bucs’ first-team defense. The rookie out of Pitt is also a guy to watch all over the special teams units.

Bucs Cornerback: Dee Delaney

There is a lot of intrigue at cornerback for the Bucs, with only the top three spots on the depth chart set. Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum are locking down those spots, but there are plenty of corners jockeying for position to round out the room. Not to mention, there’s the ongoing question of who will start at nickel cornerback for Tampa Bay. Right now, it’s Dee Delaney.

Is Delaney just a placeholder at the position given that he’s a veteran and knows the defense? Perhaps the Bucs are waiting for sixth-round pick Josh Hayes or undrafted free agent Christian Izien to take the job. Or maybe Todd Bowles is giving Delaney, a steady hand in recent years, a true shot at winning the job. He can strengthen his case by playing well throughout the preseason. Poor play or just iffy performances could lead to someone else grabbing the job from him before Week 1.

Bucs Safety: Christian Izien

Bucs S Chris Izien – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Speaking of Christian Izien, he’s someone to watch both in the slot and at the safety position. Tampa Bay doesn’t have any proven depth at safety, with a host of undrafted free agents behind Antoine Winfield Jr. and Ryan Neal, a former undrafted free agent success story himself. Izien has seen a lot of work at both nickel and safety throughout camp, and he’s had a mixed bag of results.

Izien needs to make some plays on the ball in practice, as he’s allowed his fair share of big plays. That’s to be expected from a rookie, but he’ll have to cut down on those when it comes time for preseason play. He’ll want to show he’s someone the Bucs can rely on at a variety of positions, especially with 2022 undrafted free agent Nolan Turner and 2023 UDFAs Kaevon Merriweather and Kedrick Whitehead looking to make the roster.

Bucs Kicker: Rodrigo Blankenship

Chase McLaughlin signed with the Bucs in March after they released Ryan Succop. McLaughlin is the assumed front-runner for the vacant kicking job, even after the team signed Rodrigo Blankenship during mini camp. McLaughlin has been the better, more consistent kicker in practice so far, so it makes sense that he would have the lead in the completion.

That’s why Friday night is so important for Blankenship. Any missed kicks — especially paired with successful kicks by McLaughlin — will make Tampa Bay’s kicking decision easy. But if he starts to show some range and accuracy that would push McLaughlin for the job, the Bucs will have some thinking to do.

Bucs Punter: Jake Camarda

Bucs P Jake Camarda – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

A punter with Pro Bowl potential, Jake Camarda is unchallenged as the Bucs’ starter. The 2022 draft pick had a good rookie year and is someone who special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong raves about. There’s nothing much else to say about Camarda here other than encouraging everyone to sit back and watch the former Georgia Bulldog go to work and do his thing on Friday night.

Bucs Kick Returner/Punt Returner: Trey Palmer

Deven Thompkins was listed as the Bucs’ starter at the kick and punt return positions when they released their initial depth chart this week. However, rookie Trey Palmer has gotten some work in catching punts and would be an intriguing kick return man as well. He is one of the fastest players in the league, running a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.

Palmer had a couple of return touchdowns during his time at LSU from 2019-2021 before having only a few opportunities to man the return spot at Nebraska in 2022. But his speed and overall agility should be a joy to watch, which is why he’s worth keeping an eye on as someone who could potentially push Thompkins for either return role.