The countdown to the Bucs’ 2026 season is on. Right now, we’re:

55 days away from Bucs regular season kickoff
25 days away from Bucs preseason kickoff
9 days away from Bucs training camp

In the lead-up to training camp, Pewter Report’s Bailey Adams will be diving into storylines for 26 key figures who will be crucial to the Bucs’ success in 2026.

Today, the series continues with inside linebacker Josiah Trotter.

26 For ‘26: Josiah Trotter Bucs Storylines In 2026

How Early Of An Impact Will Josiah Trotter Have On The Bucs Defense?

Trotter was the Bucs’ second-round pick back in April at No. 46 overall. Tampa Bay was able to address two of its biggest needs with its first two picks in the draft, getting Rueben Bain Jr. to upgrade the pass rush in the first round before landing Trotter the next night to fill a glaring hole at the inside linebacker position. And just as the team will expect Bain to step up and make an impact from the jump, it’ll surely be expecting the same of Trotter.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Trotter made his name at the collegiate level as a physical, downhill Mike linebacker. He’s something of a throwback at the inside linebacker position. He can get downhill and attack ball carriers in a hurry, with read-and-react abilities that can be special. Not only that, but he’s an exceptionally effective blitzer, as he gets after the quarterback with impressive timing. He was able to put that on display even with a limited volume of pass rush opportunities at Missouri.

The 21-year-old linebacker posted 84 tackles (43 solo) with 13 tackles for loss and two sacks over 12 games last year for the Tigers. That came after a 2024 freshman season at West Virginia in which he tallied 92 tackles (36 solo), four tackles for loss, a half-sack and an interception over 12 games. The tape and measurables can sell you on Trotter more than the numbers can, especially considering the lack of takeaways during his brief two-year college career. That’s an aspect of his game that has yet to fully emerge.

So, with all of that said, how quickly can Trotter make a meaningful impact on this Bucs defense in 2026?

It depends on how you look at it.

On the surface, Trotter simply being a replacement-level player early on would be an upgrade for Tampa Bay. Whoever has stepped in at the linebacker position next to Lavonte David in recent years has provided very little-to-nothing, so the rookie coming in and being the downhill force he can be against both the run and rushing the passer should be a big help as he works in tandem with Alex Anzalone, who steps into David’s spot following the legend’s retirement this offseason.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Beyond the surface-level need for Trotter to be replacement level, when might he start to really come into his own and start racking up some big plays? In other words, when will the sacks, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries start to show up in his game?

It’s hard to say right now.

He’ll be playing in more of an attacking role under Todd Bowles, which will only help. But training camp, joint practices with the Jets and Jaguars and the entire preseason slate will be extremely important for the young inside linebacker. If he comes along quickly, you may see some of those splash plays early on in the regular season.

How quickly will Trotter establish himself? Time will tell. But there’s no doubt that everyone is excited and ready to find out the answer.

It’s Up To Josiah Trotter And Alex Anzalone To Lead A Revamped Linebacker Room

The Bucs have been looking for answers at the inside linebacker position for years now. When he was drafted with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, Devin White was supposed to be the next great linebacker for Tampa Bay. He did help the team win Super Bowl LV, yes, but by 2022, his play declined and following the 2023 season, he didn’t get a second contract from the front office that drafted him. Pair that with Lavonte David aging and then declining over the last couple of seasons and that’s already a tough situation for the Buccaneer defense.

K.J. Britt was far from a solution in 2024, and SirVocea Dennis disappointed in 2025 as a full-time starter for the first time. Deion Jones was brought in as veteran depth but made very little impact, then Anthony Walker Jr. was added and made no impact. So, with David now retired and the cupboard left bare without him, it’s up to both Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter to lead the inside linebacker room forward in 2026.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Anzalone feels like the perfect addition to come in and lead the room given both his success on the field and his leadership ability in the locker room. He’s stepping into David’s role in Todd Bowles’ defense. As for Trotter? He’ll be given every opportunity to take hold of the other starting spot that was occupied by Dennis a year ago, which is to be expected given his draft status as a second-round pick and a top-50 selection. But the fact that Tampa Bay pretty badly needs him to pan out and hit the ground running immediately puts a lot on his shoulders.

Trotter should be a starter right away, but hiccups are to be expected of a 21-year-old with very little college football under his belt. He does come from an NFL pedigree, with his father, Jeremiah Trotter, having a long and successful career. So, maturity and preparation shouldn’t be an issue for the young rookie. However, he’s still a rookie. There can be an adjustment period between adapting to NFL life, going through the grind of a 17-game season and finding your place in the locker room. Trotter will be dealing with all of that while learning Todd Bowles’ defense, getting used to playing alongside (and learning from) Anzalone and figuring out what he’s seeing from opposing offenses each week.

That’s a lot. The Bucs will definitely feel that Trotter has the makeup to handle it all. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t quite a bit of weight on his shoulders right away in his first NFL season. Because Anzalone can’t do it alone, and the state of the team’s inside linebacker room would seem to indicate that despite his youth and inexperience, Trotter is the best choice to be right there with the veteran. The Bucs do have Dennis and veteran Christian Rozeboom, in addition to some other young inside ‘backers. But as far as anyone is concerned, it’s already Trotter time in Tampa Bay.

Can Josiah Trotter Dispel The Coverage Criticisms And Vindicate The Bucs’ Conviction?

The biggest criticism of Trotter coming out of the draft was his ability — or perceived lack thereof — in coverage. There would appear to be some real concerns to be had about that aspect of the rookie inside linebacker’s game. PFF grades aren’t gospel by any means, but Trotter earned a 49.4 coverage grade in 2024 at West Virginia before posting a 47.9 at Missouri last year. He allowed a 92.6% reception rate on 27 targets in 2024 and gave up a total of 274 yards and a touchdown. To his credit, he also had an interception. Last year, Trotter allowed an 84.8% reception rate on 33 targets for 252 yards and another touchdown.

Despite what the grades and numbers say, the Bucs — as well as Trotter’s coaches at Missouri — have pushed back on these narratives. And to an extent, you can see why. Tampa Bay personnel and coaches have argued that he wasn’t asked to do a lot of dropping into coverage during his brief college career. Not only that, but he has the athleticism and as a 21-year-old with only two years of college ball, there’s room for him to catch the mental side of things up with the athletic side.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: Adam Warren/PR

Meanwhile, Missouri defensive coordinator Derek Nicholson noted that most of the examples critics use to discount Trotter’s coverage abilities come from the early portion of the Tigers’ 2025 season and that once he got used to playing in a new defense, he was a weapon for the unit against the pass. The grades largely bear that out, with the second half of the campaign featuring a lot more consistency from the young linebacker.

The reality is that critics and supporters can believe what they want for now. Trotter will have a chance to go out and prove it. His athletic profile and football IQ say he can get the job done, even if there are some growing pains at first. And playing next to Alex Anzalone should help, as Anzalone excels in coverage. Todd Bowles will lean on Anzalone in that department and play to Trotter’s strengths. It’s something Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo wrote about back in April: “When Bowles has a downhill Mike linebacker who can blitz and press, that player doesn’t necessarily need to be all that special in coverage. Trotter can be that guy for this defense.”

Queipo also wrote earlier this summer about when the coverage story really begins for the rookie, and while it’s not a story that will come to an end after just one NFL season, there are narratives that Trotter could quiet down for the time being. The good news for him? The bar to clear from the previous two seasons in which K.J. Britt and SirVocea Dennis held his position isn’t exactly sky high. Even marginal improvement over those two would be a welcome development for the Buccaneer defense.

Catch Up On Previous Installments Of Bailey Adams’ 26 For ’26 Series

OFFENSE:

Baker Mayfield
Bucky Irving
Kenny Gainwell
Chris Godwin Jr.
Emeka Egbuka
Jalen McMillan
Cade Otton
Tristan Wirfs
Ben Bredeson
Graham Barton
Cody Mauch
Luke Goedeke

DEFENSE:

Yaya Diaby
Rueben Bain Jr.
A’Shawn Robinson
Calijah Kancey
Vita Vea
Alex Anzalone