Pewter Report’s PR Roundtable

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A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: Which Bucs defender has impressed us most?

Scott Reynolds: Bucs’ Ass-Kicker A’Shawn Robinson Is Indeed Kicking Ass

I grew quite fond of new defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson during his introductory press conference via Zoom right after he was signed in free agency. The former Carolina Panther used some foul language and described himself as an ass-kicker, and I loved it. The Bucs signed the 6-foot-4, 315-pounder to add size and physicality to Tampa Bay’s run defense, as well as bringing a nasty edge to the Bucs defense, which was sorely lacking. He’s been everything the Bucs hoped he would be – and then some.

Bucs DT A’Shawn Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

His one-year, $10 million contract raised some eyebrows and drew some scoffs on social media considering Robinson had been released by the Panthers, who didn’t want to pay him $8.5 million for the 2026 season. Yet Robinson has been worth every penny and is having a fantastic season for Tampa Bay, which has the league’s second-best run defense. Even though Robinson plays far fewer snaps than either Vita Vea or Calijah Kancey, he leads all Bucs defensive linemen with 19 tackles, a sack and a team-leading two interceptions.

With an 87.3 Pro Football Focus grade, Robinson is the highest-graded Bucs player through six games, and he’s the league’s second-highest defensive tackle across the league, which is remarkable for the 31-year old. Although he doesn’t have a C on his chest as an official team captain, Robinson has been the one giving the pregame speeches and he has quickly taken over as the true leader on this defense with his words and his actions on the field. Incredibly important free agent signing this offseason in Tampa Bay.

Matt Matera: Tykee Smith Is As Reliable As It Gets

More responsibility has been given to safety Tykee Smith with Antoine Winfield Jr’s absence in recent weeks and each time Smith delivers in his role. His combination of playmaking, coverage ability, form tackling, blitzing and creating turnovers in the clutch has been a big benefit for Tampa Bay’s defense.

Bucs S Tykee Smith and Steelers TE Darnell Washington – Photo by: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The safety position is a complex role that is asked to do a number of assignments. That goes double for a Todd Bowles kind of defense. Because of this, it makes it even more impressive with what Smith has been able to do. He’s at the top in snap percentages each week, and whether he’s playing back deep or in the box, he gets the job done.

Take for instance that Smith is second on the team in tackles with 34, and tied for second in tackles for loss with three. He’s also second on the defense with four quarterback hits, and is the only player that has forced a fumble on a defensive play, with Miles Killebrew forcing a fumble on special teams. Smith forcing that fumble against the Packers in the red zone of a close game shows he’s got a knack for clutch timing. Smith does a little bit of everything for this team.

Adam Slivon: So Much For Josiah Trotter Needing To Get Acclimated

The Bucs’ selection of inside linebacker Josiah Trotter received pushback initially, as he was not viewed as a finished product after playing just two years of college football. Trotter was viewed as a more long-term developmental piece for Tampa Bay’s defense. So much for that.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

He delivered a strong training camp performance, and no lies were told about his physicality coming alive when the pads came on. His defensive presence was felt throughout the summer, and any concerns about making an immediate impact were quieted after Week 1. Trotter had one of the best defensive debuts in NFL history, recording 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a pass defense, and a 38-yard pick six. Through his first five games, he has a team-high 52 tackles, three tackles for loss, two pass defenses, a sack, and an interception.

Rather than being a liability, he has easily been the team’s best inside linebacker. What impressed me about Trotter dating back to interviewing him at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in February is how mature he already is. His NFL bloodline is highly talked about, but he has lived up to his last name as a cerebral player aware of what offenses are doing and already grasping Todd Bowles’ defense. That says a lot about his high football IQ, as it is not easy for inside linebackers to make a seamless jump from college to the pros.

I didn’t think Trotter would be as raw as some believed, but I also didn’t expect him to be this good right away. No. 45 looks like a stalwart up the middle of the Bucs defense for years to come. The best part for Tampa Bay is that he is only scratching the surface of his potential as a 6-foot-2, 237-pound thumping linebacker.

Bailey Adams: Keionte Scott Has Settled In Nicely From The Jump

Josiah Trotter has been the Bucs rookie who has made the greatest impact on the team up to this point, and even Ted Hurst III has a case for being up there as well given his explosiveness despite minimal opportunities. But the play of rookie nickelback Keionte Scott shouldn’t go unnoticed. He has quietly settled right into his role in this Tampa Bay defense and has played well week in and week out, solidifying a position that was something of a question mark once Jacob Parrish made the move to the outside.

Bucs CB Keionte Scott – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Are there things you’d like to see Scott clean up over the remaining 11 games of his rookie campaign? Sure. He has allowed 23 catches on 29 targets (79.3%) for 164 yards and two touchdowns. That could be better, though at 7.1 yards per reception, it’s nothing catastrophic. In fact, that 7.1-yard average is the second-best mark of any Bucs defender behind only outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad (who has only been targeted once in coverage) and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (two targets).

The tackling could be better, too, as Scott has played to just a 54.3 tackling grade (per PFF) with a 17.1% missed tackle rate. Again, there will be things the fourth-round pick could and should clean up, but generally speaking, he’s done an excellent job from the jump after going from fourth-rounder to day one starter at the nickel position in Todd Bowles’ defense.

Scott’s 32 tackles rank him third on the Bucs defense, while his 27 solo tackles actually tie him with Trotter for the team lead. He has been phenomenal against the run, having earned a 90.4 run defense grade from PFF through four weeks. That’s the second-best mark on the team behind only Tykee Smith (92.0). He’s showing up consistently in that area of the game.

Scott also has a sack, two tackles for loss and two passes defensed to his name, with four total pressures. After just barely missing his first career sack earlier on in the season, he finally got to the quarterback in Week 6, coming in from Aaron Rodgers’ blind side to take down the four-time MVP and earn a trophy sack for his first NFL sack. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with Scott thus far, and I think the arrow is only pointing up for the rookie.

Josh Queipo: David Walker Improves Each Week

Bucs OLB David Walker, Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers and DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Nick Geddes: Jacob Parrish Is Becoming So Consistently Good

Jacob Parrish had a solid rookie season for the Bucs, recording 76 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven PBUs, two sacks, and three quarterback hits. Parrish did all of that playing primarily in the slot, as Zyon McCollum and Jamel Dean largely handled the duties outside.

Bucs CB Jacob Parrish and Cowboys WR George Pickens – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

But after Tampa Bay drafted Keionte Scott to play nickel and Dean left in free agency, the Bucs decided to give the smaller-in-frame Parrish a run at outside corner. That was notable in that Todd Bowles typically loves his outside corners to have size and length. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Parrish has not only taken on the challenge of playing outside, but he’s thriving in that role.

Six games in and Parrish already has nine PBUs, most of any player in the NFL. Parrish has also shown off his ball skills, making a big time play to pick off Packers quarterback Jordan Love in the fourth quarter of the Week 4 defeat.

You could make a good argument that Parrish has been the best player on a defense that hasn’t seen consistent play for most of the season so far. That’s pretty impressive in year two for a third-round pick, who looks every bit a building block for the Bucs’ future.