Week 1 of the NFL season is almost upon us, and it’s time for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to go out and show their stuff — for real.
Preseason has helped head coach Todd Bowles and staff evaluate the roster, and now that it’s over, the team should have a pretty good idea of where everyone stands on the depth chart. No official depth chart has been released yet, but there are educated guesses to be made based on how camp and preseason have gone so far.
Here are all of our guesses for what Tampa Bay’s depth chart might look like when the Bucs play the Vikings in Minnesota next Sunday:
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| Starter | Backup |
| Baker Mayfield | Kyle Trask |
This is confirmed, so no surprises here. QB John Wolford is on the practice squad, so he doesn’t get included.
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
| Starters | Backups |
| Rachaad White | Ke’Shawn Vaughn |
| Sean Tucker | |
| Chase Edmonds |
What you call a “starter” for running backs is always wonky. Rachaad White will get the most carries, while Sean Tucker should probably be a traditional “RB2” in rotation. Chase Edmonds will be on the field during third-down scenarios and can pass catch, so that leaves Ke’Shawn Vaughn. who will be a backup ready to fill any role if needed.
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
| Starters | Backups |
| Mike Evans | Deven Thompkins |
| Chris Godwin | Rakim Jarrett |
| Trey Palmer |
Wideouts in the “backups” section could potentially see some play in various packages, but for the most part, Evans, Godwin and Palmer will act as the team’s WR1, WR2 and WR3, respectively, Jarrett and Thompkins will occasionally find use, but the top three will get the most target share.
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| Starters | Backups |
| Cade Otton | Payne Durham |
| Ko Kieft | David Wells |
What quantifies as “starter” is once again murky in this case, but in two TE sets, we predict Otton and Kieft will be the prominent figures. Durham and Wells could make some appearances, but Otton and Kieft have the experience to get the target share.
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| Starters | Backups |
| Tristan Wirfs | Justin Skule |
| Matt Feiler | Aaron Stinnie |
| Robert Hainsey | Nick Leverett |
| Cody Mauch | Brandon Walton |
| Luke Goedeke |
The line is essentially set, here. Justin Skule can play swing tackle, so he might be in during certain sets, and Nick Leverett is technically in competition with Hainsey to play center — Hainsey will probably win it, though, so that leaves a solid line of five.
(AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
| Starters | Backups |
| Calijah Kancey | Mike Greene |
| Vita Vea | Greg Gaines |
| Logan Hall | William Gholston |
Defensive line is all about rotation, so “backups” will get playing time here, too — just not as much as the main three mentioned. Kancey will possibly get his live game-action debut against the Vikings Week 1, Vea is a stalwart on the line and Hall looks to take a more active role that Gholston had last year before being re-signed.
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
| Starters | Backups |
| Shaquil Barrett | Anthony Nelson |
| Joe Tryon-Shoyinka | Yaya Diaby |
| Cam Gill | |
| Markees Watts |
Barrett and Tryon-Shoyinka are set to start on the line, and Nelson and Diaby will be the first two players in when the team rotates. Gill and Watts probably won’t get a lot of playing time as an edge rusher, but both can contribute on special teams.
(AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
| Starters | Backups |
| Lavonte David | SirVocea Dennis |
| Devin White | K.J. Britt |
David and White remain the team’s stalwart pair. Dennis and Britt will certainly both play special teams and could rarely appear on defense during certain packages.
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| Starters | Backups |
| Carlton Davis | Zyon McCollum |
| Jamel Dean | Josh Hayes |
| Christian Izien | Derrek Pitts |
| Dee Delaney |
Izien won the team’s nickel corner competition, so the three starters here are set. Pitts and Hayes are mainly special teams players, with McCollum perhaps the most likely to make a defensive appearance behind Davis and Dean. Delaney is a veteran who can also serve in the nickel spot if needed.
(AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
| Starters | Backups |
| Antoine Winfield Jr. | Kaevon Merriweather |
| Ryan Neal |
Merriweather can play special teams and sub out for either Winfield Jr. or Neal if need be, but that pairing is definitely set in the far reaches of the secondary.
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| Starters |
| Chase McLaughlin |
| Jake Camarda |
| Zach Triner |
There aren’t any backups for the specialists, so this is pretty straight foward.
