A year ago, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepared for their preseason opener, they had an open question at the most important position on the depth chart: quarterback. That issue was eventually resolved as Baker Mayfield won a battle with Kyle Trask and went on to post a career-best season for a division-winning team. Now, with a lucrative new contract from the offseason, Mayfield is secure in his starting spot but there are some questions about the five men who will line up in front of him.
The Buccaneers will play their 2024 preseason opener on Saturday night in Cincinnati against the Bengals, and that demands a little bit of clerical work. The NFL requires a depth chart before the first game of the year, so even as positional battles rage on in training camp, fans are treated to a first look at how the roster is shaking out.
Just take it with a grain of salt. There is a long way to go.
Ben Bredeson is the leading candidate to grab the open spot at left guard, while rookie first-rounder Graham Barton has a shot to open the season as the starting center. There's a strong competition for depth chart spots behind starting receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and the backfield could have a shakeup considering how well rookie Bucky Irving performs. Click here to review in full the Bucs' first depth chart of 2024. Below are the listed offensive starters:
WR: Mike Evans
WR: Chris Godwin
LT: Tristan Wirfs
LG: Ben Bredeson
C: Robert Hainsey
RG: Cody Mauch
RT: Luke Goedeke
WR: Trey Palmer
TE: Cade Otton
QB: Baker Mayfield
RB: Rachaad White
And here's a breakdown by position:
View photos of Tampa Bay Buccaneers players practicing at 2024 Training Camp on Saturday, August 3rd, 2024 at AdventHealth Training Center.
Quarterback – As noted, Mayfield is now firmly entrenched as the starter after his 4,044-yard, 28-touchdown campaign in 2023. The next two spots on the depth chart remain the same as in 2023, with fourth-year man Kyle Trask in the primary reserve role, followed by John Wolford. When asked after a recent training camp practice if Trask and Wolford were competing for the number-two spot, Head Coach Todd Bowles said there is open competition for every job. Trask was a second-round draft pick in 2021 and he is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Wolford has familiarity with new Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen's system from his days with the Rams and does have some starting NFL experience. The Buccaneers signed Illinois State's Zack Annexstad as an undrafted free agent but he has yet to practice due to a pre-existing shoulder injury.
Running Back – Rachaad White led all NFL running backs in offensive snaps in 2023 and clearly can handle a "bell cow back" role, but the Buccaneers might want to split up the workload a little more in 2024. That was signaled by the drafting of Oregon's Bucky Irving in the fourth round of April's draft. Irving is similar to White in that he can make an impact both as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. The Bucs currently list veteran Chase Edmonds, last year's number-two back, as the primary reserve to White, but Edmonds suffered an injury early in camp and has not seen much of the practice field. Sean Tucker, a 2023 undrafted free agent who saw some regular season action last year, and undrafted rookies D.J. Williams and Ramon Jefferson round out the RB depth chart.
Wide Receiver – Last summer, veteran Russell Gage began camp as the third receiver behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but a knee injury in a joint practice with the Jets ended his season. That opened the door for sixth-round rookie Trey Palmer to fill that role, and he went on to catch 39 passes and make an impact with his field-stretching speed. Palmer could retain that primary third-receiver role but he has strong competition from rookie third-rounder Jalen McMillan, who has been one of the most consistently impressive performers in this year's training camp. He is one of three receivers listed in the second column of the depth chart, along with veteran Sterling Shepard, a June addition, and 2023 undrafted free agent Rakim Jarrett. Beyond that, the Buccaneers have a lot of very young and inexperienced options to sort through, including small-school prospect Kameron Johnson, who was impressing before being sidelined with a ribs injury.
Tight End – The Bucs have used four Day Three draft picks on tight ends in the past three drafts, starting with 2022 fourth-rounder Cade Otton. Otton is the unquestioned starter after playing an unprecedented (for his position) 97% of the offensive snaps last season. That said, the coaching staff may want to ease Otton's workload a little bit in 2024, opening the door for some other recent additions to get more playing time. Payne Durham, taken in the fifth round last spring, is now listed second on the depth chart and Bowles has mentioned the possibility of him providing more pass-catching production in 2024. Ko Kieft, a 2022 sixth-round pick primarily known for his blocking skills, and 2024 seventh-rounder Devin Culp are next on the list. Culp has shown flashes of big-play catch-and-run ability in camp but Bowles is hoping to see him catch the ball more consistently.
Offensive Line – This is the one position that has lost a contributor to a season-ending injury during camp, as veteran guard Sua Opeta suffered a torn ACL in practice roughly a week ago. He is now on injured reserve and won't play in 2024. Opeta was a candidate for the open left guard spot, though it seemed even before his injury that Ben Bredeson had taken the clear lead in that battle. The Buccaneers drafted Duke's Graham Barton with the 26th overall pick in April with the thought that he could quickly step in as the starting center, and indeed he has taken a good amount of first-team reps at that spot. The Bucs' initial depth chart indicates that Barton will have to win that job, and that it won't be simply handed to him over incumbent starter Robert Hainsey. The depth chart seems to indicate more options at tackle – including holdovers Justin Skule and Brandon Walton – then guard.