Each week during the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' communications department publishes a "Game Release" to aid the media in coverage of their upcoming game. Within that release are a number of documents regarding the player roster, including a depth chart, which lists the pecking order at every position on offense, defense and special teams.

Each game week, we will be taking a closer look at that depth chart, pointing out any changes or relevant notes from the previous game. Let's start on offense. Rookies are marked with an asterisk. Players we will be discussing in depth are highlighted in bold text.

OFFENSE

WR: Mike Evans, Trey Palmer

WR: Chris Godwin, Kameron Johnson *

LT: Tristan Wirfs, Justin Skule

LG: Ben Bredeson, Royce Newman

C: Graham Barton *, Robert Hainsey

RG: Cody Mauch, Elijah Klein *

RT: Luke Goedeke

WR: Jalen McMillan *, Sterling Shepard

TE: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, Devin Culp *

QB: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask

RB: Rachaad White, Bucky Irving *, Sean Tucker

(On the practice squad: OL Luke Haggard, WR Tanner Knue, OL Lorenz Metz, WR Ryan Miller, T Raiqwon O'Neal, QB Michael Pratt, TE Tanner Taula, RB D.J. Williams)

Even though he has already played in three games for the Bucs this season, veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard appears on the depth chart for the first time in 2024. He played two games after being a game day elevation from the practice squad, then was promoted to the 53-man roster last week, after the team's depth chart had already been released. Shepard got in 36 snaps (68%) on offense against the Falcons as the team's primary third receiver, with both Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Trey Palmer (concussion) out for the game. Shepard scored his first touchdown as a Buccaneer on a four-yard completion in the second quarter.

Wide receiver Chris Godwin was very busy. He stayed on the field for all but one of the team's 53 offensive snaps, in the process turning six targets into a team-high 64 receiving yards.

On Thursday night, tight end Cade Otton had shades of 2023, when he remarkably stayed on the field for 97% of the Bucs' offensive snaps, an unusually high workload for his position. Against the Falcons, Otton stayed in for every single play on offense, something he also did three times last season. He finished the game with three catches for 44 yards.

The Bucs' backfield duo of Rachaad White and Bucky Irving had a pretty even split of snaps, with White logging 34 and Irving 23. That included a few plays with both backs on the field at the same time. White produced 72 yards on 10 carries while Irving ran for 44 on nine totes and the Bucs as a whole averaged 6.2 yards per run. Sean Tucker got a few offensive snaps in the Week Four win over Philadelphia but only played on special teams in Atlanta.

DEFENSE

DL: Calijah Kancey, C.J. Brewer

NT: Vita Vea, Greg Gaines

DL: Logan Hall, William Gholston

OLB: Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson

ILB: K.J. Britt, J.J. Russell

ILB: Lavonte David, Antonio Grier

OLB: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Chris Braswell *, Jose Ramirez

CB: Jamel Dean, Tyrek Funderburk *

CB: Zyon McCollum, Josh Hayes

S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Christian Izien, Tavierre Thomas

S: Jordan Whitehead, Tykee Smith *, Kaevon Merriweather

(On the practice squad: S Marcus Banks, LB Kalen DeLoach, DL Mike Greene, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, CB Keenan Isaac, LB Vi Jones, S Rashad Wisdom)

Cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum were the only Buccaneer defenders to be on the field for all 87 snaps of the team's overtime shootout loss in Atlanta. Linebacker Lavonte David and safeties Tykee Smith and Christian Izien each missed one snap on defense. The Falcons' offense used 11 personnel on all but one snap, which is why Smith had such a heavy workload, as the Bucs countered with their nickel package with the rookie DB in the slot.

Since McCollum missed much of the Bucs' Week One win over Washington due to a concussion, Dean is the only Buccaneers' defender who has played every defensive snap through the first five weeks. His 356 defensive snaps played overall is the fifth highest total in the NFL this season and the third most by a defensive back. Dean finished the Atlanta game with nine tackles and a pass defensed.

Off-ball linebackers K.J. Britt and SirVocea Dennis had been splitting the other spot next to David, but with Dennis landing on injured reserve after a Week Four shoulder injury, Britt was nearly a full-time player in Week Five, handling 81 of the 87 snaps. He also contributed nine tackles.

Rookie linebacker Antonio Grier, an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas (and South Florida before that) who started the season on the Bucs' practice squad, makes his first appearance on the depth chart in Week Six. He was promoted to the active roster last week to take the spot vacated by Dennis.

Vita Vea made his return to the lineup after missing a game with a knee injury, and he was not limited. His 54 defensive snaps (62%) were just for fewer than the 58 played by Logan Hall among the six active defensive linemen. Vea recorded the first of the Bucs' four sacks on Thursday night.

SPECIALISTS

P: Jake Camarda

PK: Chase McLaughlin

KO: Jake Camarda

H: Jake Camarda

LS: Zach Triner

PR: Trey Palmer, Kameron Johnson *, Jalen McMillan *

KR: Bucky Irving *, Kameron Johnson *

KR: Sean Tucker, Trey Palmer

(On the practice squad: P Trenton Gill)

For the second game in a row, the Buccaneers elevated punter Trenton Gill and used him in the game while declaring Jake Camarda inactive. Gill was only called on to execute two punts in the game, averaging 43.5 yards gross and 33.5 net thanks to a late-game touchback.

After he was elevated from the practice squad for the game, wide receiver Cody Thompson joined Tucker as the two deep men on kickoff returns, filling a role that had been held by Palmer when he was healthy. Thompson returned one kickoff for 21 yards but only got three snaps in before being sidelined by a shoulder injury that has since forced him to injured reserve. Tucker had his best day as a return man, notching runbacks of 53 and 33 yards, the former of which is the longest by a Buc this season. Irving replaced Thompson when he was hurt and also ripped off a 39-yard return.

Outside linebacker Anthony Nelson continues to be the Bucs' busiest player on special teams. In this game, he was on the field for 100% of the team's 32 kick-and-coverage snaps while also playing 43 snaps on defense. Cornerback Tavierre Thomas was next with 26 special teams snaps, including one in which he became the first Buc in three seasons to block a field goal.