The Rookies:
Third round pick Mike Edwards is all the talk at camp right now as he has picked up the playbook quickly and was being used in a variety of ways on the Buccaneers’ defense during mini-camps. When speaking with The Athletic’s Greg Auman, he had this to say about the former Kentucky Wildcat:
"“[Edwards] can do a lot for this team. He could be the starting safety, he could be a part of the nickel package… Mike is a really smart guy who understands the defense” (Auman via The Pewter Plank)."
Again, Bowles deploys a variety of packages featuring multiple defensive backs, and Edwards looks to be a key contributor in those disguises as well as having a chance to beat out Whitehead and Brice for the starting job opposite Evans. While the pick was questionable on day-two of the draft, it is already paying dividends for Tampa Bay early on.
The Buccaneers also signed two undrafted free agents in Lukas Denis and D’Cota Dixon this offseason to potentially compete for a roster spot. Both went undrafted, and it is a deep room, so these two will have to show a ton of versatility and willingness to play special teams if they want to hang around in Tampa Bay.