Buccaneers release unofficial depth chart ahead of 49ers matchup
By Cory Kinnan
Hargreaves and Davis take control of starting jobs, surprise at safety
After an offseason of nothing but negative rumors around cornerbacks Vernon Hargreaves and Carlton Davis, both players battled hard and earned their starting roles on this week one depth chart. Most surprising at the cornerback position is second round pick Sean Murphy-Bunting, who is listed as the fifth cornerback behind Jamel Dean and M.J. Stewart after an abysmal preseason.
The biggest surprise on the depth chart, however, is found at the safety position as 2017 second rounder Justin Evans is listed as a backup behind both Jordan Whitehead and rookie Mike Edwards. Evans has been injured since landing on injured reserve last season, and even after returning to practice last week, Whitehead is listed above him after a solid preseason performance.
Even after he was hurt for the past three weeks, Mike Edwards was too listed as a starter ahead of Evans and veteran Darian Stewart on the depth chart. Edwards has been a favorite of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles from day one, and his flexibility is too appealing to keep on the bench for the Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers anticipated their young rookies to be significant contributors, but Dean and Murphy-Bunting still have some work to do before seeing a ton of playing time. Safety has been a shallow position all summer, but now it looks like one of the deeper positions on the roster.