The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have several players who are looking to take a major step forward during Year 2 of their respective careers.
Though everyone around the nation is talking about the addition of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, many have forgotten about the exciting young core that has formed over the course of the last portion of the 2019 season.
The Buccaneers hit on several talented prospects during the 2019 NFL Draft and those rookies are now looking to take the next step forward.
Here’s a look at five players who are poised to take big steps forward in Year 2 of their career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
5. Jamel Dean
Jamel Dean was a guy who Bruce Arians took a chance on in the NFL Draft last year and it paid off in the long run.
He improved as the season progressed and is ready to compete for starter-level snaps over the course of this coming year.
Dean has the talent, length and skill set to be successful and a mainstay in the NFL, but he will need to take that next step for that to come to fruition.
4. Anthony Nelson
Anthony Nelson is a talented edge-rusher who started to see his reps increase as the season progressed last year.
Nelson will likely fill in behind Shaq Barrett this coming year, but the opportunity will be there for him to contribute at a higher level with Carl Nassib gone.
Most analysts really liked the selection of Nelson in the fourth-round last year and there’s potential for him to develop and take that next step this season.
3. Mike Edwards
Mike Edwards is a guy who has shown nothing but improvement during his career.
He will be entrenched in a battle for the starting position at safety this coming season with Antoine Winfield Jr. coming into the organization, but there’s nothing but promise in front of the second-year defensive back.
Edwards shows great athleticism, physicality and versatility that make him an intricate part of this Buccaneers defensive backfield.
2. Sean Murphy-Bunting
Sean Murphy-Bunting was taken in the second-round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers and there’s no doubting that he ended up being a valuable pick.
Murphy-Bunting seems entrenched in a starting position for years to come with the Tampa Bay organization and he can only rise from this point on.
The cornerback had three interceptions in 10 starts during the 2019 season and I expect him to see that number potentially triple during his second season with the Bucs.
1. Devin White
Capping off our list is the former No. 5 overall pick ILB Devin White.
The Buccaneers drafted White with one idea in mind- him stepping in, making an immediate impact and eventually developing into a Pro-Bowl type player.
There’s no reason to believe that White can’t take the next steps in becoming that level of a linebacker during the 2020 season.
White will continue to play inside with Lavonte David and will get traffic funneled his way as opposing rushing attacks look to run away from David.
Look for him to have more than 100 tackles on the season and to take a major step forward in his second season with the franchise.