Buccaneers: Pre-training camp 53-man roster predictions

Linebackers (9)

Lavonte David, Devin White, Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jack Cichy, Chapelle Russell, Kevin Minter, Anthony Nelson, Michael Divinity Jr.

The linebackers will eat up the most roster space on the defensive side for the Buccaneers out of necessity. The first four are the starters and are not slated to change any time soon. The remaining five will provide much-needed depth for the Buccaneers and any playoff push that they can make.

At inside linebacker, Cichy has struggled to remain healthy in the past, but he has shown the ability to step in as a capable backup. Kevin Minter has also done the same while being more healthy, and he also brings a lot on the special teams front.

2020 draft pick Chapelle Russell is a bit of a gamble, but the Bucs will want to evaluate as much talent at the position as possible based on the need down the road. Russell may not see a ton of playing time now, but any experience could greatly pay off in a few years.

As for the pass rushers, the Bucs will probably have around four that they can successfully rely on. Nelson is poised to step into the true number three role, and Divinity Jr. showed a lot of college talent and could have a high upside as a UDFA.