Buccaneers: 3 players with the most to win at 2021 training camp
By Rob Leeds
Is Jaelon Darden a starter for the Buccaneers?
Jaelon Darden is currently playing like one of the best draft picks for the Bucs in a long time, and that’s saying something. On a roster that already had at least four clear starters before the draft, Darden is making a name for himself in a massive way.
OTAs were the start of the Darden experience in Tampa, and the rookie hasn’t looked back yet. Whether he is going up against depth defenders or the starters, Darden has put on a clinic at getting open and catching the ball.
The comparisons between Darden and Antonio Brown at similar spots of their career are hard to ignore, especially with Brown on the same roster now, but it is worth noting that Darden has a very difficult road ahead.
If Darden had gone to any other team in the NFL, he would be an obvious contender for a starting role. How the league let him fall to the Bucs is beyond us, but Tampa is a different story.
The Buccaneers currently have one of the best trios of receivers in NFL history, so Darden will have to do more than dominate during camp if he wants a shot at stealing some reps away from the likes of Brown during the regular season.
It’s not out of the question for Darden to push Brown, but he will need to have the best training camp of all time if he wants to steal Brown’s role.