The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off training camp last week, and several players are already standing out, for better or for worse.
As the battle for roster spots and playing time heats up, some Buccaneers have emerged as early winners, while others have done little to help their case.
Early winners and losers from Buccaneers training camp
Winner: Tez Johnson
Tez Johnson has stolen the show early during training camp, flashing his big-play ability with several explosive plays and touchdowns.
Tez Johnson backflips are officially back 😎 pic.twitter.com/tFcR7KozjK
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) July 30, 2026
Johnson needs a strong performance throughout training camp and the preseason to solidify a role in an extremely crowded wide receiver room, and so far, he’s met the moment and been the biggest standout offensively.
Winner: Ted Hurst
Ted Hurst made a splash during his first-ever training camp practice, catching a touchdown pass before connecting on another big gain.
He was one of college football’s most explosive receivers, and his proven big-play ability was a major factor in Tampa Bay’s interest in drafting him.
Seeing that quality translate so early in his rookie training camp is an encouraging sign of things to come.
Loser: Ben Morrison
As is becoming the status quo for Ben Morrison, it’s not his play that’s landed him in the losers column — it’s his lack of availability.
Morrison missed the first few days of practice before finally returning on Saturday, as Todd Bowles revealed he’s dealing with a hamstring injury.
It’s déjà vu for Morrison after nagging injuries held him out for much of last year’s offseason program and he ultimately missed seven regular-season games.
Morrison is competing with Jacob Parrish for the starting outside cornerback job, and he’s already lost serious ground in the position battle as he’s largely remained on the sideline and missed out on valuable reps.
Winner: David Walker
David Walker looked like a budding star during last year’s offseason program before a season-ending injury ended his rookie year before it even began.
Walker has returned fully healthy, and has picked up right where he left off.
Pewter Report’s Adam Slivon noted that Walker has recorded a sack in four consecutive training camp practices. He’s been living in the backfield, and the Buccaneers are excited for what he’ll bring to the pass rush rotation.
It’s shaping up to be the most disruptive pass rush Tampa Bay has had in years, and Walker is a big reason why.
Winner: Jake Browning
Jake Browning is quietly putting together an impressive training camp with the Buccaneers.
If you’ve been following training camp updates, you’ll notice he’s constantly connecting with Ted Hurst and Tez Johnson on some big plays down the field.
The pressure was dialed up on Browning thanks to the emergence of undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels. Jason Licht declared there would be an open competition for the backup quarterback spot, and Browning is doing all he can to secure his job.
Loser: Josh Hayes
As mentioned earlier, Tez Johnson has been making plenty of big plays during training camp. Josh Hayes has been the defender beaten in coverage for several of those explosives.
Pewter Report’s Adam Slivon reported that Hayes has been beaten more than any other Bucs cornerback during training camp.
Hayes has struggled when asked to contribute defensively, and the lone reason he’s been able to stick around for so long is his strong special teams play.
But with several cornerbacks coming on strong in camp such as Demarion Williams and undrafted rookie Ayden Garnes, Hayes could be running out of leash and could have trouble maintaining his roster spot.
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