The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Trotter entered the NFL with a reputation for being a downhill thumper who should shine early in his career as a run defender and blitzer as he continued to refine his coverage skills.
But the 21-year-old rookie seems to be coming along quicker than even the Buccaneers expected when they drafted him. Based on recent comments from Rondè Barber, the organization appears to be extremely high on Trotter, and there’s already lofty expectations for him behind the scenes.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers believe Josiah Trotter could be “the best player on defense”
On a recent episode of “The Rondè Barber Show”, the Hall of Famer previewed the Buccaneers 53-man roster. Speaking about the team’s rookie class, Barber provided a scoop on Trotter that will have Bucs fans excited.
“Regardless of what happened with SirVocea [Dennis], and he was injured, [Trotter] was going to be a day one starter and possibly the best player on the defense. That’s not my opinion, that’s everybody in the building’s opinion. Just watching him play, watching him lead… He’s a 21-year-old rookie but he’s got this presence about him that says ‘I’m gonna be a badass’. He’s the one."
Based on Barber's comments, the sentiment throughout the entire building is that Trotter not only be an impact player as a rookie, but he could be the best player on defense. Remember, we’re talking about a unit that has stars like Antoine Winfield Jr. and Vita Vea.
Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo said that he’s heard the same rumblings about Trotter from his sources.
It’s hard not to get excited hearing how Trotter is viewed in the walls of One Buc Place. Tampa Bay struggled mightily at the inside linebacker position last season with an aging, and at times checked-out Lavonte David, along with SirVocea Dennis, who was one of the NFL’s worst coverage linebackers.
Now, they’ll have two new starters in the rookie Trotter and veteran Alex Anzalone. Both bring a level of physicality and leadership that will have a major impact on the defense this season.
The front office went all-in this offseason to not only improve the defense from a performance standpoint, but also from an attitude and culture standpoint. All early signs indicate that Trotter, along with his fellow rookie teammate Rueben Bain Jr., were the perfect fits to usher in that culture change.
Trotter is already showing early signs of being a franchise cornerstone player, who will serve as a game changer and leader in Tampa Bay for years to come. If he lives up to the early hype, he could be one of the best draft picks made by the Buccaneers in the Jason Licht era.
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