After weeks of suspense, white smoke finally rose—not just from the Vatican, but from One Buccaneer Place.
On Thursday the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially revealed jersey numbers for this year’s rookie class, and now the newest members of the Bucs roster will look to turn their new digits into icons, chasing the legacy of Evans’ No. 13 or David’s No. 54, with thousands of Bucs fans one day proudly wearing their jersey at Raymond James Stadium.
Buccaneers rookie takes over jersey number of team’s draft regret
Emeka Egbuka – #9
Many fans expected Egbuka to wear No. 2, the number he made a legacy wearing at Ohio State University. Instead of taking that number from backup quarterback Kyle Trask, Egbuka has been assigned No. 9 — which is notable since it belonged to Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
The number was initially given to punter Riley Dixon, who the team signed in free agency. Dixon will seemingly now be in search of a new number in Tampa Bay.
Egbuka, on the other hand, will try to create a better legacy in No. 9 than JTS, who signed with the Cleveland Browns this offseason
Benjamin Morrison – #21
Morrison wore No. 20 at Notre Dame, and would’ve loved to continue wearing it in Tampa Bay. While No. 20 isn’t officially retired in Tampa Bay, it is an unspoken rule that the number is off limits.
It belongs to Ronde Barber, a Hall of Famer who played 16 seasons for the Bucs and was instrumental in the team’s first Super Bowl victory. And Barber hilariously made it clear he has no intention of sharing his number.
Morrison will look to create a legacy of his own in Tampa Bay, and he’ll look sharp doing it in No. 21.
Jacob Parrish – #25
Parrish wore No. 10 at Kansas State, but that number currently belongs to wide receiver Trey Palmer in Tampa Bay.
However, with a massive infusion of talent entering the receiver room this offseason, Palmer has found himself on the hot seat. If Palmer gets cut before the season starts, perhaps Parrish will make a play for his college number. If not, No. 25 is a solid choice for the prospective starting nickel cornerback.
David Walker – #51
Walker wore No. 8 in college, which belongs to Sirvocea Dennis.
He’ll wear No. 51 in Tampa Bay, and the pass-rush specialist who draws comparisons to Shaq Barrett could similarly become a fan favorite and a must-own jersey for Bucs fans.
Elijah Roberts – #95
Roberts wore No. 5 at SMU, and with that number assigned to Haason Reddick, Roberts threw the signature defensive lineman “9” in front of his college number and went with No. 95.
According to PFF, Roberts' 131 quarterback pressures since 2023 lead all college defenders, and if he can replicate that success in the pros, you’ll be seeing a lot of No. 95 jerseys in Tampa Bay.
Tez Johnson – #83
Safe to say, Johnson will sell a lot of jerseys. He’s already become a fan favorite before even stepping on the field for the Bucs, and now he’s wearing No. 83, the number once worn by the late, great Vincent Jackson, who was beloved in Tampa Bay.
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