Nothing held the Tampa Bay Buccaneers more last season - not even injuries - than the defense. And it is clear from both the offseason additions through free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft that the primary goal of Todd Bowles and Jason Licht was to give this unit more of an edge. Players like Alex Anzalone, A'Shawn Robinson, Rueben Bain Jr., and Josiah Trotter immediately project as crucial starters and can offer an oomph to a unit that was one of the league's worst in the second half of the season.
The Bucs will not tolerate anything less than an above average defense next season, and one of their biggest question marks will be the linebacker position. Lavonte David was the veteran leader of the team, but he has left a huge void by retiring, leaving second round rookie Trotter to step into the shoes of one of the greatest linebackers in Bucs history.
Well, one of the other great linebackers in Buccaneers history, Hardy Nickerson, isn't too worried. Josiah Trotter is one of the most talented two down, run stuffing linebackers coming into the NFL this season, but there have been questions about his ability in coverage. The Buccaneers do not seem too worried about Trotter's ability to adjust on passing downs, even while filling in for one of the greatest ever three down linebackers in David, and neither does Nickerson.
Josiah Trotter is ready to make an impact for Buccaneers
Nickerson said of Trotter to the Sports Web, via Joe Bucs fan, “He’s got the traits and you can best believe that’s not going to be the issue with him. He’s going to be a ballplayer based on his pedigree.”
The pedigree Hardy Nickerson is referring to is the fact that Josiah's brother plays for the Philadelphia Eagles and his father was the great Jeremiah Trotter, an Eagles legend and one of the best linbackers of the 2000s - a player Tampa Bay Buccaneers are no doubt familiar with from their high profile battles with the Eagles over the years in the NFC.
Josiah Trotter was an amazing player for Missouri, and while the Buccaneers faithful were watching Miami's new inside linebacker prospect Jacob Rodriguez more closely, that should not disparage what Trotter is capable of. As Nickerson and others have said, a player with Trotter's athletic tools should be able to translate his game to coverage without too many hiccups. He is ready to be crucial to Tampa.
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