JJ Roberts was one of the biggest standouts of last offseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The undrafted free agent out of Marshall made an immediate impression in Tampa Bay. His positional versatility was appealing to Todd Bowles, who was cross-training the rookie at nickel and both safety spots, and even some reps at outside cornerback.
Roberts was all but a lock for the 53-man roster, and it looked like Jason Licht had found a hidden gem in undrafted free agency.
After a strong preseason debut where he made five tackles and recorded two passes defensed, including a deflection that led to an interception, Roberts’ rookie campaign was cut short before it even began. He suffered a season-ending knee injury ahead of the team’s second preseason game.
But Roberts is back healthy for training camp, and he’ll have another opportunity to carve out a key depth role in 2026.
JJ Roberts could follow Christian Izien’s path to a key role for Buccaneers defense
Christian Izien, another undrafted free agent, was a key depth player for the Buccaneers from 2023-25 because of his versatility in the secondary. His ability to line up at multiple positions allowed him to carve out a role.
Roberts brings a similar skill set, and with Izien leaving Tampa Bay in free agency to sign with the Detroit Lions, Roberts now has a clear path to follow that blueprint toward earning a roster spot.
Roberts has the potential to be used as a chess piece in Bowles’ defense. If he can rotate in as the deep safety when needed, it would create more opportunities for Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr. to attack the line of scrimmage.
If he proves capable of handling nickel duties, it would give Bowles even more freedom to creatively deploy Jacob Parrish and rookie Keionte Scott in different roles across the secondary.
The more versatile pieces that Bowles has at his disposal, the more opportunities he has to move those pieces around and create confusion for opposing offenses.
Roberts’ versatility can unlock that flexibility for the Bucs defense, making him one of Tampa Bay’s most intriguing depth pieces heading into 2026.
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