NFL.com predicts Buccaneers rookie as surprise starter for Week 1

Last season the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to answer questions about what the future might look like with a slew of fantastic young players.

A youth movement washed over Tampa Bay’s roster, with rookies like Yaya Diaby, Calijah Kancey, and Christian Izien all making positive impacts. Trey Palmer, SirVocea Dennis, and Payne Durham also had their moments, proving just how bright the future is for the Bucs.

Jason Licht is the man behind the curtain when it comes to constructing the post-Tom Brady era and he might have hit another home run with this year’s draft class. The Bucs landed another potential offensive lineman of the future in Graham Barton, who is expected to be a Day 1 starter at center. He’s not the only rookie expected to make an immediate impact, though, as Chris Braswell’s stock is quickly rising.

Buccaneers rookie Chris Braswell is already being predicted to be a starter

Tampa Bay used a second round pick on Braswell, hoping that he’ll help fill a massive need at edge rusher. Diaby is going to help lead that charge as the replacement for Shaq Barrett, but pass rush depth is something the Bucs are sorely lacking — which remains the case until proven otherwise.

Braswell is expected to be a big piece of the puzzle, and it’s something that NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal thinks will elevate him to a starter status in Week 1.

It was tough to pick a second edge beyond YaYa Diaby. I went with second-round rookie Chris Braswell. I also wanted to pick three pure defensive linemen because coach Todd Bowles likes his heavy fronts,” Rosenthal wrote.

It wasn’t a top-heavy pass rush class this year, but don’t mistake that for a lack of talent. Jarred Verse was a name on a lot of lists ahead of the draft with a ton of mock drafts having him slide all the way No. 26 overall.

Verse was the tip of the iceberg, but the talent gap between him and Braswell might not be that wide. At Alabama last season, Braswell collected eight sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, which will instantly boost the Bucs defensive line.

All of this is potentially bad news for Joe Tryon-Soyinka, who is very much in a make-or-break season with Tampa Bay. He still has a chance to prove himself, but the idea that Braswell is already being seen as moving ahead of him on the depth chart before training camp has even opened isn’t exactly a glowing endorsement.

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