4 players who must step up for the Buccaneers to make postseason run

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty of weapons. Not only that, but GM Jason Licht has assembled a roster that presents a lovely balance of established veterans and promising young talent.

The expectation in Tampa Bay is that the 2025 season will be a successful one. Although the team is on a quest to win their fifth consecutive NFC South Division, the feeling around Bucs' training camp is that anything less than an NFC Championship would be a disappointment.

In order for this team to reach their ceiling though, there are a few players in particular who will need to take the next step in their careers, and utimately, play better than they did last season.

With the Buccaneers having a top 5 offense in the NFL last season, and returning all 11 starter this year in addition to first round draft wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, it should come as no surprise that each of the players listed here are on the defensive side of the ball.

4 players that need to step up for the Buccaneers this season

1. OLB Chris Braswell

With promising fourth round draft pick David Walker tearing his ACL in training camp, the need for Chris Braswell to perform in 2025 becomes magnified even more. In a reserve role during his rookie season, Braswell recorded just 18 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. Of course statistics don't tell the entire story, but as the second player selected by the Buccaneers in 2024, more production will be expected in 2025.

The Bucs ultimately swapped Joe Tryon-Shoyinka with Haason Reddick this offseason, and Reddick should provide some valuable tutelage for the 6'3" 255 pound Alabama product. Braswell has a good motor, and is solid against the run.

The problem is, in the NFL, having a relentless motor only goes so far. Based on the tape from his rookie season, Braswell struggles to get off blocks from NFL tackles on a consistent basis. His lack of size, athleticism, and pass-rush arsenal are all areas that need to be overcome in year two if Braswell is prove that he belongs in the NFL.

2. ILB SirVocea Dennis

SirVocea Dennis is a unique player on the Buccaneers roster. The team's fifth round pick in 2023 is neither a proven veteran or a blue chip prospect, yet the team will be depending on him to start at a key position in 2025. Across his two years in the NFL, David has only played in a total of 17 games as he's been sidelined with different injuries since joining the team out of the University of PIttsburgh.

The fact that the Bucs did not address the inside linebacker position in a meaningful way during the offseason speaks to their confidence in Dennis, despite his inexperience.

In limited opportunities, Dennis has shown to have the versatility needed to impact the game in various aspects — most importantly pass coverage — which is something the team has missed outside of franchise legend Lavonte David who is eturning for his 14th season.

If Dennis is able to stay healthy and produce in a way the team believes he is capable of, it will be a massive addition for Todd Bowles' defense this year. If not, things could fall apart in a hurry. Not just for the team, but for Dennis and his ambitions for a long and successful NFL career.

3. S Antoine Winfield Jr.

It could be argued that Antoine Winfield Jr. is the single most important player to the Buccaneers' defense. Coming off a disappointing season in 2024 that saw him miss 8 games due to injury after becoming the highest paid safety in the NFL, Winfield will be eager to prove his worth in 2025.

With Tykee Smith moving back from the nickel corner position to play safety for the first time in his career, and promising UDFA J.J. Roberts lost for the season, the back end of the Buccaneers' defense will be as dependent on WInfield as they've ever been.

4. OLB Haason Reddick

Although he is already entering his 9th season in the NFL, it's completely possible that recently acquired free agent edge rusher Haason Reddick has plenty of gas left in the tank, which Tampa is counting on to fuel their defense in 2025.

Still just 30-years old, Reddick is just one season removed from being recognized as one of the most consistent and dynamic pass rushers in football. From 2020-2024, playing for the Panthers (1 season) and Eagles (3 seasons) Reddick averaged over 12 sacks per season.

The Buccaneers are in desperate need of some juice off the edge, and if Reddick can provide that, it will allow Todd Bowles to get more creative with his defense knowing he can disrupt the QB with a four-man pass rush — which is a luxury he hasn't had since the team won the Super Bowl in 2020.

It should be noted that Haason Reddick is coming off a a very strange season with the Jets, following a prolonged holdout in Philadelphia that resulted in him only suiting up for 10 games with New York and ultimately egistering just one sack on the season. Should Reddick be unable to re-discover his form from earlier in his career, it would put a major wrench in Todd Bowles' plans on defense, and likely result in another underwhelming season for the Buccaneers on that side of the ball.

Should each of the players mentioned above come through for the Buccaneers this season, there's no question that the defense would be significantly better than last year. If that happens? The Bucs may just have what it takes to go all the way.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Buccaneers' Todd Bowles delivers honest truth on blow of losing Jalen McMillan

• Kyle Trask’s next team could be obvious thanks to a Buccaneers connection

• Buccaneers cut veteran wide receiver following disappointing preseason

• Todd Bowles reveals why Bucs moved on from backup quarterback Kyle Trask