Buccaneers Make Important Signing After Long Wait

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially signed the last of their 2026 Draft class on Thursday.

Tampa Bay officially signed second-round draft pick Josiah Trotter on Thursday, per the team itself. Trotter was the last of Tampa Bay's draft picks who remained unsigned heading into rookie minicamp as the other six — edge rusher Rueben Bain, wideout Ted Hurst, defensive back Keionte Scott, defensive lineman DeMonte Capehart, guard Billy Schrauth and tight end Bauer Sharp — all signed their rookie deals prior to camp starting.

With Trotter signed, the Bucs have officially taken care of their 2026 draft class, and it's very likely that Trotter gets a nice bonus from waiting a little bit like most second-round prospects have done the past two years.

Josiah Trotter Signs Rookie Deal With Buccaneers

Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter (LB26) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Trotter's deal hasn't been made public at the time of writing, but there's reason to believe that he did the right thing in waiting this long.

The last two years have seen second-round picks hold out on their contracts in hopes of getting the most guaranteed money possible on their deals. Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison did the same thing last year after being drafted out of Notre Dame, but he did not end up getting a fully guaranteed contract — instead, he got $3,576,882 guaranteed of his $8,215,968 deal.

That is unlikely to be the case for Trotter, though. Trotter was picked by the Bucs with the No. 46 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and two picks later, Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell was selected by the Atlanta Falcons. Terrell got a fully guaranteed deal when he signed on May 14, and just on the basis that Trotter was picked two picks higher, Trotter's deal is also likely fully guaranteed as well. That would prove him right for waiting, but now, he's the last piece officially placed from Tampa Bay's draft class.

Trotter plays with the blitzing ability and run-stuffing prowess of a true MIKE linebacker, and he'll be set to start alongside free agent acquisition Alex Anzalone in 2026. He'll step in for SirVocea Dennis, who held the job last year but did not impress in his debut season as a starter. Tampa Bay hopes Trotter and Anzalone will bring stability to a corps that struggled in 2025.

The next time Trotter will hit the field is during OTAs, which will begin on May 26 for the Buccaneers.

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