Power Ranking Buccaneers Draft Picks After Training Camp: Who Will Play the Biggest Role?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have wrapped up training camp after their second day of joint practice against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bucs still have one more preseason game left vs. those very same Jaguars to evaluate their talent before the preparation for the regular season begins, but their training camp is officially over. It was the time for the team to install new plays and bring the team together, but it was also a good time to evaluate how its draft picks have been fairing across the offseason.

Tampa Bay's draft class was highly-touted heading into training camp, but how impactful will those players really be? We've ranked all seven of them here in order of how impactful we think each of those rookies will be in 2026:

7. IOL Billy Schrauth

Notre Dame offensive lineman Billy Schrauth (OL45) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unfortunately, Schrauth is the only one of Tampa Bay's seven draft picks who didn't play all that much this offseason.

Schrauth has been dealing with a knee injury he suffered early in training camp that has caused him to be sidelined for a good portion of the offseason. He didn't really get the opportunity to compete with players like Dan Feeney and Luke Haggard for Tampa Bay's swing guard spot, and although his injury isn't season-ending, it's hard to think he'll make a splash without much practice.

Schrauth simply hasn't played, and for that reason, he'll likely be the least impactful Bucs draft pick in 2026.

6. DT DeMonte Capehart

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Demonte Capehart (90) walks off the field after the game against the New York Jets | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Capehart was drafted in the fifth round alongside Schrauth, but unlike Schrauth, he may get some playing time here and there in 2026 as a rotational defensive tackle.

Capehart has looked decent in camp and in the preseason, and he has the chance to make a big impact on Friday when the Bucs play the Jaguars. He's been learning from a strong room that includes A'Shawn Robinson and Vita Vea, and he could use their leadership combined with his raw athleticism to develop into a good player.

It would take some time for that to happen, but Capehart will likely get some rotational snaps in the regular season this year.

5. TE Bauer Sharp

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Bauer Sharp (84) runs after a catch against the New York Jets | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sharp has impressed so far throughout the offseason, and he could play a bigger role than many thought after he got drafted in the sixth round.

Sharp is competing with tight end Devin Culp to be the team's fourth tight end, and not only has he looked definitively better, but he's also gotten some reps with the first team in camp and played some solid football in preseason so far. Hyper-athletic but raw and unrefined, it may take a bit for Sharp to turn into the player the Bucs hope he does — but the team clearly likes him a lot already and hasn't been afraid to use him.

4. DB Keionte Scott

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Keionte Scott (22) talks to media after training camp | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Scott should serve a big role in Tampa Bay as the nickel corner, and he's shown he can play it early and often. He's made some very strong tackles and some nice pass deflections already across both camp and preseason, and he particularly showed how strong his tackling is when he played with the starting defense for the first two drives against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Scott should get a lot of playing time in that nickel position in 2026, and that position has been somewhat of a kingmaker in Tampa Bay — the last two players to play it in Bowles' system have gotten more playing time.

Scott's aggressive skillset will allow Bowles to do more with the defense, and he could be a crucial player this upcoming season.

3. WR Ted Hurst

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III (17) reacts after catching a pass for a first down against the New York Jets | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The question heading into camp was just how much Hurst would play in 2026. He's the archetypal X wideout that the Bucs have been looking for to replace Mike Evans, but given his raw development and lack of competition at the college level, it was fair to question just how important he'd really be during his rookie year.

The answer might just be "very". Yes, Hurst has gotten more playing time this offseason due to injuries to both Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan, but he's made the absolute most of those reps. He's had plenty of circus catches and touchdowns during the back half of camp after a slow start, and he's already emerged as a reliable target for quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Egbuka and McMillan will, of course, still be important. But Hurst appears to be coming along faster than many thought, and he could be in the end zone plenty this season. Watch out for him.

2. LB Josiah Trotter

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Josiah Trotter (45) in action against the New York Jets | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Preseason and camp football is obviously different from live bullets in the regular season. But Trotter has, so far, been everything the Bucs have wanted in a linebacker and more.

Drafted in the second round out of Missouri, Trotter has shown excellent blitzing skills, the speed to hit gaps quickly with the force to make it count and has shown some success in coverage, too — an area many worried about heading into this season. He's shown no fear of talking trash to the team's veterans, and those same veterans have cited that as one of his most admirable traits.

Trotter is technically still behind linebacker SirVocea Dennis as it stands. With the way he's played, that probably won't be the case for much longer.

1. OLB Rueben Bain Jr.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. (3) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bain fell to pick No. 15 in the draft due to some concerns about his arm length. From what we've seen in the offseason so far, he's about to make quite a few NFL GMs feel very, very silly.

Bain has been exactly as advertised for Tampa Bay. His motor has been as ferocious as it was at Miami, his lethal hump move has vanquished plenty of opposing left tackles already (both in Tampa Bay and their preseason opponents) and his extra effort after practice has shown his devotion to getting better.

His six preseason snaps still made him the highest-graded PFF rookie in preseason so far, and he was so impressive that Bowles decided he didn't need to play him in the team's first preseason game. Bain might not be a high-sack player in 2026, but he'll bring the pressure and get his wins, and that's exactly what the Bucs want him to do.

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