The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a number of strikes in the course of the 2026 NFL Draft to bolster their protection, one in all which was deciding on Missouri Tigers linebacker Josiah Trotter within the second spherical (decide No. 46).
Throughout a latest look on “The Jim Rome Present,” Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles shared a fairly daring prediction relating to what Trotter will accomplish as a professional.
Will Josiah Trotter accomplish greater than his well-known relations?
“I assume he’s going to have a greater profession than his dad had, and his brother had, hopefully,” Bowles stated, per the JoeBucsFan web site.
Jeremiah Trotter, Josiah’s father, earned 4 Professional Bowl nods and one first-team All-Professional choice throughout his NFL profession that ran from 1998 by way of the 2009 season. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Josiah’s brother, has played for the Philadelphia Eagles for the reason that 2024 season and is a one-time Tremendous Bowl champion.
Josiah Trotter did not be a part of the Buccaneers as an ideal prospect. Particularly, some have questioned his cross protection capability in comparison with others who had been out there within the second spherical of this 12 months’s player-selection course of.
What Buccaneeers like about Josiah Trotter
Buccaneers basic supervisor Jason Licht stated a lot about his emotions on the state of the Tampa Bay protection when he chosen Miami edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr. with the fifteenth total decide of the draft earlier than Licht grabbed Josiah Trotter. Bowles, who has a defensive background and was serving as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator when he was promoted to his present function in March 2022, expanded on what the workforce preferred about Josiah Trotter forward of the draft.
“We expect [Josiah Trotter] could be very clever,” Bowles defined. “He can run. He’s received measurement. He’s going to strike you. And he’s a modern-day soccer participant, and we predict he’s very bodily. I feel from a bodily standpoint, he’s loads like Bain.”
That final line is noteworthy, as shops reminiscent of DraftKings Sportsbook have routinely listed Bain as a co-favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Yr Award for the 2026 season. If Josiah Trotter proves to have a bit Bain in him, the Tampa Bay protection might be an improved unit from what it was this previous January.
