Bucs’ Biggest Positives From 2025 Preseason

A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: What has been the biggest positive from the Bucs’ preseason so far?

Scott Reynolds: Tight Coverage, INTs Have Been Huge For Bucs Defense

We had Bucs head coach Todd Bowles on the Pewter Report Podcast this summer for a fantastic interview, and he told us that he wanted to see tighter coverage across the secondary this year and less cushion from cornerbacks when lining up against wide receivers. Mission accomplished, Coach. Starting in the OTAs we saw tighter coverage from the defensive backs and that carried over into training camp. More importantly, it carried over from camp into the preseason games where Tampa Bay has recorded six interceptions and 16 pass breakups in the first two games against the Titans and Steelers.

Interceptions are not a very good predictive statistic. Sometimes they happen in bunches. Sometimes they don’t happen at all. But the fact that we’ve seen six picks in two games is encouraging because Tampa Bay’s defense had just seven total INTs last year in 18 games, including the postseason loss in the Wild Card game to the Commanders. Only six came from the secondary, which was incredibly disappointing. That was a result of playing too loose in coverage in secondary with too much cushion that allowed for easy catches from opposing receivers.

While the Bucs can’t count on getting takeaways – interceptions – in every single regular season game, what tighter coverage can do on a weekly basis is affect opposing quarterbacks’ completion percentages and teams’ third down conversion percentages. Against Tennessee, the Titans converted just 35.8% (5-of-13) on third downs, and the Steelers converted just 16.7% (2-of-12) on third downs in Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

So whether it’s been creating interceptions, breaking up passes or holding firm on third downs, we’re already seeing the benefits of Tampa Bay’s secondary playing tighter coverage. This mindset was fostered in the spring and has taken hold over the summer. Look for the dividends to pay off in the fall and winter during the regular season – and hopefully the postseason. More interceptions should lead to more wins in Tampa Bay.

Matt Matera: Pass Blocking From O-Line Has Been A Plus

The Bucs couldn’t ask for a much better performance by the offensive line from a pass blocking standpoint through two preseason games. While they flourished running the ball in the first game but struggled heavily in the second, protecting the quarterback in the passing game has gone quite well for the entire unit.

That especially goes for the second preseason game when Tampa Bay played all of the starters. Sure, there was one bad moment by left tackle Charlie Heck when he was beaten on the inside by Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig that forced Teddy Bridgewater out of the pocket. But outside of that he’s done a good job.

All eyes will continue to be on Heck as he looks to replace Tristan Wirfs to the start the season, but if he can stay afloat, the rest of the offensive line should be successful. Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke all were great in the game when it came to pass protection. Only two sacks have been given up by the offensive line with one in each game by the second-team O-line. Quarterback Kyle Trask has taken each sack and they probably could’ve been avoided if he got rid of the ball quicker. The running game will come along, but at least we know that the quarterbacks will have time to throw.

Bailey Adams: Emeka Egbuka Has Already Looked Like A True Pro

All anyone could do for the first two and a half weeks of training camp was praise the poise, polish and pro-readiness of rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, the Bucs’ 2025 first-round pick. There was good reason for that, of course, as he has looked every bit like a first-round pick from the moment he arrived in Tampa and put together an extremely impressive start to his first NFL training camp. And I think one of the biggest positives of the first couple of preseason games has been the fact that Egbuka has translated that success on the practice fields to live game action.

It didn’t take long for the former Ohio State star to stand out in his preseason debut, as he hauled in a contested 21-yard catch from Kyle Trask on the Bucs’ first offensive drive against the Titans. He came close to making an outstanding grab for a touchdown later in the drive, but couldn’t quite bring it in.

Nonetheless, Egbuka would get his redemption in the second week of the preseason, bringing in his first touchdown catch on a 5-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater. It was a great catch in the corner of the end zone, and it was a glimpse into just how reliable his hands are and how much trust he has earned from the quarterbacks.

It’s been great to see Egbuka get off to a fast start as a rookie, especially considering that it looks like the Bucs will need him to be a key contributor early with Chris Godwin still recovering from the ankle injury that ended his 2024 season. The rookie will have a starting role from the outset of the season, and he looks more than ready for it. That’s huge for Tampa Bay’s offense, especially quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Josh Queipo: Wide Receiver Depth Has Been As Advertised

Remember Weeks 8-10 last year? With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both sidelined with injuries the Bucs had to get through three games without their dynamic duo at wide receiver. This was before Jalen McMillan’s breakout. How did they do it? Tight end Cade Otton led the way with 22 catches, 193 yards and three touchdowns. None of the Bucs’ depth receivers truly stepped up to put a stamp on the passing game, limiting what the offense could do.

But there were glimmers of hope last year. And now with McMillan continuing to improve throughout training camp, his own preseason Week 2 injury notwithstanding, and the emergence of first round draft pick Emeka Egbuka – whom Bailey Adams just explained is every bit the stud we thought he would be – the team has true depth at the position. If the team has to start the year without Godwin, as he works back from his ankle injury from last year, and McMillan, a top three of Evans, Egbuka and some combination of Sterling Shepard and Ryan Miller is still a talented core.

Shepard, for his part, has looked fantastic this preseason. With three catches for 47 yards on just 13 routes run, he has been nearly unstoppable. His route running has been clean and sharp. Miller has been close to a guaranteed bucket, making tough grabs in traffic and picking up even tougher yards in the screen game. Most importantly, he has been a trusted asset for his quarterbacks who can count on him to be where he is supposed to be when he is supposed to be there.

Add in the excitement of Tez Johnson as a manufactured touch outlet and the receiving prowess of the Bucs running backs and you have a passing attack that can weather some tough hits. Oh, and Otton is back from a hamstring injury and should be able to figure into the equation once he knocks the rust off this preseason.

Adam Slivon: Jacob Parrish Already Looks Like A Playmaking CB

Usually, it takes a while for defensive backs in head coach Todd Bowles’ system to get it. I have been told by several defensive backs in recent years that this is a complex defense, which makes it understandable why a big offseason focus was to get them on the same page with the cornerbacks and safeties meeting together. That is why seeing Jacob Parrish already look like he has been around and show a knack for making plays all the more impressive. Bowles said as much earlier this month when asked about how he has seen the third-round pick grow.

“It’s hard to say he’s grown because he’s been good since the first day he got here,” Bowles said. “We correct him very little. That’s a scary thing, especially for me. We don’t say his name much because he’s always doing the right things. You tend to forget that he’s a rookie coming in. His preparation and toughness and his [readiness] to play…You tell him something one time and he’s got it. He loves to compete. He goes outside, he goes inside, he plays special teams. He’s been a joy to be around. Other than his singing voice, he’s been doing a very good job.”

Parrish has stood out as a pesty, versatile cornerback. Bowles does not want to label him just a cornerback or nickelback; instead, it appears that he can make an impact at each spot. He has performed well during each of the preseason games. Against the Titans, Parrish’s opening act included two pass breakups, although it also demonstrated that he is learning with more reps. In his second preseason game against the Steelers, he had back-to-back plays where he aptly broke up a pass and then took down 6-foot-1, 224-pound running back Kaleb Johnson in the backfield to record a tackle for loss.

When it comes down to his role this season, Jacob Parrish will be the starting nickelback, and his ability to move around opens the door for Todd Bowles to get creative and find ways for defensive back Christian Izien to see the field and other players to shuffle around based on defensive gameplans. So far, selecting Parrish has looked like a solid pick and fits the ballhawk criteria that Bowles has coveted.