Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5 Things to Watch for at Training Camp

As training camp looms for the Buccaneers, here are five things to keep an eye on during practices

Jul 18, 2025 at 08:00 AM

Brianna Dix

Staff Writer/Reporter

WR3 Battle

The efficiency of the Buccaneers' 2024 offensive juggernaut catapulted Tampa Bay to its fourth-straight division title. In 2025, the unit returns primarily unchanged, with the exception of Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard, the availability of Tristan Wirfs and two new weapons for Quarterback Baker Mayfield in first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and seventh-round talent Tez Johnson. The Bucs are hopeful that Chris Godwin will be ready to go for Week One after a dislocated ankle prematurely ended his sensational 2024 campaign. The first two spots on the depth chart are entrenched with incumbents Mike Evans and Godwin, but the spots behind the dynamic duo are open for the taking. Training camp will be the time to get a comprehensive look at Egbuka, Johnson, Jalen McMillan, Sterling Shepard and Trey Palmer. The Bucs are stacked at the position, which is a good problem to have through the grueling 18-week NFL regular season. McMillan came into his own late in the 2024 season with a plethora of touchdowns and adding Egbuka's ability to uncover with subtle maneuvers and Johnson's open-field prowess to the mix, the Bucs' receiver corps will provide intrigue on the practice fields.

Left Tackle Depth

All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs underwent knee surgery and is expected to begin the year on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the 2025 docket. Wirfs, one of the most consistent players on the Bucs' roster and the only player in league history to earn All-Pro honors at both right and left tackle, will not be replaceable; however, Tampa Bay has time to prepare and work through lineup shifts. Veteran Charlie Heck and undrafted rookie Benjamin Chukwuma will compete for the left tackle vacancy and the task of protecting Mayfield's blindside. The Bucs signed Heck back in March and throughout his career, he has appeared in 50 career games, making 23 starts, between the Houston Texans (2020-23), Arizona Cardinals (2024) and San Francisco 49ers (2024). Heck has primarily played right tackle – logging 1,334 career snaps there – yet saw most of his action at left tackle in 2024, seeing 80 snaps there compared to 25 snaps at right tackle. Over the last three seasons, Heck has yielded just two sacks across 311 pass blocking snaps.

Edge Rushers

The Buccaneers' bolstered the defensive line in free agency by signing Haason Reddick to join Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson, Chris Braswell and Jose Ramirez. Reddick, touted as one of the best pass rushers in the game, has appeared in 124 career games between the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, making 83 starts and compiling 419 tackles (71 for loss), 102 quarterback hits, 59.0 sacks (14 strip sacks), 20 passes defensed, 18 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries throughout his NFL tenure. Dating back to the 2020 season, Reddick has posted four seasons with double-digit sacks, tied for the second-most in the NFL, trailing only Myles Garrett (five). Reddick's 51.5 sacks across the past five seasons are the sixth-most in the NFL over that span, trailing only T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson, Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons. The two-time Pro Bowler will help boost Bowles' aggressive-styled, blitz-centric scheme with his explosiveness and range. David Walker, a three-time Consensus All-American taken in the fourth round of the draft, put up an absurd stat line at Central Arkansas and impressed throughout minicamp with burst off the ball. One-on-one pass rush drills are always a highly-anticipated event for football enthusiasts, but this year, the draw is even greater to see who emerges victorious.

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TAMPA, FL - June 12, 2025 - Defensive Lineman Calijah Kancey #94 and Safety Tykee Smith #23 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025 Minicamp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers