More than 60 NFL rookies descended upon the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' AdventHealth Training Center on Thursday in advance of a three-day minicamp this weekend. There were team meetings to attend and physical examinations to undergo, and for five of them, one additional bit of business.
The Buccaneers announced Thursday afternoon that they have signed five of the seven players they selected in the 2026 NFL Draft two weeks ago, including first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr., the Miami edge rusher. Also signed were fourth-round defensive back Keionte Scott, fifth-round defensive lineman DeMonte Capehart, fifth-round guard Billy Schrauth and sixth-round tight end Bauer Sharp. Bain received the four-year contract with a fifth-year team option that all first-round picks receive, while the other four signed the standard four-year deal given to all players in the subsequent rounds.
The Bucs only two remaining unsigned draft picks are second-round linebacker Josiah Trotter and third-round wide receiver Ted Hurst. Players are allowed to take part in minicamps and other offseason team activity before signing their rookie deals, but they cannot report to training camp without one in place.
The Bucs nabbed Bain with the 15th overall pick after he surprisingly slipped out of the top 10, addressing their most pressing need of an enhanced edge rush. Bain racked up 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss and paced the FBS with 83 quarterback pressures last season while helping lead the Hurricanes to the national championship game. Scott, another key figure in that Hurricanes defense, has the versatility to fill several potential roles in the Bucs' secondary but is likely to focus early on the slot, similar to the role he played for the Miami Hurricanes; he had 13 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, seven passes defensed, two interceptions and two forced fumbles last season.
Capehart is expected to fit into the Buccaneers' interior defensive line rotation, where his demonstrated run-stuffing ability will be useful, but the team believes he also has some largely-untapped pass-rushing potential, as well. Schrauth, who started 22 games for a powerful Notre Dame offense and played both right and left guard, should battle for a key reserve role immediately and could develop into a starter down the line. Sharp is a do-it-all tight end who had 42 catches for Oklahoma in 2024 and 24 for LSU last season and could be featured in two-TE sets in Zac Robinson's offense.
There are 71 total players expected to take part in the rookie minicamp, including seven first-year players from the Bucs' pre-draft roster. That includes the seven draft picks, 17 undrafted free agent signings and 40 prospects participating on tryout contracts. The team is scheduled to have afternoon practices on Friday and Saturday and a morning workout on Sunday.
