We introduced our "Performance" Preview competition on Buccaneers.com last season, wherein Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix and I made weekly picks from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster in an attempt to predict who would shine the brightest in that week's game. Team Reporter Casey Phillips served as our esteemed judge after the games, choosing which of us had made the best pick, and after 16 games Bri and I were tied at seven wins each, with two weeks that were a "push" because neither player did enough to impressive Judge Casey.

So it all came down to Week 18 as the Buccaneers prepared to play the Carolina Panthers with the NFC South title on the line. Tampa Bay won that game…but Carolina still got the division crown on a tiebreaker thanks, weirdly, to a win that same weekend by the Atlanta Falcons. Fittingly, Bri and I didn't end our competition with a winner, either. She picked Jalen McMillan and I took Antoine Winfield Jr. and neither stood out, leading to another push and a season-long tie.

To try to make such an outcome less likely this year, we've invited a third person into our competition: Buccaneers.com Contributor Gabriel Kahaian, who you will remember from his participation in various Roundtable discussions throughout the offseason. This will also give Casey one more option each week, hopefully leading to fewer pushes.

The rules are simple: Gabe, Bri and I each pick one Buccaneers player on Friday and explain why we think they are poised for a big game. We can't duplicate picks so order may matter, and since he's the new guy we felt it was only right to let Gabe go first. Bri will follow with her pick and I'll finish it up. Next week, the pick order will rotate.

So there it is, Gabe. Nothing left to do now but the pickin'.

Gabriel Kahaian: Chris Godwin Jr.

I got pretty lucky with the draw and landed the first pick to kick off the new year. As we approach the first weekend of the regular season, one thing is pretty apparent in the Buccaneers' building. After a full offseason of training with no recovery to work around, Chris Godwin Jr. has never looked better and I cannot imagine a more reliable player for my Performance Preview debut.

During his press conference earlier this week, franchise record-setting quarterback Baker Mayfield said he is seeing "the best version of Godwin" he's ever seen, which is remarkable considering everything the wide receiver has been through during his 10-year tenure. Godwin looked outstanding throughout training camp and I fully believe he will return to elite form in 2026. In Zac Robinson's new offense, Godwin is expected to line up in the slot, where he has thrived throughout his career. Robinson has always had a knack for getting the most out of his slot receivers and this year should be no different with Godwin now in his system. In Week One, I predict Mayfield will lean on his most-proven weapon and Godwin will come up big in Cincinnati.

Brianna Dix: Alex Anzalone

Free agent acquisition Alex Anzalone was given the green dot and captain patch in his first year as a Buccaneer for a reason. Since his arrival, he has flown around the defense making clutch plays and has spurred the unit as a vocal leader. Since 2021, Anzalone is the only linebacker in the league to have accumulated at least 450 tackles, 30 passes defensed and 9.0 or more sacks. In Week One against the Bengals at Paycor Stadium, I think Anzalone is primed to have a breakout game.

Whether causing disruption in the pocket on a blitz, covering dual-threat Chase Brown or limiting yards-after-catch by the Bengals' weapons, Anzalone will have an opportunity to showcase his multi-faceted skillset. He will be responsible for conveying the play call to the rest of the defense and getting players lined up, as well as making adjustments based on the offensive formation. Following the retirement of Lavonte David, a new era begins on Sunday in the middle of Todd Bowles' defense and Anzalone is the 2026 pillar. With his instincts, playmaking skills, football IQ and coverage prowess, Anzalone is poised to be a season-opener catalyst for Tampa Bay. Given the impressive start that the Bucs' defensive unit had in the preseason against the Chiefs with two-straight three-and-out's to start the game, I look for the squad to continue the trend in Cincinnati. The revamped front and pressure provided by Rueben Bain Jr. and Yaya Diaby will allow Anzalone to flow and make plays on the ball.

Scott Smith: Kenny Gainwell

The Bengals, like the Buccaneers, went to great lengths during the 2026 offseason to try to shore up their defense. Of course, there's no guarantee that either team's reconstruction efforts will yield the desired results, but there is definitely a good chance that Cincinnati will be stronger on that side of the ball this season after finishing last in yards allowed and 30th in points allowed in 2025.

It's worth noting, however, that most of the Bengals' defensive additions were to the defensive front. Among the back-seven starters, the only expected newcomer is safety Bryan Cook. Is it possible then, that some of Cincinnati's pass-coverage numbers of 2025 will prove to be a little sticky in the new season. At least from the Buccaneers' perspective, that would be a welcome outcome in Week One, in one particular area. In 2025, the Bengals' defense ranked last in all four of these categories: total yards after catch allowed (2,483), YAC per reception (7.5), yards allowed on completions behind the line of scrimmage (778), average yards allowed on completions behind the line of scrimmage (5.76).

All of that, of course, signals problems dealing with screen passes. If that is still an issue for Cincinnati at the start of this season – and, again, there's no guarantee that will carry over from last year – the Buccaneers may choose to take advantage. And if they do, the obvious candidates to be on the other end of Baker Mayfield's screen passes are running backs Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell. Either one would be a perfectly valid choice here, but I'll go with Gainwell after the fourth among all NFL running backs last season with 73 receptions while playing for the Steelers.

The danger with making this pick in Week One is that we don't yet have a feel for how the reps and touches are going to be split between Irving and Gainwell. Will it be a "hot hand" type of situation in any given game? If so and I chose the wrong hand, I'm probably not taking the win home this week. But Gainwell is the shiny new penny and I can't resist picking it up. I'm saying 75-plus yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.