The Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster is in a peculiar spot. They need to go all-in this year to win big playoff games to save the jobs of both Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield. So, the roster is leaning into a veteran presence. However, it has them walking a fine line when thinking about the future.
While Tampa Bay likely has a lot of players in consideration, they had zero players featured on the top 25 players who were under the age of 25 years old by CBS Sports. For as much as they need the veterans to hold the roster down, they are going to need some of the fringe players to join this list in the coming years.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need Youth to Step up on the Roster
GettyBuccaneers rising star Calijah Kancey.
Some of this comes down to the Buccaneers drafting slightly older players. Luke Goedeke, Zyon McCollum, Cody Mauch, and Yaya Diaby were all drafted in the past five years but are all 27 years of age or older.
Calijah Kancey is the only player on the Bucs who was drafted in 2023 or earlier and is still 25 or younger. After his injury-filled 2025 season, he is nowhere near this list.
From the 2024 draft class, Graham Barton is a bit of a snub. However, there were very few offensive linemen at all to make the list. Joe Alt ranked 24th, which makes it hard to see Barton on the list.
Tykee Smith and Bucky Irving are also of the age to make the ranking. Irving is not going to make the ranking after his 2025 season. Smith was great in 2025, but it was his first year in a new role.
The two names from the 2025 draft that should make the list are Emeka Egbuka and Jacob Parrish. Parrish will take on a bigger role this year, and he might get the attention. Meanwhile, it appears as though the slow finish to his year cost him a spot in the top 25.
Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, George Pickens and Drake London made it ahead of Egbuka. All four might have deserved it, but London was 19, so Egbuka could have snuck in the back end of the list.
The Buccaneers Draft Class Brings Hope for the Future
The Bucs’ current draft class might have the best chance to crack this list next year. That starts with Ruben Bain. Bain is only 21 years old, so he could make the list for a couple of seasons. He is viewed as one of the most feared pass rushers in college football and was a steal when the Bucs drafted him 15th overall.
Josiah Trotter is another name that is already turning heads. He was taken 46th overall in the 2026 draft. The expectation is for him to get on the field early, and potentially by Week 1.
Strong years from Barton, Egbuka, and the rookies could give the Bucs the core they need. However, right now it is going to be easy to describe the roster as veteran-heavy. We will see if they can make the adjustment this year.
NFL Ranking Puts Buccaneers’ Future on Blast