The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Josiah Trotter with the 46th pick of the NFL Draft. Linebacker has been a massive need for the Buccaneers after Lavonte David retired during the offseason. The team signed Alex Anzalone during free agency; however, they needed another option to be a starter as well.
Trotter is the son of former NFL linebacker and pro bowler Jeremiah Trotter. Jeremiah totaled 914 tackles, 9 interceptions, and 12.5 sacks in his 11 year NFL career.
Josiah Trotter only played two seasons of college football but showcased a lot of improvement in his two seasons. He played his freshman year at West Virginia, where he tallied 92 combined tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and an interception. He transferred to Missouri for the 2025 season. Last year, he produced 84 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and two sacks.
The Second Round Seems Like a Reach for Trotter
GettyNFL Draft Analysts saw Trotter closer to a third round pick.
The Buccaneers are higher on Trotter than other draft analysts, who saw him as more of a third-round draft pick. PFF ranked him as the 66th best prospect in the draft, so they thought he would go early in the third round. They graded him positively in run defense, where he received a 89.2 grade, and as a pass rusher, where he received a 81.6 grade. Trotter faltered in coverage only receiving a 47.9 grade.
PFF said, “Trotter is a physical, downhill linebacker best suited for a 3-4 scheme. He must improve in coverage and play recognition to become a consistent starter.”
Given the Buccaneers and head coach Todd Bowles operate under a 3-4 scheme, that is great news, and it’s possible he will operate in more of an edge role as a linebacker while Anzalone is mainly a coverage linebacker.
Dane Brugler of the Athletic agrees with PFF about their third round grade. He ranked him as the sixth best linebacker in the NFL Draft.
Brugler said, “Trotter doesn’t have playmaking awareness in coverage (at least, not yet), but his run instincts and take-on skills are among the best in this draft class. He looks like a starting NFL Mike.”
Josiah Trotter’s Athletic Profile
GettyJosiah Trotter did not test at the NFL Combine or his pro day.
Although Trotter did not test at either the NFL Combine or his pro day at Missouri, his composite weights and measurements indicate a decent athlete. He’s a little about 6’1” in terms of height and weighs between 237 and 240 pounds. He has about 10” hands, just above 32” arms, and a wingspan just above 77”. NFL Next Gen Stats gives a score of 7 in athleticism based on those measurements, indicating a positive profile for a linebacker.
With Trotter now in the fold, we’ll see how he lines up as a linebacker, but the Buccaneers may not be done addressing that position as they may need a player who is more of a coverage specialist for their defense to partner with Anzalone.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Josiah Trotter with 46th Pick