The Tampa Bay Buccaneers let the board fall their way to land Rueben Bain Jr. in Round 1, and on night two, they kicked things off by landing another playmaker. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected linebacker Josiah Trotter out of Missouri with the 48th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Trotter is a player that we have taken a closer look at in recent weeks for Bucs Wire. Our writer, Mason Riney, wrote up a scouting report on the Missouri linebacker, and we wanted to share some of those notes.
“He shows strong traits across the board, but mastering the communication and coverage responsibilities in Bowles’ scheme takes time. . .Long term, he has the instincts and physical tools to grow into a starting-caliber off-ball linebacker and an efficient inside signal caller. For now, he projects as a Day 2 to early Day 3 selection who offers depth, toughness, and developmental upside within a disciplined defensive system.”
Trotter will be fun to see alongside Alex Anzalone as they start the post-Lavonte David era on the Bucs defense.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Notes from scouting report on Bucs 2026 NFL Draft pick Josiah Trotter
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
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