TAMPA — Second-round pick Josiah Trotter has emerged as one of the most impactful defenders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp since the team put on full pads this week, positioning himself as a serious contender for the starting MIKE linebacker job.
Trotter, drafted 46th overall out of Missouri, has been visibly dominant in run-heavy drills at the AdventHealth Training Center, drawing praise from Head Coach Todd Bowles. “Yeah, he’s been coming along great,” Bowles said after Friday’s practice. “We knew his impact would be felt once we got in pads. That’s kind of what we saw in college. He makes his presence felt. He’s really picking up the scheme really well and understanding what he can do to cheat to make plays within it.”
The son of former Pro Bowl NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and brother of Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., the rookie said his physicality is a product of his upbringing. “I just know when I put these pads on, Josiah is out the window, I just become ‘Trot’ now at that point,” Trotter said. “I’m just trying to bring that mindset of everything that my dad instilled in me from a young age. I’m just here trying to set the tone, just be me, be a playmaker at the end of the day, do my job, try to compete and get better at the end of the day.”
The Buccaneers overhauled their linebacker corps this offseason after Lavonte David’s retirement left the room depleted — only two off-ball linebackers were under contract when the new league year began. Tampa Bay signed veterans Alex Anzalone, A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, and landed Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. when he fell to the 15th pick in the draft. Anzalone is expected to start at the “MO” linebacker spot, while Trotter is competing with incumbent SirVocea Dennis and Christian Rozeboom for the starting “MIKE” role.
Outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad, who played alongside Anzalone in Detroit, offered an unvarnished assessment of the rookie. “He’s different. I think he’s going to have an amazing year,” Muhammad said. “Those are the types of guys you want on your team, to be able to play with that mentality that he plays with. He’s going to be a good one.”
Trotter was drafted just three days shy of 14 years after the Buccaneers selected David with the 58th overall pick. He said he sees no reason his rookie status should limit his role. “When you’re on the football field, nobody cares if you’re a rookie,” Trotter said. “It’s, ‘Are you making plays or are you not?’ At the end of the day, I just know who I am out there. I’m just trying to be myself; to be the guy they brought me in here to be.”
The Buccaneers’ first week of camp followed the NFL-mandated ramp-up process, with full pads not coming until the fifth practice. The competition at MIKE linebacker will continue through the preseason as the team works toward finalizing its Week One starting lineup.