While the Bucs have remained in playoff contention throughout the 2020s, one part of their roster rebuild has flown under the radar: they have quietly assembled a quality young core. After having a veteran-laden squad during the Tom Brady years, the organization had to shift gears and identify promising players on rookie deals to build around.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently ranked each NFL team based on its under-25 talent, and Tampa Bay’s placement should be encouraging.
Bucs Young Core Ranks In Top Half Of The League
Aaron Schatz’s rankings are not meant to measure which teams are best today — they are simply projections of which franchises have the brightest futures based on their under-25 talent.
Teams like the Browns (fourth) and Titans (fifth) are in the middle of rebuilds, but they have stockpiled plenty of young talent. For a front office that has picked in the back half of the first round from 2020 to 2025, it is impressive that the Bucs ranked in the top half of the league in terms of under-25 talent. Schatz slotted Tampa Bay in at 14th, highlighting wide receiver Emeka Egbuka as the group’s blue-chip player.
Despite not making a top 10 draft selection since 2019, Tampa Bay has assembled young talent on both sides of the ball, beginning with the offense.
Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Egbuka had 938 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a 22-year-old rookie last season. Playing next to him at wideout are 24-year-old Jalen McMillan, 24-year-old Tez Johnson and 22-year-old third-round rookie Ted Hurst III. Running back Bucky Irving is 24, as is starting center Graham Barton.
The Bucs have loaded up on offensive talent in recent years.
That trend started in a major way in the 2024 NFL Draft when Tampa Bay selected Barton, McMillan, and Irving. Each of that trio projects to be a key starter in 2026, and each player’s respective performance will be critical for the unit’s success.
J-Mac is one of four young wide receivers who are carrying the torch after legendary wide receiver Mike Evans passed it on by leaving for the 49ers. Egbuka’s future is the brightest given his flashes of high-end play during the first half of his rookie year. As the team’s top pick in 2025, he looked every bit of a future No. 1 wideout, but consistently showcasing those talents will determine how big of a leap he takes in his sophomore season.
Hurst and Johnson are more than just depth receivers — they round out the room with complementary skillsets. They might not get the same volume as McMillan or Egbuka now, but each has a bright future and can blossom into more featured weapons.
With the offense’s young foundation already established, the hope is that recent defensive draft investments follow a similar trajectory.
Bucs OLB Rueben Bain Jr. and OLBs coach Larry Foote – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
On defense, the young talent comes from the latest draft. The marquee player is 22-year-old rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., followed by second-round cornerback Josiah Trotter (21). Two of the Bucs’ 2025 draft picks at cornerback (Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison) are 22. However, do note that fourth-round rookie nickelback Keionte Scott is already 25.
Bain is the biggest X-factor in determining how high this young core can climb. If he develops into the disruptive edge rusher the Bucs believe he can be, Tampa Bay could have found franchise cornerstones in back-to-back drafts with Egbuka and Bain.
Trotter is aiming to become the long-term leader at inside linebacker, but first he will need to earn a starting job alongside Alex Anzalone and gain valuable experience as a rookie. Then he will have the chance to blossom in future seasons and take over the middle of the unit.
While safety Tykee Smith graduated from this list, the secondary is the biggest variable in the defense’s improvement.
Parrish and Morrison have youth on their side, but who emerges as the second cornerback on the depth chart is one of the biggest training camp battles to watch. Each possesses plenty of promise, but not many opportunities present themselves to parlay that into a long-term role. With uncertainty at corner, there is a platform to seize a starting position and run with it. That same sentiment can be applied to the nickel position, and with Scott already on the cusp of being off this list, there is the hope he is more than NFL ready and can make an impact as a playmaker.
No, the Bucs do not boast the same collection of under-25 stars as rebuilding teams loaded with high draft picks. That might be true, but that is also a reflection of sustained success under general manager Jason Licht.
Bucs GM Jason Licht and RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R
Tampa Bay has remained competitive while replenishing its roster by drafting and developing, and ESPN’s ranking reinforces that the next wave of talent is already taking shape.
The team is hoping to have found its offensive cornerstones with players like Emeka Egbuka, Bucky Irving, Graham Barton and Jalen McMillan leading the way, while the organization’s recent investments on defense will determine how bright the future is. Should Rueben Bain Jr., Josiah Trotter, Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish develop into long-term starters, Tampa Bay will have the kind of homegrown nucleus capable of keeping the franchise in contention for years to come.
