By The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued to strengthen the defense on day two of the NFL draft by selecting linebacker Josiah Trotter with their second-round selection.
If the name Trotter sounds familiar, it should: his dad, Jeremiah Trotter, played 11 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, and his brother, Jeremiah Jr., is currently on the Eagles roster.
The Bucs are rolling the dice on Trotter, who has played only 2 years of college football. One year at West Virginia, and this past season at Missouri.
He will play side-by-side with newly acquired linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Despite his lack of experience, Trotter believes he is ready for the next level of football.
“When you go to the SEC, I feel like it’s the greatest competition,” Trotter said. “I feel like when you come to the SEC, and you’re able to go dominate, I feel like it’s the closest thing to the NFL. I feel ready to go, and I feel God is leading me in that direction. I felt I was ready to go to the next level and play physically, but also mentally.”
So what can we expect to see from Trotter when he suits up in a Buccaneer uniform this fall?
A player who sees the game quickly and a player who can diagnose plays quickly, allowing him to beat blockers and disrupt plays behind the line of scrimmage.
Trotter also plays with a violent mentality. He is a hard hitter and is a violent tackler.
“Vice President of Player Personnel Mike Biehl said, “You don’t see his type of physicality in college that much anymore because it’s so much of a sideline-to-sideline game, a lot of lateral action, but he’s got that to him. Pair him with Rueben Bain, and we got a lot more tough and physical on defense.”
“He’s probably a better run player right now, but he has the instincts to cover, he has enough athletic ability to cover in man. We’re comfortable with that. He can be a three-down player for us.”
Although he is not your typical sideline-to-sideline linebacker, his first step is quick, and he can close on ballcarriers quickly.
That quick burst makes him effective on blitzes and inside runs.
He also has great hands, which he uses to win those one-on-one battles.
Trotter was a first-team All-SEC selection. He recorded 84 tackles in 12 games, had 17 tackles for loss, along with 2.5 sacks, four passes defensed, and one interception.
He will compete for a starting job in training camp to play alongside Alex Anzolone.
