3 Battles To Watch During Buccaneers Joint Practice With the Jaguars

Here are the matchups we're looking forward to seeing when the Bucs take on the Jags.

Dec 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) holds off Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tre Herndon (37) in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are headed to Duval to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars during preseason, but first, it's time for joint practice. And those are typically more intense than the preseason games they lead up to.

While the game itself will probably feature limited starters, the practices will see both teams' "ones" go up against each other in full pads. That's a great opportunity for quite a few players to get better, and we highlighted three battles in particular that we're looking forward to when both teams hit the practice field:

CB Zyon McCollum vs. WR Brian Thomas Jr.

First-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. has recently made a name for himself as a rookie wideout in preseason, including this very nice catch in preseason against the Chiefs. The Jaguars may move their guys around, but he's on the outside here, which means that Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum will likely see some reps against him.

McCollum has incredible physical tools and has played well in camp so far in Tampa Bay, but he's been an inconsistent player on the football field the past few years. Thomas Jr. is a young but impressive and should be a great test to see if McCollum really can take the jump the Bucs need him to this year.

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C Graham Barton vs. DT DaVon Hamilton

Graham Barton played very well in his opening preseason game against the Bengals, but a lot of that work was not against starters. He'll get the chance to get starting reps against the Jaguars, and that means going against a starting nose tackle like DaVon Hamilton.

Hamilton suffered from an infection in 2023 that severely limited his playing abilities, but when healthy in 2022, he had 2.5 sacks and a staggering 56 combined tackles. If he can play like that this year, he'll offer a great challenge for Barton, who will get his first taste of starting action against another NFL team — and who likely will have been prepared for this moment by facing Vita Vea all the time.

RT Luke Goedeke vs. OLB Josh Hines-Allen

Josh Hines-Allen (as he is now known) is a disruptive pass rusher who last year mainly lined up on the left side of the defense — that would put the 17.5-sack man in the crosshairs of Buccaneers right tackle Luke Goedeke, and that matchup will be fun to watch.

The two already squared off in 2023 when the Buccaneers beat the Jaguars, where Hines-Allen had just one total tackle and zero sacks. Goedeke will look to repeat that performance, as he's going into a second year at tackle where he needs to prove he can play consistent football and deliver another strong year.

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