Shilo Sanders was the talk of Tampa Bay Buccaneers minicamps following the draft. The former Colorado safety didn't hear his name called among the 257 selections, but did get a call from the Bucs as an undrafted free agent. He immediately turned heads as one of the standouts in minicamp and continuing to impress in training camp, raising the question of if he could fight his way onto the final 53-man roster. The preseason, however, has sent that crashing down.
To put it plainly, Sanders has struggled in his first two games of preseason action. That certainly hasn't been for a lack of opportunity, playing 70 snaps to this point for the Buccaneers in their two exhibition contests. However, he's failed to take advantage of those abundant chances, and even a window of opportunity with highly touted UDFA signing and competition for a roster spot, J.J. Roberts, being placed on IR.
Sanders is just the 25th-highest graded defender for the Bucs so far in the preseason among 38 players, according to PFF ($). He's struggled in coverage, to be sure, even if he hasn't been targeted or given up any kind of big play, earning a 60.1 grade, good for just 18th among 28 Buccaneers players who have had a rep in coverage in the preseason.
Even more worrisome, though, has been the run defense and tackling from Sanders. He's already registered three missed tackles in six opportunities to this point, which is just flat-out abysmal. And, unfortunately, it's something that's followed him from his college career and highlighting why he was ultimately an upside UDFA signing and not a Bucs draft pick.
Shilo Sanders is highly unlikely to make the Buccaneers 53-man roster
Sanders was never a threat to compete with incumbent starters at safety, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith. However, he was fighting for the limited safety depth, likely two spots, that the Buccaneers are expected to examine when final roster cuts come out. And after minicamp, it would've seemed that the battle for the final spot would be between Roberts and Sanders, which you'd think would give Sanders an inroad after the injury to his UDFA peer.
Instead, 2024 undrafted free agent signing Rashad Wisdom might be the guy taking his spot. While veteran Kaevon Merriweather has struggled a bit in the preseason, he's a Todd Bowles favorite who has played a crucial depth role in recent seasons. But Wisdom's emergence in the preseason amid Sanders' struggles is actually the worst thing for the rookie's chances of making the roster.
Wisdom has point-blank been one of the Bucs' best defensive players so far in the preseason, registering the seventh-best coverage grade and the 11th-best defensive grade through two games and across 84 snaps. While he's also had some issues in tackle with one missed tackle in five opportunities, he's been the better overall player at the position. Given that and a year of experience already in the building with Tampa, that almost surely gives him the advantage over Sanders right now.
Bucs could still keep Shilo Sanders around on the practice squad
The good news for Sanders is that this likely isn't the end of the road. Given that he's still in the mix to compete for a down-roster spot when final cuts are made, it's incredibly likely that the Buccaneers make an effort to cut him but then try to re-sign him to the practice squad. There is clearly talent there to develop and so many reports out of practices across the offseason have been positive. It only stands to reason that they'd want to keep him in the building as more depth.
With that being the case, though, there is also the chance that another NFL team poaches him before the Bucs have the opportunity to slot him into the practice squad and give him a chance on another 53-man roster that is less equipped at the safety position in terms of depth.
In any case, though, this certainly isn't the end of the line for Sanders. But the once present hopes of him being a surprise addition to Tampa's 53-man roster have now seemingly gone by the wayside, and it's clear what the rookie defensive back needs to improve in order to rectify that moving forward in his pro career.