WR Chris Godwin (third round): 60 receptions

The second-year receiver out of Penn State drew rave reviews for his work on the practice field throughout the 2018 offseason, but that's nothing new. Godwin impressed immediately as a rookie in last year's training camp, though that did not translate into early-season production in his debut campaign. The problem (for Godwin, not the Buccaneers) was simply a matter of playing time. With Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson stationed on the outside and Adam Humphries excelling in the slot, there weren't a lot of opportunities for the rookie early on. Through the first eight games of the season, Godwin had a total of eight catches.

Then Evans sat out Game Nine against the Jets and Godwin stepped right in with five catches for 68 yards. His playing time increased after that and spiked at the end of the year when Jackson hit injured reserve. In the Bucs' last two games, Godwin had 10 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown, including the game-winner against New Orleans on Tampa Bay's last offensive snap of the season. The end result was 525 yards – halfway to a 1,000-yard campaign without ever really having a permanently defined role in the offense.

On one hand, all those same impediments remain for Godwin and his playing time. On the other hand, as he continues to show what he is capable of, Godwin may just force his way into more action. It seems likely, in fact. And given the day-to-day consistency for which he is frequently praised by the coaches, it also seems likely that more playing time will indeed translate into bigger numbers.

It's still a bit much to predict an 80-catch or 1,000-yard season for Godwin in Year Two, just because Evans, Jackson, Humphries and that tight end combo noted above will still be soaking up targets. But an improvement of 26 catches – less than two per game – would get him to 60. And if he continues to put up about 15 yards per catch, as he did in 2017, that would put Godwin around 900 yards. That would be a very good sign for Tampa Bay's offense.

LB Kendell Beckwith (third round): 16 games at one position

The Buccaneers drafted Beckwith late in the third round in 2017 not sure exactly when the former LSU star would be able to take the field. The ACL tear that ended his 2016 season hurt his draft stock but proved to be a boon for the Bucs as it didn't end up limiting him at all as a rookie. Beckwith was actually cleared to play at the start of training camp and never had a setback.

As such, he rather easily won the strongside job next to David and Kwon Alexander. When Alexander went down in the opener with an injury, Beckwith slid right the middle linebacker spot and more than held his own. When David also went down, Beckwith took over play-calling duties. Later in the season, with his fellow starters back in action but the Bucs struggling to get any production out of their defensive ends, Beckwith was frequently employed as a stand-up edge rusher.

The rookie's production across this range of jobs was quite good: 73 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback pressures, two passes defensed and one forced fumble. The bulk of his numbers came in the early part of the season when he was the heart of a thinned-out linebacking group; Beckwith had 45 of his 73 tackles in the season's first six game.

Alexander and David are back and, with better injury fortune, should be in their usual spots for virtually every defensive snap. With a lot more options at defensive end this year, the Buccaneers shouldn't have to get as creative with Beckwith's role on defense. If he's ready to go for the start of the year, the second-year 'backer should be the favorite to win the strongside job, which would have him on the field and in position to make plays on roughly 50% of the snaps.

Of course, that is a significant "if." Beckwith fractured an ankle in a May car accident and missed most of the offseason. At the time his injury was revealed, there was no specific timetable announced for his return. Obviously, the Bucs are hoping that Beckwith is a quick healer once again and will be ready to go for the start of the season. He would benefit from some stability in Year Two.

DT Stevie Tu'ikolovatu (sixth round): A spot in the D-Line rotation

There's no need to get too tricky with his one: The obvious goal for Tu'ikolovatu in Year Two is to get on the field.

The Buccaneers drafted the former USC standout with a specific goal in mind, that being a more stout run defense. Tu'ikolovatu was one of the best run-stuffers in the NCAA in 2016 and the Bucs were trying to get bigger up the middle (drafting Beckwith was also part of that, as was the failed signing of defensive tackle Chris Baker). Unfortunately, Tu'ikolovatu sustained a knee injury in the third preseason game and was placed on injured reserve as the team trimmed its roster down to 53 for the regular season.

Like most of his fellow 2017 draftees, Tu'ikolovatu has now had the benefit of a full offseason of NFL work. He is still big and strong and a potential clogger in the middle of the Bucs' line. What has changed, however, is the personnel around him in the Bucs' D-Line meeting room. Most notably, the team signed defensive tackle Beau Allen in free agency and used a first-round pick on defensive tackle Vita Vea. Those two and six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy would appear to form a very strong three-man DT rotation, making it harder for others to get snaps.