When Bucs defensive coordinator Jim Bates was asked for who was a "surprise" during camp and preseason, he was pretty quick to respond.

Rookie DT Roy Miller.

Miller, a 6-2, 310-pound third-round pick from Texas, has been praised a lot throughout camp and could make an impact right away on the defensive line, something that is relatively unique for such a young player at his position, Bates said.

"Coming in as a rookie defensive tackle, it's one of the hardest positions for a guy to play at a young age," Bates said. "Usually it takes a lot of maturity. There are guys that are 26-35 years old you're going against, that are 600 pounds (combined) sometimes on the double teams, and Roy has held his ground.

"It's been amazing. Because ....there's not much running game in the Big 12, so for him to come in and do what he's done, that's probably been the most surprising thing in camp."

-- JOE SMITH
joesmith@sptimes.com