The Tampa Bay Buccaneers addressed some needs in free agency without making a big splash, signing several veteran players. Now they have to add young talent to build around.
The Bucs are aiming for an impact player with the 15th overall pick in the NFL draft, which begins at 8 p.m. Thursday in Pittsburgh. It’ll be Tampa Bay's highest selection since it snagged two-time All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs at No. 13 in 2020.
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A premier pass rusher is a top priority for Tampa Bay. The Bucs should have several options at that spot in a draft deep at edge rusher. Trading down is also a possibility for a team that could use more draft capital in the early rounds.
“We go through all those scenarios,” general manager Jason Licht said when asked if he’d explore trading up. “We look for all that, but, you know, love picks. I’m not saying that there wouldn’t be a scenario where we moved up, but we have a lot of places where we want to add some depth, add some starters, add some help. Right now, it would be more attractive to collect more picks, but I’m not saying that we wouldn’t move up.”
The Bucs traded out of the first round in 2022, sending the 27th overall pick to Jacksonville for the 33rd (second round), 106th (fourth round), and 180th (sixth round) overall picks.
NFL draft facts
- Where: Outside Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
- Round 1: Begins at 8 p.m. Thursday
- Round 2-3: Begins at 7 p.m. Friday
- Rounds 4-7: Begins at noon Saturday
- TV: NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes
They used that first pick of the second round on defensive lineman Logan Hall, who had just 10 sacks in four seasons and signed with Houston last month.
“Like now, you start going through scenarios,” Licht said last month at the league meetings. ”(If) these guys are gone, we would like to trade back. But it’s not always that simple. You’ve got to have a trade partner. You’ve got to have people that want to come up. You have to know with that next group of players that you might not want to lose. It’s a process that we go through from now until the draft, trying to figure out what you would take and what you would ask for, what you would settle for, and all those things. But it comes down to wanting to make sure that you don’t lose out on good players.”
What the Bucs need
Mostly defense. Beyond a pass rusher, the Bucs have to bolster the interior of the defensive line, the secondary and add an off-ball linebacker.
They signed edge rushers Al-Quadin Muhammad and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson and linebackers Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom in free agency to reshape a shaky defense that lost its leader when linebacker Lavonte David retired. Those are mostly stopgap players on short deals.
What the Bucs don't need
Wide receiver and running back. Despite losing six-time Pro Bowl wideout Mike Evans — he was Licht’s first and best draft pick way back in 2014 — the Bucs are deep at the position. They selected Emeka Egbuka in the first round last year and got contributions from rookie seventh-round pick Tez Johnson. Jalen McMillan had an impressive rookie season in 2024 and rebounded from a neck injury that held him out much of last year. And, veteran Chris Godwin is finally going to enter a season healthy.
That doesn’t rule out selecting a receiver in the draft, but it’s unlikely that would occur in the first two days.
Running back is another spot the Bucs don’t have to address in the early rounds. Bucky Irving returns, as does Sean Tucker. They signed Kenneth Gainwell from Pittsburgh to replace Rachaad White, who said he was "underutilized and underappreciated in Tampa Bay after signing with Washington in free agency.
Bucs picks by round
Round 1 (15th overall); Round 2 (46th); Round 3 (77th); Round 4 (116th); Round 5 (155th); Round 6 (195th); Round 7 (229th). The Bucs say Thursday's fist pick isn't expected until at least 9:30 p.m.
Bucs mock drafts
Miami defensive tackle Akheem Mesidor, Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks and Auburn edge Keldric Faulk are most often mocked for the Bus. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq is another possibility if Licht goes with the “best player available” philosophy and doesn’t trade back.
Who's going No. 1?
The Las Vegas Raiders have the No. 1 pick and are projected to take quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who led Indiana to a national championship and won the Heisman Trophy. He attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami.
Mendoza, whose four grandparents fled Cuba in 1959, eagerly embraces his Cuban lineage and has talked often about the role his parents and family played in his growth as a player. Instead of traveling to Pittsburgh, he wants to spend time at home with those who helped him reach this point, including his younger brother, Alberto.
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After the Raiders, the draft becomes a little more wide open. The New York Jets have the second pick and could choose between a pair of pass rushers in David Bailey out of Texas Tech or Arvell Reese from Ohio State. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is projected to be a top-10 pick. The other quarterback who is slated in some mock drafts to be drafted in the first round is Ty Simpson out of Alabama.
First-round order
1- Las Vegas Raiders; 2- New York Jets; 3- Arizona Cardinals; 4- Tennessee Titans; 5- New York Giants; 6- Cleveland Browns; 7- Washington Commanders; 8- New Orleans Saints; 9- Kansas City Chiefs; 10- Cincinnati Bengals; 11- Miami Dolphins; 12- Dallas Cowboys; 13- Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons); 14- Baltimore Ravens; 15- Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 16- New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts); 17- Detroit Lions; 18- Minnesota Vikings; 19- Carolina Panthers; 20- Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers); 21- Pittsburgh Steelers; 22- Los Angeles Chargers; 23- Philadelphia Eagles; 24- Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars); 25- Chicago Bears; 26- Buffalo Bills; 27- San Francisco 49ers; 28- Houston Texans; 29- Kansas City Chiefs (from Los Angeles Rams); 30- Miami Dolphins (from Denver Broncos); 31- New England Patriots; 32- Seattle Seahawks.
Time between picks
Round 1 – 8 minutes; Round 2 – 7 minutes; Rounds 3-6 – 5 minutes; Rounds 7 – 4 minutes.
Invited top prospects
David Bailey, LB, Texas Tech; Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami; Mansoor Delane, DB, LSU; Caleb Downs, DB, Ohio State; Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn; Colton Hood, DB, Tennessee; Makai Lemon, WR, USC; Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame; Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami; Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State; Kadyn Proctor, T, Alabama; Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State; Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama; Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State; Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State; Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State.
Top state prospects
Florida - Caleb Banks, DT; Devin Moore, CB; Tyreak Sapp, DE; Austin Barber, OL; Jake Slaughter, C; Eugene Wilson III, WR; Roderick Kearney, OL; J. Michael Sturdivant, WR; Ja’Markis Weston, WR; Derek Wingo, LB. Florida State - Darrell Jackson Jr., DT. Miami - Francis Mauigoa, OT; Rueben Bain Jr., DE. UCF - RJ Harvey, RB; Malachi Lawrence, DE.
Top Tampa Bay prospects
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State, Jesuit (Tampa); Tyreak Sapp, DE, Florida, Lakewood (St. Petersburg); Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo, Lakewood; Devin Moore, DB, Florida, Naples; Jake Slaughter, C, Florida, Kathleen (Lakeland); Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami, IMG (Bradenton); Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama, IMG; Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State, IMG; Makai Lemon, WR, USC, IMG; Colton Hood, DB, Tennessee, IMG; Mansoor Delane, DB, LSU, IMG; Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami, Clearwater Avademy International.
WUSF's Rick Mayer contributed to this report.
