The NFL Draft is this week! After months of studying these prospects, we will finally know who the newest members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be. At this point, it is anybody’s guess.
With that said, here is my best guess. What players I think the Buccaneers are most likely to draft. One player that I’m planting my flag on for the Buccaneers at each position for each of the three days.
This is my 2026 predicting the pewter for the defense.
Linebacker
Day One – Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
You won’t find many linebackers who were more productive in college than Rodriguez was. He led the Big 12 in both solo tackles and forced fumbles last season. He also had 4 interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.
In terms of instincts, Rodriguez is fantastic. He’s a former college quarterback so he thinks the game in a unique way that always seems to put him in the right position. This is what has allowed him to rack up over 250 tackles across the last two seasons.
Rodriguez tested like a great athlete, although I don’t think he looks quite as athletic on film. Regardless, combined with his fast processing he is plenty fast enough to thrive at the next level. He’s an ideal prototype for the Buccaneers at linebacker and also has extremely high football character.
Day Two – Jake Golday, CincinnatiÂ
If I’m betting on a linebacker to turn into an All Pro (outside of the two Ohio State linebackers who will likely be drafted top 10 overall) then it would be Golday. He’s a big linebacker at 6’4 and 240 lbs, but he brings plenty of speed to the position. In top of that, I’d be willing to bet that his best football is still ahead of him.Â
Golday played a lot of edge rusher before transferring to Cincinnati and last year he played a lot of nickel linebacker. Those skills look like they’ll translate nicely, so expect someone who is good in coverage and can bring pressure on the blitz. These are two skills that the Buccaneers very much need.
Where he struggles most is with his traditional off ball linebacker instincts. This is simple because he hasn’t spent a ton of time playing the position relative to other linebackers in the class. However, this is a very smart football player and I believe he can develop the mental part of the game with more experience.
If Golday reached his ceiling then you could be getting the next Zack Baun and a future All Pro.
Day Three – Taurean York, Texas A&M
York stepped onto the Texas A&M campus as a true freshman in 2023 and immediately became a 3 year starter and two time captain who started 39 consecutive games. His football character is extremely high and his linebacker instincts are second to none in this draft. If I’m betting on a day three linebacker to become an impact starter, then York has the mental makeup to do it.
York has a quick trigger and fires down hill as a run defender. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s better at fighting through blocks than you might expect. On top of that, he’s also rock solid in coverage.
I mentioned that he was on the smaller side and that is his biggest flaw. At 5’11 and 226 lbs, York is very small by NFL linebacker standards. But if he were an inch taller and 4 lbs heavier then I believe he would be a top 50 pick in the draft.
Edge
Day One – Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Howell is an ideal fit for a Todd Bowles defense. He’s an outside linebacker who can both stunt and drop into coverage. He brings a lot of versatility for a defensive coach who wants to give different looks.
More than anything, Howell brings pass rush. He was the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year with 11.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss. His speed and bend off the edge are both very good and he can counter with power to collapse the pocket.
What will cause Howell to slide in the draft is his run defense. He’s not especially good at the point of attack, although he does give a good effort. Howell also has short arms, which would make him an outlier in terms of successful NFL physical profiles.
Day Two – Malachi Lawrence, Central Florida
I really like Lawrence and how he projects to the NFL. His acceleration is fantastic and he can close in on opponents quickly. This translates nicely to explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and being able to close in on quarterbacks.
Lawrence was used in a variety of ways in college, but he is at his best as an edge rusher who can just pin his ears back and go. His 7.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss last year was fine, but I think if he was used in ths role more consistently then those numbers would have been higher. He’d be a great pass rush option in the Buccaneers 3-4 defense.
In terms of run defense, I think Lawrence is fine. He was asked to play defensive tackle at times in college, so I know he has decent power and willingness to fight at the point of attack. With a little more polish to his game, there is star power here to be unlocked.Â
Day Three – Nadame Tucker -Western Michigan
Tucker is a difficult evaluation. He broke out with 14.5 sacks and 21.0 tackles for loss last year, but did basically nothing in three years at Houston before that. Was this just a matter of an older player going down a level in competition and being a big fish in a small pond?
Regardless, Tucker played great last year. He is quick, bendy and uses his hands well. Even in a lower tier conference, that kind of production doesn’t happen on accident.
It’s hard to view Tucker as a legitimate answer at edge rusher. He can be a good part of the rotation, but it’s hard to bank on this developmental pathway as a starter.Â
Defensive Back
Day One – Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Of the top two cornerbacks, I think it is more likely that McCoy has a little slide than Mansoor Delane. After coming off an injury, we just haven’t seen McCoy on the field since 2024. A little bit of out of sight out of mind and a lost year of development could allow him to drop right into the Buccaneers lap.
McCoy was spectacular in 2024. He has an ideal physical profile to translate to the NFL and his size, speed and twitchy athletic ability make him a fit for both man and zone coverages. Many people believe that even without playing in 2025, he is still the best cornerback in the upcoming draft class.Â
Before free agency I would have told you that cornerback was an unlikely option in the first round. However, after not adding any depth to the position in free agency and still having some uncertainty with their starters, the possibility seems to becoming more and more realistic that they go this direction in the first round.Â
Day Two – Genesis Smith, Arizona
There are plenty of good day two cornerbacks who I like, but I can’t get past Smith here. The Buccaneers don’t have much in terms of single high safety options and you can feel that void on the roster. The team also had a formal interview with him at the NFL combine, so there is some level of interest here.Â
Smith has coverage ability like few other players do in this class. He is a true single high safety, which allows the Buccaneers to be more aggressive with their blitz like they did when they had Mike Edwards on the roster during their Super Bowl season. It’s a skillset that neither Antione Winfield Jr nor Tykee Smith possesses.Â
The down side is that Smith isn’t a good tackler. But that’s not what you’re drafting him to do! By adding this type of player on the back end it can transform what you do on the defensive side of the ball.
Day Three – Hezekiah Masses, California
I think this is one of the most under rated players in this year’s draft. Masses is capable in both man and zone coverage, with the athletic ability to do either well at the NFL level. He’s a well rounded player who raises the floor in coverage.
Masses also has good ball skills. He had 5 interceptions last year and 13 passes defended. He times batting the ball away very well and makes it seem like he has very long arms that can reach anything close to him.Â
Defensive Line
Day One – Caleb Banks, Florida
If not for his foot injuries, I believe Banks would be the odds on favorite to be the Buccaneers pick at 15. He’s the type of rare talent that teams want to be on. You just don’t find many players who are 6 ‘6 and 330 lbs and move as well as Banks does.
This is a player who can legitimately do anything on the defensive line. You need a nose tackle? He can do it. A 5 tech defensive end? That’s Banks. A penetrating 3 tech pass rusher? He’s got that skill set.
For Banks it’s all a matter of putting it together consistently. If nothing else, he has a floor of being a really good run stuffing nose tackle. If his foot injury clears with the Buccaneers medical staff, I could see a world where he’s their first round pick.
Day Two – Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
The Bucs had a formal meeting with Hunter at the NFL combine and also hosted him on a top 30 visit. The team has done a lot of work on defensive tackle this offseason and day two is likely the sweet spot where they target one. And while there are several day two defensive tackle options that I like, I went with Hunter here.
Hunter is a high energy nose tackle who is quicker than you might expect at his size. He shoots off the line of scrimmage and flashes lightning fast hands. This gives him more pass rush ability than most nose tackles.
Defending the run is where Hunter’s bread is buttered. At 6 ‘3 and 320 lbs, this is a big bellied defensive tackle who is hard to move off the spot. I have compared him to Linval Joseph in the past, and while I’m not sure he ever reaches that ceiling that is definitely the prototype Hunter is.
Day Three – Brandon Cleveland, NC State
This name is a bit of a deep sleeper, but I really like his fit with the Buccaneers. The Tampa native player a lot of nose tackle for NC State. So as you might expect, this is a strong, physical player who excels at defending the run.
However, I found Cleveland to be more mobile than some of the big day three defensive tackles who fit the same mold. This gives him the versatility to play further away from the ball and be that Logan Hall replacement that the team needs. Guys like DeMonte Capehart from Clemson or Reyshawn Benny from Michigan get more attention, but rep for rep I think Cleveland makes more sense here.
Don’t ever expect a lot of pass rush here, but if you need a run stuffing defensive lineman in the rotation (which the Buccaneers do) then I really like Cleveland here.
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