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Buccaneers offensive lineman Billy Schrauth / via Instagram

Buccaneers Select Billy Schrauth, IOL With The 160th Pick In The 2026 NFL Draft

April 25, 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected interior offensive lineman Billy Schrauth out of Notre Dame with the 160th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Billy Schrauth, IOL, Notre Dame

HT: 6’5
WT: 310 lbs

Video:

Pros:

Exceptional pass protector who allowed zero sacks and just two hurries across 213 pass blocking snaps in 2025, keeping the pocket remarkably clean on the interior.
Gets out of his stance with smooth lateral quickness and shows real fluidity in his feet for a 305-pound guard who ran a 5.25 forty at his size.
Anchors with a vengeance against bull rushers by throwing his hips back and rooting into the ground, rarely giving up his chest or getting walked into the quarterback’s lap.
Hand placement is precise and violent at the point of attack, with the ability to jolt defenders backward on combo blocks and deliver real knock-back power on screens.
Takes smart, efficient angles when climbing to the second level, arriving with enough force to make linebackers feel it and sustaining through the whistle.
Keeps his elbows tight to his frame through contact, which allows him to convert leg drive into displacement rather than wasting energy with wide, sloppy hand fighting.
Wore the captain’s “C” for a reason. Pre-snap communication, stunt recognition, and assignment reliability were all on full display throughout his time as a starter in South Bend.
Positional versatility adds real value. He logged over 1,000 snaps at left guard and 370 at right guard across his career, and scouting reports mention tackle experience as well.

Cons:

Durability is the elephant in the room. A 2024 ankle injury cost him four games, then a 2025 MCL sprain shut him down for the final five, and NFL medical staffs will scrutinize both thoroughly.
Can get caught chasing fakes and setup moves when isolated against pass rushers with a real plan, drifting off his landmark and opening up interior rush lanes.
Run blocking grades lagged well behind his pass protection numbers, and he doesn’t always generate the consistent push you want from a guard in gap-heavy rushing concepts.
At 305 pounds, he’s on the lighter end of the spectrum for guards in this class, and that frame could get stressed against NFL nose tackles who carry 320-plus.
Pad level creeps up on him at times during extended blocks, and when he gets tall through contact, his leverage advantage disappears and defenders can shed more easily.

Summary:

What you have with Schrauth is a guard who protects the passer at a legitimately high level and whose technique in that phase of the game is among the cleanest in this class. His 2025 tape, limited as it was to seven games, showed meaningful growth over what he put on film in 2024. The pass blocking numbers were outstanding. The feet, the hands, the anchor, the processing speed against pressure looks. All of it ticked boxes.

The catch is obvious: you’re betting on health. Two consecutive seasons ending early because of lower-body injuries will give every front office pause, and it should. If the medicals check out at the combine, Schrauth’s stock could climb in a hurry because the on-field product is better than his current draft positioning suggests. The run blocking needs refinement and he’ll need to add functional mass at the next level to hold up against the sheer size of NFL interior defenders, but those feel like solvable problems for a player who clearly knows how to work and improve year over year.

The ideal landing spot is a team that leans on inside zone and quick-passing concepts where his lateral agility and pass protection technique translate immediately. He doesn’t need to be the guy who mauls nose tackles off the ball every snap. He needs to be in a scheme that values timing, hand placement, and pocket integrity over raw power at the guard position. If he stays healthy, Schrauth has the floor of a quality swing interior lineman with upside to push for a starting job within his first two seasons. The talent is there. The body just has to cooperate.