Three Picks.
One Direction.

Let's start with what happened in Indianapolis, because it reframes everything. Kenyon Sadiq ran a 4.39 — the fastest 40 ever recorded by a tight end in combine history, breaking a mark that had stood since Vernon Davis in 2006. The 43.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-1 broad jump put him in company with DK Metcalf and Nick Emmanwori as the only players at 220-plus pounds to go sub-4.4, 40-inch vert, and 11-foot broad jump since 2003. Sadiq is the heaviest of the three. That isn't a tight end number. That's a freak-of-nature number.

But strip away the numbers and the football case is just as strong. Sadiq led all FBS tight ends in touchdown catches in 2025 with eight. He caught 51 balls on 15 games, with two touchdowns in the Big Ten Championship against Penn State when every scout in the building had him circled. He works zone coverage with real feel — settles into soft spots, presents himself as a clean target rather than drifting. Big moment player. Brings his best when the lights are brightest.

Now zoom out to Tampa's situation. Zac Robinson was hired as offensive coordinator from the McVay tree — the same system that just watched Kyle Pitts have his best NFL season. Cade Otton is gone. Mike Evans is unsigned and his future in Tampa is unresolved. Emeka Egbuka is Baker's primary weapon and he's a slot receiver, not a seam-stretcher. The Bucs desperately need someone who can punish two-high safeties, win on crossing routes, and threaten the end zone from multiple alignments. Sadiq does all three — and at 4.39 speed, no linebacker or safety in the league can match him man-to-man down the seam.

Some will push back. The blocking is a work in progress. He's light for an inline tight end at 241 pounds. Drops show up on film — not contested grabs, but routine throws above his numbers where his eyes wander a beat too early. These are real concerns. But the offensive case is overwhelming, and Jason Licht has never been afraid to draft offense when the right player falls to him. Egbuka last year proved that.

Here's the thing about Cashius Howell: the reason he's available at 46 isn't because of what's on tape. It's because of a measurement. His arms came in at 30¾ inches — well below the 33-inch threshold most front offices use as a hard line at the edge position. That number spooked enough teams to push him out of the first round despite a résumé that reads like a first-rounder all the way.

Rewind the film and think about what this man actually did. He led the MAC in sacks as a redshirt sophomore at Bowling Green — then transferred to Texas A&M, sat behind two first-round edge rushers in Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton for a year — then stepped into the starting role and led the SEC in sacks with 11.5. He finished as a unanimous All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. That's not a prospect. That's a producer.

At the combine, Howell's 10-yard split of 1.58 seconds was the best among all edge rushers. That's the metric that actually matters for pass rushers — it's about the first step, the burst off the line, the ability to beat a tackle before he can set his feet. His 4.59 forty for a 253-pound rusher is elite. And his coverage numbers are genuinely rare: Howell can peel off and hang with tight ends and running backs in zone drops, which gives Todd Bowles another chess piece in his scheme.

Tampa's edge room is in trouble. Reddick is gone. Yaya Diaby is the only established pass rusher on the depth chart. Howell pairs alongside Diaby as a legitimate two-pronged threat — a player who can win with speed around the arc on early downs and create chaos when teams try to run at the edge. Is he a scheme fit in every defense? No. But in Bowles' aggressive, multiple front, a speed rusher of this caliber with coverage chops is exactly what the doctor ordered.

The arm length will remain a question mark — no player with sub-31-inch arms has recorded double-digit sacks in an NFL season. But Howell's plan of attack, his pass rush sequencing, and his ability to set up counters suggest a player who understands how to win without relying on length. He won at the MAC level, then won at the SEC level. The NFL is the next challenge — and at 46, this is legitimate first-round value in a pewter jersey.

If Anthony Hill Jr. is still on the board at pick 77, Jason Licht should be sprinting to the podium. This is a consensus top-40 talent — ranked inside the top 35 on multiple expert big boards — dropping into the third round because of injury questions and a 2025 season that didn't fully match his monster 2024. When the tape says one thing and the stat line says another, you go back to the tape. The tape on Hill is exceptional.

This is a five-star recruit who started as a true freshman at Texas, recorded 67 tackles and five sacks, and won the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. In his sophomore year he posted 113 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks — numbers that led the SEC and put him on every national radar. He's only 21 years old. His ceiling hasn't been touched yet.

At 6'3" and 238 pounds, Hill has the profile of a modern linebacker who can do everything Bowles needs: defend the run downhill, blitz off the edge with his first-step burst, and cover in space. His athletic gifts don't just flash — they show up on every snap. The comparison that keeps surfacing is Dre Greenlaw: same instincts, same eye-popping closing burst, same ability to shoot gaps and arrive at the ball carrier faster than the play design suggests.

The context matters here too. Lavonte David has been the defensive backbone of this franchise for 14 years. He may or may not be back in 2026. Either way, Tampa needs a long-term answer at the linebacker position — a player who can grow into the green dot role, call the defense, and own the middle for the next decade. Hill's football IQ, his SEC pedigree, and his blitz production all suggest that player is already in there. He just needs reps.

A broken hand late in the 2025 season clouded his draft stock and cost him combine workouts in some categories. That injury, plus a statistical dip from his monster 2024, created enough noise for teams to fade him down boards. Their loss. Tampa's gain.