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The Framework
How to Read
This Draft
The combine is done. The interviews are done. The formal visits are starting. In the next six weeks, Jason Licht and his staff will finalize a board that will shape this franchise for the next half-decade. The Buccaneers pick 15th overall — their highest selection since Tristan Wirfs in 2020 — and hold four legitimate selections in the first four rounds: 15, 46, 77, and 116.
What makes this draft fascinating is that there is no obvious, universally agreed-upon answer at any of those four spots. The board is genuinely open. Edge or tight end at 15? Linebacker or another edge at 46? The best linebacker in the class or cornerback depth at 77? Running back, tight end depth, or linebacker insurance at 116? Every pick carries real options, real trade-offs, and a real argument for at least three directions.
So instead of pretending there's one right answer, I'm giving you all of them. At each pick: Option A is the mainstream consensus — the pick most analysts are projecting, the floor-first move, the one that wins the press conference. Option B is the bold call — higher ceiling, more debate, the pick that says something about what the Buccaneers actually believe. And Option C is the dream scenario or the if-it-falls gift from the football gods.
Here are twelve names across four rounds. By draft night, one path through them will become Tampa Bay's 2026 class.
OPTION A — MAINSTREAM CONSENSUS
OPTION C — DREAM SCENARIO
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The most debated pick in this draft. Edge rushers are the loudest need. But a once-in-a-generation tight end prospect just ran the fastest 40 time by a tight end in combine history, and multiple analysts have him projected directly to Tampa. This is the decision that defines the entire class.
A
SAFE
PICK
EDGE
Auburn · Sophomore · 6'6" 285
Keldric Faulk
Jordan Reid at ESPN projects Faulk to Tampa Bay at 15, citing the Bucs' "dire need of defensive line help with Reddick and Hall set to be free agents." Vinnie Iyer at Sporting News agrees, and Yahoo Sports calls him a "needle-moving run defender who fits the type of DEs Bowles has deployed — Logan Hall, William Gholston." The mainstream consensus choice at this pick, and the choice most likely to make Todd Bowles happy on draft night. Faulk is only 20 years old, 6'6", 285 pounds, and NFL-ready against the run from day one. His pass-rush game is still developing — sacks dropped from 7 in 2024 to 2 in 2025 when Auburn moved him inside frequently — but the motor, the size, and the versatility to play 2-tech through 9-tech are all legitimate. This is the pick that says the Bucs are fixing the most glaring hole on the roster before addressing anything else. Floor-first, defense-first, Bowles-first.
Mainstream Consensus · Floor First
B
BOLD
CALL
EDGE
Miami · Grad Senior · 6'3" 265
Akheem Mesidor
Trevor Sikkema at PFF — who is on the Bucs' formal interview list as a draft advisor and knows this staff — projects Mesidor to Tampa, citing his elite PFF pass-rush grade among all draft-eligible edge rushers. SB Nation's Mark Schofield reported post-combine that "the league might be a lot higher on Mesidor than the media space" based on Indianapolis debrief sessions. He has the most diverse pass-rush arsenal of any edge in this draft: swipe, arm-over, club-rip, shoulder dip, and lateral explosion off the snap. Jason Taylor mentored him in Miami. He was not drafted out of college once — the tape from two years ago looked like a completely different player than the one who posted elite PFF grades in 2024 and 2025. The knock is age: he turns 25 before the draft, meaning his rookie contract expires when he's 30. For a team rebuilding, that's disqualifying. For a contending team that needs an elite pass rusher right now, that discount is a gift. If the Buccaneers believe they are a Super Bowl window team in 2026, Mesidor at 15 makes total sense. It is the win-now pick, the ceiling pick, and the pick that immediately upgrades Tampa's defense more than any other player available.
Win-Now · Insider Buzz · Elite Ceiling
C
THE
MOVE
TE
Oregon · Junior · 6'3" 241
Kenyon Sadiq
The combine changed things. Sadiq ran 4.39 — the fastest 40 time ever recorded by a tight end in combine history — then posted a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-1 broad jump to go with it. NFL.com's Nate Davis projects him to Tampa at 15. Bleacher Report's scouting department does the same, explicitly noting: "After hiring Zac Robinson who just saw Kyle Pitts have his best season, the Bucs are a great landing spot for Sadiq." The Draft Network's Jaime Eisner calls him an "explosive elite athlete, potential to step in immediately as a key target for Mayfield." Cade Otton is gone. Mike Evans is unsigned. Zac Robinson runs an offense that is essentially designed around the tight end position — he watched Pitts turn into an unstoppable weapon under his system in Atlanta. Sadiq is 6'3", 241 pounds, blocks with a nastiness that most tight end prospects don't bother with, and has receiving upside that is still being unlocked. This pick isn't ignoring defense. It's saying the offense needs a centerpiece first, and the defense gets addressed starting in Round 2. If you believe in Robinson's system and you believe in Baker Mayfield, Sadiq is the pick that makes both of them better immediately.
Robinson's Pick · Historic Combine · Offense First
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Round 2 is where the draft board starts to tell you what happened at 15. Take edge at 15? The board opens up for linebacker. Take tight end or linebacker at 15? You're doubling back for edge here. This pick has a completely different identity depending on what happened three hours earlier.
A
SAFE
PICK
LB
Texas · Junior · 6'2" 237
Anthony Hill Jr.
ESPN's Jordan Reid pairs Hill at 46 directly with Faulk at 15 — a defense-first Round 1 followed by the most complete linebacker in this class. Mel Kiper ranks Hill 4th among all linebackers. The profile is legitimately exceptional: four sacks, three forced fumbles, two interceptions in 2025, outstanding coverage ability, elite change of direction, and the athleticism to match tight ends on seam routes in Tampa 2. He is a fluid mover in ways that make current Tampa linebackers look stiff by comparison. Lavonte David is 36, potentially done. SirVocea Dennis was exposed last year. Hill is the long-term answer the Buccaneers have been waiting on since they drafted David in 2012. The most likely pick at this spot if Tampa takes edge at 15. High floor. High ceiling. Genuine starter from week one.
Pairs With Faulk · David Successor · Day-1 Starter
B
UNDER
RADAR
LB
Cincinnati · Senior · 6'4" 240
Jake Golday
PFF has Golday going to Tampa explicitly at pick 46 — a projection that predates the combine and only got stronger after it. Daniel Jeremiah describes him as tall, lean, and fast, a linebacker who moved all over Cincinnati's defense: box, edge, slot, spy. His game is built on speed over physicality — he uses burst to beat blockers to spots rather than power through them, which creates issues when engaged but creates real problems for offenses trying to get to the second level. Fantastic lateral range for backside pursuit. Solid zone coverage — does a good job using his 6'4" frame to clog throwing lanes in underneath zones. The honest scouting report says he struggles when blockers get their hands on him. The upside case says you've never seen a linebacker with this combination of length, speed, and versatility at pick 46. If Hill gets taken before Tampa by Buffalo, Cleveland, or Indianapolis, Golday is not a consolation prize. He's a legitimate NFL starter with an argument for higher ceiling than Hill long term.
PFF Projection · Speed Archetype · Overlooked
C
DREAM
FALL
LB
Georgia · Junior · 6'2" 238
CJ Allen — if he falls
CJ Allen is ranked #39 overall by most consensus boards. He is a first-team All-American, a Georgia captain, a sure tackler with pre-snap diagnosis ability, and a legitimate green-dot linebacker candidate. Multiple analysts — NFL.com's Gennaro Filice, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Buccaneers.com writer Brianna Dix — had Allen projected to Tampa at pick 15. At 15 he'd be a minor reach. At 46 he'd be the steal of the draft. The scenario that gets him to 46 requires at least a dozen teams between picks 32 and 45 to have zero linebacker need, which is nearly impossible. But drafts are unpredictable, boards collapse unexpectedly, and if Allen is somehow still sitting there when Tampa goes on the clock in Round 2, you do not hesitate. He is 205 career tackles, 4.5 sacks, football IQ that jumps off the tape, and a Lavonte David succession plan handed to you on a silver platter. If he's there, you sprint to the podium.
Steal of the Draft · #39 Overall Value · If He Slides
Every path through this draft is defensible. The question is what the Buccaneers actually believe about their window — and whether this roster is built to win now or built to win in three years.
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Pick 77 is where this draft class could quietly become exceptional. Three distinct directions, each with a legitimate argument: the Butkus Award winner who projects as a green-dot linebacker, a cornerback who profiles as a Day-1 nickel starter, or a pass rusher who could step in next to Yaya Diaby immediately.
A
SAFE
PICK
ILB
Texas Tech · Senior · 6'1" 233
Jacob Rodriguez
The 2025 Butkus Award winner. PFF grades him 92.3-plus in both run defense and coverage — one of the few linebackers in this draft class who grades out at an elite level in both phases. Rodriguez led the Big 12 in forced fumbles, was named team captain, and has the instinct that coaches always talk about but almost never comes in a Day 2 package. He reads blocking schemes at the second level as well as any linebacker in this class — anticipates gaps before the ball is snapped, slips through traffic to disrupt backfield plays, and is a reliable, physical tackler who rarely misses in space. The green-dot candidate argument is real. He communicates protections, adjusts the call, and keeps everyone aligned. If Lavonte David retires, Rodriguez is the player who doesn't allow the defense to take a step backward in terms of communication and leadership. High-floor, high-character, plug-and-play NFL linebacker at Round 3 value.
Butkus Winner · Elite PFF Grades · Green Dot Candidate
B
BOLD
CALL
CB
Clemson · Senior · 5'11" 180
Avieon Terrell
Younger brother of Falcons cornerback AJ Terrell, and coming out of Clemson with eight forced fumbles over the past two seasons — a number that tells you everything about how he plays the position. At 5'11" and 180 pounds he looks undersized on paper, but on tape he plays like someone who missed the memo about his dimensions. Quick feet, smooth change of direction, excellent eyes in underneath zone coverage, and a blitzing ability that makes him a genuine weapon in Todd Bowles' pressure packages. He projects as a Day-1 nickel starter — and the Buccaneers have a real need there. Jamel Dean plays outside, but losing him as a free agent thins a cornerback room that can't afford to get thin. Adding an elite slot corner at 77 gives Todd Bowles a genuine chess piece in the secondary while the outside gets addressed elsewhere. Terrell at 77 fills a need before it becomes a crisis, with a player who averages 50 tackles per season and makes run-support plays that most nickel corners won't make at his size. This is the pick that addresses a quieter need before it becomes a crisis.
Day-1 Nickel Starter · Secondary Depth · Overlooked Need
C
PASS
RUSH
EDGE
Illinois · Senior · 6'3" 260
Gabe Jacas
Led the Big Ten with 11 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2025. Strong Senior Bowl week. Fox Sports draws the comparison to a young DeMarcus Lawrence — a powerful, technically refined edge rusher who wins with strength and versatility rather than pure speed. PFF grades him 88.5 in pass rush. Jacas plays with his hands, understands angles, and has the kind of motor that keeps offensive tackles guessing late in games. Next to Yaya Diaby, who is a pure speed-and-athleticism edge rusher, Jacas gives Tampa a power-counter complement that changes the entire dynamic of their pass rush. Diaby sets up outside — Jacas attacks the inside arm. The option at 77 if Tampa doubled edge in Rounds 1 and 2 and wants to turn pass rush into a true strength of the defense. If the Buccaneers believe three edge rushers are better than two and the linebacker needs are addressed elsewhere, Jacas is the pick that makes that bet.
Lawrence Comp · Diaby Complement · Pass Rush Depth
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Pick 116 is where you fill the last gap the first three rounds left open — or you take the best player available regardless of position. Three very different directions depending on which holes remain. All three players were formally interviewed by Tampa Bay at the combine.
A
NEED
FILL
RB
Nebraska · Senior · 5'11" 215
Emmett Johnson
Rachaad White is gone. Bucky Irving is the unquestioned starter and a genuine weapon in Zac Robinson's system — but he needs a complement, not a clone. Mel Kiper ranks Johnson 3rd among all running backs in this class. The Buccaneers formally interviewed him at the combine, which matters. Johnson is a between-the-tackles runner with reliable hands in the passing game — the exact different profile from Irving that makes a two-back rotation unpredictable. Irving creates space on the perimeter; Johnson finishes between the tackles. Irving is the third-down receiver; Johnson handles short-yardage and goal-line. In the McVay-influenced system Robinson is installing, a clear complementary back who gives Baker Mayfield a hard-count threat on early downs is a real piece of the puzzle. At pick 116, this is sound roster construction — filling the last major offensive hole with a player who fits the system perfectly.
Irving Complement · Formally Interviewed · System Fit
B
DEPTH
PICK
TE
Ohio State · Senior · 6'5" 255
Max Klare
Mel Kiper ranks Klare 6th at the tight end position. The comparison floating around draft circles is the next Colston Loveland — an athletic pass-catching tight end who gets open on downfield routes, catches everything, and is a genuine mismatch problem on seam and crossing concepts. In a world where Tampa doesn't take a tight end at 15, Klare at 116 provides offensive depth insurance at a position Zac Robinson's offense requires to function at a high level. Solid hands, reliable route runner, enough blocking ability to stay on the field on early downs without being a liability. The Buccaneers formally interviewed him at the combine. At pick 116 you are not getting a franchise tight end — you're getting a piece who could develop into a genuine contributor and prevents a catastrophic depth problem at the most important skill position in Robinson's offense. Klare is the pick if Tampa went defense-heavy in Rounds 1 through 3 and needs offensive depth before the roster is complete.
Loveland Comp · TE Depth Insurance · Robinson Fit
C
SUCCESSION
PLAN
ILB
Missouri · Junior · 6'2" 234
Josiah Trotter
Son of former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who won a Super Bowl and was one of the great instinct linebackers of his generation. The bloodlines are not a marketing point — they are a scouting one. Football IQ and game instinct are the most heritable qualities in the sport, and Josiah Trotter plays like a man who grew up watching tape from the cradle. Mel Kiper ranks him 7th among linebackers. His game is built around anticipation, scheme recognition, and making the right decision before the snap rather than relying on athleticism to clean up mistakes afterward. In Tampa Bay's defense, where the middle linebacker calls the protection and processes information at speed, Trotter is exactly the developmental archetype that ages well. He is a Round 4 swing on a player who could develop into the communicator and leader this defense needs when Lavonte David is gone. The insurance policy. The quiet pick that comes up in press conferences three years from now.
NFL Bloodlines · Succession Insurance · Developmental Upside
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The Bottom Line
Twelve players. Four picks. One draft that will define whether this roster takes the next step or stands still. The options are all real, all defensible, and all point toward a different version of what the 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers could become. Take Faulk, Hill, Rodriguez, and Johnson and you've built a defense-first, floor-first class that wins the press conference. Take Mesidor, Allen, Jacas, and Klare and you've made bold swings at ceiling, depth, and upside. Take Sadiq at 15 and let the rest of the board come to you, and you've bet on Zac Robinson's offense to carry the franchise while the defense gets built in the rounds that follow. There is no wrong answer. There is only the answer the Buccaneers make — and what it says about what they believe.