The Official Way-Too-Late Mock Draft 8.0

The Bucs will be picking 15th on Thursday night, barring a trade up or a trade down, and they’ll (hopefully) be looking to upgrade their front seven in a major way. Now obviously, they went the unexpected route last season, drafting a WR in the first round despite desperate needs at cornerback, linebacker and edge rusher, but it ultimately worked itself out, as Mike Evans left this offseason for the Other Bay Area.

There are a few potential scenarios: stay at 15, and take the best player available, or reach for a need like linebacker or edge rush; trade back to gather more draft picks and then draft for need as linebackers and edge rushers get closer to good value; or trade up for a potential superstar, spending more draft picks in the process.

Option 1: Stay at 15, take the Best Player Available

Quite frankly, this draft class is odd. The Premium Positions (QB, WR, CB, OT, EDGE), are not particular strong in the first round outside of a handful of the very best players at each. The less valuable positions, so to speak, like linebacker, tight end, safety, running back, and guard, have just as many difference makers at the top of the draft. Players like Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, Jeremiyah Love, Kenyon Sadiq, and Olaivavega Ioane are borderline generational talents at their positions. This will be a very strange first round to watch, and there will be a ton of trading up, especially for contenders that have desperate needs at those positions. All this to say, the Bucs could be looking at any combination of Downs, Sadiq, and Ioane in the first round, three prospects that would be upgrades at the respective positions, but aren’t necessarily huge needs.

Pick 15 Olaivavega Ioane, OG, PSU

Pick 46 Anthony Hill Jr., LB, UT

Pick 77 Davison Igbinosun, CB, OSU

Pick 116 LT Overton, EDGE, ALA

Pick 155 Billy Schrauth, OG, ND

Pick 195 Dae’Quan Wright, TE, OLE

Pick 229 DeShon Singleton, S, NEB

Let’s be clear: this is not a bad draft class by any stretch. Does it address all the Bucs needs in the exact order of priority? Not even close. But it would set them up for success in the future. Olaivavega would be a longtime starter at, honestly, any position on the offensive line. Anthony Hill Jr. would be a first round pick if not for a broken hand that cut his Junior season short and a hamstring strain that kept him out of the combine field drills. The Bucs add depth where they need it and get a possible upgrade at TE2 in Dae’Quan Wright.

Option 2: Stay at 15, Reach for Need

Pick 15 Keldric Faulk, EDGE, AUB

Pick 46 CJ Allen, LB, UGA

Pick 77 Davison Igbinosun, CB, OSU

Pick 116 Oscar Delp, TE, UGA

Pick 155 Tyler Onyedim, DT, TAMU

Pick 195 Eli Heidenreich, WR, Navy

Pick 229 Jakobe Thomas, S, UM

This is a rather unlikely draft board, as I don’t think Allen falls nearly that far in this draft. But the Bucs fill all their positional needs here. I’m not particularly fond of Faulk, who is a pure run stopper, with limited pass rush ability, nor CJ Allen, who is a pure run stopper with no pass coverage ability. But they fill the needs on paper. The Bucs fill a lot of depth holes here, and double up on Georgia prospects which will never be a bad idea, and even add a late round hybrid flyer in Eli Heidenreich who lined up at nearly every position on the field for the Midshipmen.

Option 3: Trade Back

This scenario actually includes not one but two trades backward.

TRADE

HOU receives: 2026 Round 1 (15th overall)

TB receives: 2026 Round 1 (28th overall), 2026 Round 2 (38th overall)

TRADE

BAL receives: 2026 Round 1 (28th overall), 2026 Round 4 (116th overall)

TB receives: 2026 Round 2 (45th overall), 2026 Round 3 (80th overall), 2027 2nd Round Pick

Not only do the Bucs move back to get better bang for their buck, they also add a future second round pick from the Baltimore Ravens.

Pick 38 Jacob Rodriguez, LB, TTU

Pick 45 Cashius Howell, EDGE, TAMU

Pick 46 Caleb Banks, DL, UF

Pick 77 Davison Igbinosun, CB, OSU

Pick 80 Jalon Kilgore, S, SCAR

Pick 155 Anez Cooper, OG, UM

Pick 195 Jeff Caldwell, WR, CINN

Pick 229 Riley Nowakowski, TE, IU

This class would be the most exciting so far. The Bucs add three high impact players in the second round, for far better value than they could have gotten with the 15th pick or the 28th, at positions where they have great need. They fill the hole in the secondary with another versatile DB in Kilgore, and the ever-present Davison Igbinosun. And not that it’s the most significant factor, but getting three borderline 1st rounders (depending on who you ask), with none needing a fifth year team option, is pretty decent value as well.

Option 4: Trading up for a potential Superstar

TB Receives: #7 overall, 2026 5th rounder (147th overall)

WAS Receives: #15 overall, 2026 2nd rounder (46th overall)

The Bucs move up in a potential game changing move to get a real contributor, a player who is sure to make a huge impact in year 1.

Pick 7 Reuben Bain Jr., EDGE, UM

Pick 77 Caleb Banks, DL, UF

Pick 116 Tacario Davis, CB, WAS

Pick 147 Keyshaun Elliott, LB, ASU

Pick 155 Billy Schrauth, OG, ND

Pick 195 Taylen Green, QB, ARK

Pick 229 Matthew Hibner, TE, SMU

Alright, Banks probably won’t fall that far. Blame the mock draft simulators, not me. The Bucs get fine depth across the board here, including perhaps the most athletic QB ever, in Taylen Green, who will likely need to convert to WR to stay on a roster somewhere in the NFL. This draft would immediately change the calculus on the Bucs as a franchise. Bain is the one of the very best all-around prospects in this draft. There are some off-field concerns from the past, but have seemingly been dealt with as properly as necessary. Bain Jr. could be the missing puzzle piece on the defensive front. However, the lack of an impact player (outside of Banks, who will not be availble at pick 77), is concerning. Not having a second round pick would be a big deal when the Bucs are not a piece away. Because they really aren’t.