Buccaneers could focus on bolstering their defense through the draft
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers addressed some needs in free agency without making a big splash, signing several veteran players.
Now they have to add young talent to build around.
The Bucs are aiming for an impact player with the 15th overall pick in the NFL draft. It’ll be their highest selection since they snagged two-time All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs at No. 13 in 2020.
A premier pass rusher is a top priority for Tampa Bay. The Bucs should have several options at that spot in a draft that’s deep at edge rusher. Trading down also is a possibility for a team that could use more draft capital in the early rounds.
“We go through all those scenarios,” general manager Jason Licht said when asked if he’d explore trading up. “We look for all that, but, you know, love picks. I’m not saying that there wouldn’t be a scenario where we moved up, but we have a lot of places where we want to add some depth, add some starters, add some help. Right now, it would be more attractive to collect more picks, but I’m not saying that we wouldn’t move up.”
The Bucs traded out of the first round in 2022, sending the 27th overall pick to Jacksonville for the 33rd (second round), 106th (fourth round), and 180th (sixth round) overall picks.
They used that first pick of the second round on defensive lineman Logan Hall, who had just 10 sacks in four seasons and signed with Houston last month.
“Like now, you start going through scenarios,” Licht said last month at the league meetings. ”(If) these guys are gone, we would like to trade back. But it’s not always that simple. You’ve got to have a trade partner. You’ve got to have people that want to come up. You have to know with that next group of players that you might not want to lose. It’s a process that we go through from now until the draft, trying to figure out what you would take and what you would ask for, what you would settle for, and all those things. But it comes down to wanting to make sure that you don’t lose out on good players.”
Mostly defense. Beyond a pass rusher, the Bucs have to bolster the interior of the defensive line, the secondary and add an off-ball linebacker.
They signed edge rushers Al-Quadin Muhammad and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson and linebackers Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom in free agency to reshape a shaky defense that lost its leader when linebacker Lavonte David retired. Those are mostly stopgap players on short deals.
Wide receiver. Despite losing six-time Pro Bowl wideout Mike Evans — he was Licht’s first and best draft pick way back in 2014 — the Buccaneers are deep at the position. They selected Emeka Egbuka in the first round last year and got contributions from rookie seventh-round pick Tez Johnson. Jalen McMillan had an impressive rookie season in 2024 and rebounded from a neck injury that held him out much of last year. And, Chris Godwin is finally going to enter a season healthy.
That doesn’t rule out the Bucs selecting a receiver in the draft, but it’s unlikely that would occur in the first two days.
Running back is another spot the Bucs don’t have to address in the early rounds. They signed Kenneth Gainwell to replace Rachaad White and team with Bucky Irving.
Miami defensive tackle Akheem Mesidor, Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks and Auburn edge Keldric Faulk are most often mocked for the Buccaneers. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq is another possibility if Licht goes with the “best player available” philosophy and doesn’t trade back.
The Bucs hold their own pick in each of the seven rounds. After No. 15, they go 46th and 77th.
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