Buccaneers 7-Round Mock Draft: Fixing Tampa Bay’s biggest needs after free agency

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made several solid additions during the first wave of free agency, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. However, the roster still has clear holes that must be addressed if Tampa Bay hopes to take a step forward in 2026.

Todd Bowles and the organization as a whole are entering a make-or-break season, and the pressure is on to knock this draft class out of the park. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-Round Mock Draft following first wave of free agency

Round 1: Trade with New England Patriots!

Buccaneers receive: No. 31 overall pick, No. 63 overall pick, No. 125 overall pick, 2027 3rd-round pick

Patriots receive: No. 15 overall pick

The New England Patriots, coming off a disappointing loss in the Super Bowl, get aggressive in making the upgrades necessary to maintain their contender status. New England has several glaring needs, including the offensive line and pass rusher, and it could also use upgrades at wide receiver and potentially tight end. With 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Patriots can afford to jump all the way into the top 15 to secure one of their top prospects.

The Bucs, on the other hand, have plenty of needs and only seven draft picks. Moving back to No. 31 while acquiring two additional selections this year and another top-100 pick in 2027 makes this a perfect move for Tampa Bay.

Round 1, Pick 31 (from Patriots): Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

For some, the first round might feel rich for Rodriguez, but trust me, he’s that good. Rodriguez is coming off one of the most productive linebacker seasons in college football history, and his athletic testing at the Combine backed up that elite production. He is well worthy of a late first-round draft pick to prevent the increasingly likely scenario of him being off the board when the Bucs pick next at No. 46.

Rodriguez’s film is dripping with instincts, high-effort plays and constant communication. He’s always around the football and in position to make a big play. Last offseason, Todd Bowles declared that he wanted ball hawks for his defense. If he’s looking to continue that trend this offseason, nobody in this draft class fits the mold better than Rodriguez.

Rodriguez totaled more than 300 tackles during his college career, along with six sacks, six interceptions and 13 forced fumbles. He is one of the safest, high-floor picks in the draft and should be able to carve out a long career as a starter and team captain — hopefully in Tampa Bay. 

Round 2, Pick 46: Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF

After drafting an inside linebacker in the first round, the Bucs turn their attention toward adding a game-changing pass rusher, something the team has been severely lacking in recent seasons.

Lawrence is a high-motor pass rusher who recorded 20 sacks during his four-year college career, and his draft stock has been soaring as of late. His 9.90 Relative Athletic Score ranked second among all EDGE prospects at the 2026 NFL Combine and 22nd out of 2,046 prospects dating back to 1987. His 4.52-second 40-yard dash is in the 99th percentile at his position.

The common knock against Lawrence is his inability to consistently set the edge as a run defender. However, the Bucs are willing to make that sacrifice as they look for a pure pass-rush specialist, and Lawrence fits that mold with one of the deepest arsenals of pass-rush moves in this draft class.

Round 2, Pick 63 (from Patriots): Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana 

After losing Mike Evans in free agency, the Bucs could stand to add another X receiver to the offense to fill the void.

Sarratt doesn’t quite have the size of Evans at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, but he boasts a similar physical style and rare ability to come down with 50/50 balls, posting an above 50% contested catch rate in every season of his career. He even earned the nickname "Waffle House" because he's always open.

There is also an obvious connection to Tampa Bay, as the Bucs’ newly hired quarterback coach Chandler Whitmer previously served as Indiana’s co-offensive coordinator and had a front-row seat to Sarratt’s dominance. 

He caught a whopping 44 touchdowns at Indiana including 15 in 2025. He showed up on the biggest stage with a total of 10 catches for 143 yards and 3 touchdowns in Indiana’s three playoff games. If Tampa Bay wants to take a shot at replacing Evans’ dominant presence on the boundary and in the red zone, they need to look no further than Sarratt.

Round 3, Pick 77: Dominique Orange, DL, Iowa State

With Vita Vea entering a contract season at age 31 and the Bucs weighing whether to utilize Calijah Kancey’s fifth-year option, adding to the defensive line needs to be a priority.

Todd Bowles has emphasized that he wants the team to get bigger this offseason, and Iowa State’s Dominique Orange could be the perfect fit at 6-foot-2, 322 pounds. He’s a run-stuffing specialist who will command double teams as a nose tackle in the middle of the defensive line.

He doesn’t offer much value as a pass rusher, but his floor is extremely high as an impact run stopper. The Bucs wouldn’t be able to pass up the chance to add an immediate upgrade to their defensive line rotation.

Round 4. Pick 116: Bud Clark, S, TCU

After losing Christian Izien to the Detroit Lions in free agency, the Bucs are quietly left with a serious lack of depth in the secondary.

Izien’s value came from his ability to play anywhere in the secondary, and Clark is an ideal replacement. In his six college seasons, Clark played over 1,200 snaps in the slot, more than 700 snaps as a box safety and over 450 snaps as a free safety. The three-time team captain isn’t just versatile, he’s also highly productive.

Clark recorded four interceptions in 2025 and a total of 15 interceptions and 20 pass breakups over the past four seasons, along with more than 200 career tackles. He would step into Tampa Bay as an immediate boost to the safety depth while adding another proven ball hawk to the secondary rotation.

Round 4, Pick 125 (from Patriots): Logan Jones, IOL, Iowa

The Bucs can’t ignore the interior offensive line after the lack of quality depth was exposed in 2025. With both Ben Bredeson and Cody Mauch suffering significant injuries, the team relied on backup guards for much of the season — and it wasn’t pretty.

Jones finished his college career graded by Pro Football Focus as a top-10 center in back-to-back seasons. He was also ranked as the nation’s best pass-blocking center in 2025 and one of the most athletic offensive linemen in this draft class. It would certainly make All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs happy to add another Iowa alum to the offensive line room, but Jones offers far more than just a feel-good connection.

Jones would provide the offensive line with the depth boost it desperately needs and could realistically develop into a starting center down the line. That would also give the Bucs flexibility to move Graham Barton to guard if he continues to struggle at center. Adding such a dominant blocker in both the pass and run game would be a home run for Tampa Bay.

Round 5, Pick 153: Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU

Perkins was once viewed as a potential first-round pick before injuries and decreased production dramatically altered his draft outlook. He’s a Swiss Army knife defender who has played both inside and outside linebacker during his college career.

NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote, “Perkins is at his best when deployed in a scheme that allows him to play free and attack the line as often as possible,” and that’s exactly how Todd Bowles would likely utilize him in Tampa Bay.

Perkins recorded 35.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and eight forced fumbles across four college seasons. He’s an excellent blitzer and remains a physical, willing tackler. At the very least, he should be a strong special teams contributor from day one. If he’s still on the board in Round 5, the Bucs should take the gamble on the high-upside, do-it-all defender.

Round 6, Pick 194: Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia

Delp feels like one of the most underrated tight end prospects in this draft class. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end is a solid run blocker and has the makings of an effective receiver at the pro level.

A team captain at Georgia, Delp played in more than 50 games and made over 30 starts. During his college career, he totaled 70 receptions for 854 yards and nine touchdowns.

He also showed his toughness recently when it was revealed that he was unable to participate in the NFL Combine after an X-ray showed he played the entire 2025 season with a hairline fracture in his foot.

Outside of Cade Otton and Ko Kieft who were both re-signed in free agency, the Bucs’ tight end room includes Payne Durham and Devin Culp, who combined for only two catches last season. Tampa Bay needs to strengthen that depth, and Delp could be a Day 3 steal who steps in as the immediate TE2 behind Otton.

Round 7, Pick 229: Josh Moten, CB, Southern Miss

After losing Jamel Dean in free agency, the Bucs could use additional cornerback depth behind their projected starting trio of Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish.

The 6-foot, 185-pound corner has the length that Todd Bowles loves in his defensive backs. Moten recorded five interceptions in 2025 and 11 over the past three seasons. He previously played at Marshall, where the Bucs scouted and fell in love with defensive back JJ Roberts.

In scouting Roberts, it's hard to imagine Moten didn't catch their eye as well. He’s a proven ball hawk who would provide developmental depth in the cornerback room while also having the potential to contribute immediately on special teams.