Buccaneers 7-Round Mock Draft: Tampa Bay trades down, reloads defense

The pressure is on for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to knock the 2026 NFL Draft out of the park.

It’s been an underwhelming offseason headlined by franchise legend Mike Evans choosing to take less money to leave Tampa Bay and compete for a Super Bowl — a telling indictment against the direction of the franchise. The fan base is disgruntled after losing a player of his caliber, and the front office did little in free agency to soften the blow.

The Bucs finished 8–9 in 2025, snapping a streak of four consecutive division titles, and while the rest of the division appears to be trending upward, Tampa Bay remains stagnant. With Todd Bowles firmly on the hot seat and Baker Mayfield entering a contract year, the organization could be headed toward a full reset if things don’t turn around quickly in 2026.

It’s Jason Licht’s most pivotal draft class in recent memory, and the urgency to land immediate impact players is real in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-Round Mock Draft

Round 1: Trade with Cleveland Browns

Buccaneers receive: No. 24 overall pick, No. 39 overall pick, No. 70 overall pick, No. 107 overall pick

Browns receive: No. 15 overall pick, No. 46 overall pick, 2027 fourth round pick 

The Browns have no shortage of needs and plenty of draft ammo. They could especially use help on the offensive line and at wide receiver. They already hold the sixth overall pick, and moving up to 15 would allow them to leave the first round with a premium player at both positions. A potential pairing such as OT Monroe Freeling and WR Jordan Tyson could help jumpstart the Browns rebuild. The Bucs move down 9 picks in the first round but the pick swap in round 2 allows the Bucs to jump from 46 to 39 while picking up an additional third and fourth rounder in the process.

According to the draft pick trade value chart famously utilized by Jimmy Johnson that NFL teams use to this day, this deal comes out nearly dead even, with Tampa Bay coming out just ahead (1,570 to approximately 1,550 trade value points).

Round 1, Pick 24 (from Browns): Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M

The Bucs trade back, pick up extra capital, and still land one of the best pure pass rushers in the class. Howell brings legitimate juice off the edge, something Tampa Bay badly needs, after posting 11.5 sacks last season and 27 for his career.

That said, his arm length makes him a major outlier, which made No. 15 a bit too rich for that kind of gamble. At No. 24 though, the value makes much more sense.

Tampa Bay addresses a major need while continuing to stack picks in a deep class.

Round 2, Pick 39 (from Browns): Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

After addressing the pass rush in Round 1, inside linebacker remains the most glaring hole on the roster.

Rodriguez is a plug-and-play starter who could lock down the linebacker position in Tampa Bay for years to come. His game is built on high-level instincts, football IQ, and a rare knack for creating turnovers.

The two-time team captain racked up over 300 tackles in college, along with six sacks, six interceptions, and 13 forced fumbles. That kind of proven production would be a welcome addition to a linebacker room led by veteran Alex Anzalone, and possibly Lavonte David, if he returns for one more season.

Round 3, Pick 70 (from Browns): Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana 

After investing in the defense with the first two picks, Tampa Bay can afford to use the extra third-round pick they acquired from Cleveland on a luxury of sorts — finding an X receiver to replace Mike Evans. 

Elijah Sarratt was one of the most reliable players in the nation in that role during his college football career. His 44 receiving touchdowns are the most of any wide receiver in this draft class, with 19 more touchdowns the next closest receiver. 

The contested catch specialist has posted an elite 58% contested catch percentage in his career per PFF and only a 4% drop rate, showcasing his sure hands. 

His physical play style paired with his elite production on 50/50 balls and in the red zone makes him an ideal candidate to step into what was Evans’ role as the primary boundary receiver and make life easier for quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Round 3, Pick 77: Darrell Jackson, DT, Florida State

The Bucs want to get bigger on the defensive line, and Darrell Jackson would fit the bill. He is a massive 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds with an eye-popping 7-foot-2 wingspan and impressive strength. 

Jackson wouldn’t offer much value as a pass rusher, but he’ll likely enter the NFL with a floor of a solid rotational run-stuffer. He has the tools and traits to become a more complete player if developed properly, and entering a room with Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, and A’Shawn Robinson could help unlock his full potential. 

Round 4, Pick 107 (from Browns): Bud Clark, S, TCU

Clark is the type of versatile, do-it-all defensive back Tampa Bay needs after losing Christian Izien in free agency.

With six years of experience, he’s played significant snaps everywhere — slot, box, and deep safety — and produced at a high level. He totaled 15 interceptions, 20 pass breakups, and over 200 tackles across his career.

That combination of production, versatility, and experience makes him a steal in the fourth round.

Round 4, Pick 116: Tacario Davis, CB, Washington

The Bucs let starter Jamel Dean walk in free agency and also lost depth with Kindle Vildor departing as well. Behind the current starting trio, the next man up is Josh Hayes; anyone else getting war flashbacks to 2024?

Tampa Bay can’t ignore the need for cornerback depth, and Davis is an intriguing fit. The Bucs have built a strong pipeline with Washington, having drafted Vita Vea, Cade Otton, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Jalen McMillan, and Devin Culp in recent years. Davis could be the next Huskie to join the Bucs.

At 6-foot-4 with a long wingspan and 4.41 speed, he has the physical traits that Todd Bowles looks for in a corner. He also brings production, totaling three interceptions and 26 pass breakups in his college career, and would provide an immediate boost to a thin CB room.

Round 5, Pick 155: Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia

Delp is a player whose stock is soaring as the draft approaches, and frankly, he’ll likely be long off the board by the time Round 5 rolls around. But as long as PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator allows me to get him at this value, I’ll be making this pick every time. 

He tested well at his Pro Day, running a 4.48 40-yard dash while measuring in at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. He was arguably underutilized as a receiver at Georgia with only 20 catches last season, but he’s a high-end athlete with solid blocking ability and could feasibly see more production in the NFL than he did in college. Funny enough, some scouts compare him to Cade Otton as a prospect coming out of college. 

The Bucs re-signed Otton, but there isn’t a legitimate receiving threat behind him in the tight end room. Ko Kieft is a blocking specialist, and Payne Durham and Devin Culp combined for only two catches last season. Delp would immediately step in as the TE2 and provide needed depth behind Otton. 

Round 6, Pick 195: Pat Coogan, IOL, Indiana

After adding Elijah Sarratt in Round 3, Tampa Bay adds another player from Indiana’s National Championship team with Coogan in the sixth round. 

The Bucs need some insurance on the interior offensive line, and Coogan provides exactly that. He started at left guard back at Notre Dame in 2023 before converting to center, giving him positional versatility that Jason Licht is known to covet in his offensive linemen. Coogan didn’t allow a single sack or QB hit during the 2025 season and ranked in the top 10% at his position in both run blocking and pass blocking grades per PFF.  

Round 7, Pick 229: Micah Morris, IOL, Georgia

If the Bucs were going to double dip at any position in this draft, you’d expect it to be inside linebacker or edge rusher. Instead, the board had other plans and Tampa Bay closes things out with back-to-back picks on the interior offensive line.

Morris is a classic late-round swing. He posted an elite 9.98 Relative Athletic Score, making him one of the most athletic guard prospects of all time, and showed real promise in his lone season as a full-time starter, allowing just four pressures and zero sacks across 700 snaps.

The lack of experience is why he’s still on the board this late, but the tools are hard to ignore.

Ending the draft with back-to-back interior linemen helps shore up a unit that completely fell apart due to injuries last year and gives Tampa Bay a pair of intriguing developmental options up front for the future.