Although NFL free agency has yet to take place and is still about a month away, the Senior Bowl has pretty much kicked the NFL Draft season into full swing, and the 2026 NFL Draft promises to be an intriguing one for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Although Oregon Ducks star Kenyon Sadiq is a potential option at the No. 15 overall pick for Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and his scouting team, the reality is that the sensible pick for Tampa Bay is a player to beef up one of the worst front sevens in the entire NFL.
That ghastly front line and pass rush were the biggest reason why the Buccaneers collapsed miserably in the second half of the 2025 NFL regular season, losing out on what was easily the easiest division race in the league.
The Buccaneers have only one decent edge rusher now
YaYa Diaby is a solid young pass rusher, but the Bucs have nothing else going for them as a pass rush besides him. Pass rushers at a premium in the NFL, and while everyone likes to fantasize about finding a bargain bin talent in the fifth round to beef up their pass rush, the reality is that NFL teams with a need for edge rushers as bad as the Bucs have to go for a premium talent in a premium round - in addition to potentially a later round flier.
The Buccaneers have a couple of potential options in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 15th overall pick, but nobody stands out more as a possible selection than Texas A&M star Cashius Howell, who is one of the most coveted players in the draft this year.
Howell had more pressures than anyone in college football's best conference, the SEC, last season, fully fulfilling his potential as one of the best pass rushers in the division. He is one of the most explosive pass rushers in the draft, bending around offensive tackles like he was made out of elastic, and he was a highly consistent source of pressure who once famously registered three sacks in a row.
In that way, Howell checks off many of the boxes that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking for in the NFL Draft this year. They need a young pass rusher who can blow by defenders off the edge, consistently get after the quarterback, and finish plays. Howell has some boom or bust to him like all edge rushing prospects, but the boom is truly massive.