The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came away with one of the league’s best draft classes following the 2026 NFL Draft.
Nicholas Rome, who covers college football nationally over at Saturday Blitz is already focusing on the 2027 NFL Draft, and he made an interesting projection for Tampa Bay in his way-too-early mock draft.
Buccaneers draft Georgia safety KJ Bolden in first 2027 NFL Mock Draft
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are projected to hold the No. 13 overall pick, and use it to select KJ Bolden.
What jumps out isn’t the player — it’s the pick. If Tampa Bay is picking 13th it means they once again finished below .500 and didn’t make the playoffs.
It would likely mean Todd Bowles is no longer coaching the team, and that things went horribly in 2026.
It’s also interesting to see them pick a safety, with Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith forming one of the best safety duos in the league, and the nickel spot spoken for as well. There wouldn’t seem to be much of an immediate role for a safety, but Bolden is a star.
He finished the 2025 season with an 85.9 overall PFF grade, and his elite 91.3 run defense grade ranked seventh in the nation.
He’s a versatile safety who shines most as a reliable tackler in the open field. There would be an interesting connection, as Tykee Smith was also drafted to Tampa Bay after being a versatile defensive back at Georgia. This front office loves their Georgia Bulldogs, so it’s not far fetched.
Bucs fans will be hoping this projection is way off and that the Buccaneers are picking at No. 32 overall, or at least in the late twenties, rather than No. 13.
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