The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2026 NFL Draft with two major needs: edge rush and inside linebacker.
The expectation has long been that they’ll use early draft capital to address these positions, and an NFL insider just named the Buccaneers as a team to watch for Georgina linebacker CJ Allen.
Buccaneers could draft Georgia linebacker CJ Allen in first round of 2026 NFL Draft
Tony Pauline is an NFL Draft analyst and insider at EssentiallySports. He has reliable connections around the league, and was among the first to report that Mike Evans was seriously considering leaving the Buccaneers in free agency.
Pauline has dumped some draft intel, and among his scoops is that the Buccaneers are one of the teams being linked to Georgia linebacker CJ Allen.
“Others tell me that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys are real possibilities, though they mention those teams would likely trade down from their present slots (Tampa owns the 15th selection, Dallas the 20th pick), then draft Allen,” wrote Pauline.
The report lines up with Jason Licht essentially telegraphing to the rest of the league during his pre-draft press conference that the Bucs want to trade down, if a partner emerges.
Allen recorded over 200 tackles during his Georgia career along with 4.5 sacks and an interception. He wore the green dot for the Bulldogs as the play caller and leader of the defensive unit.
He has a lot of qualities that would endear him to the Buccaneers as they search for the successor to Lavonte David following his retirement.
Adding Allen would crush the Jacob Rodriguez pipe dream, and while Allen is consistently ranked higher on the draft board by media pundits and analysts, many view Rodriguez as the best possible fit for Tampa Bay.
Still, the Bucs can’t go wrong adding a player like Allen to their defense. He projects as a future leader at the NFL level, with his college coaches and even NFL scouts giving rave reviews about his character and leadership.
He seems like a player Jason Licht and the Buccaneers will be all over, and the scoop is coming from a credible source. Keep your eye out for CJ Allen on draft day, Bucs fans.
Add us as a preferred source on Google