The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t being subtle about what positions they’re prioritizing leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft.
Each team is granted 30 private visits pre-draft to get a closer look at prospects they might be interested in.
How they utilize these visits often provides a clue on which positions they’re placing the most emphasis on, and the Bucs are definitely paying extra attention to two positions in particular.
Buccaneers focusing heavily on tight ends and defensive tackles ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
17 of the Buccaneers’ Top 30 visits have been confirmed via Pewter Report's official tracker, and it’s painted a pretty clear picture on what to expect during draft weekend.
Of these 17 visits, six of them have been used on tight ends. That’s over a third of their confirmed visits so far! It’s clear the Buccaneers want to bolster the tight end room, even after re-signing Cade Otton and Ko Kieft.
With Devin Culp and Payne Durham combining for only two receptions last year, it makes sense why Tampa Bay is searching for another viable receiving threat at the position, considering how heavily offensive coordinator Zac Robinson utilized 12 personnel in his stint with Atlanta.
The Buccaneers' heavy interest in the tight end position is exactly why the rumors of Kenyon Sadiq to Tampa Bay have been heating up. If the're going to draft a tight end early, it makes sense to go after the best one in the draft class, who happens to be one of the most athletic tight ends prospects in history.
Another position the Buccaneers are doing their due diligence on is defensive tackle with five visits confirmed so far. Vita Vea is 31 years old and entering a contract year. Calijah Kancey has yet to play a full healthy season in his career. The team signed both A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches in free agency, but both are over 30-years-old and are on just one-year deals.
They need to have a long-term plan at the position, so while the starters are pencilled in for 2026, adding a defensive tackle would be a proactive move to prepare for the future.
The Bucs’ most pressing needs are at pass rusher and inside linebacker, and they notably haven’t held many visits with players at those positions.
There have been three confirmed Top-30 visits with edge rushers: Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas, Missouri’s Zion Young, and Western Michigan’s Nadame Tucker. Thomas and Young are both commonly projected as early Day 2 picks, while Tucker is usually projected as a Day 3 pick.
Only one inside linebacker has a confirmed visit, and that’s Michigan’s Jimmy Rolder. Rolder only has one season of starting experience and is viewed as a late Day 3 pick, but his stock has been rising as of late.
It’s interesting that the team hasn’t hosted any of the draft’s top inside linebacker prospects. Perhaps they’re trying to keep their interest under wraps from the rest of the league. The Bucs never hosted Calijah Kancey back in 2023, and ultimately used their first-round pick on him, so these 30 visits aren’t always a dead giveaway.
“Top-30 visits are more or less people you want to get to know down the line,” Todd Bowles said in a 2023 draft feature. “It’s not necessarily the top picks because some of them you’re not even going to be able to touch. It’s not uncommon that they don’t get visits.”
Bowles’ comments about using visits to get to know a player for down the line make a lot of sense, and we saw it come to fruition last year. Tampa Bay used a 30 visit on Marshall safety JJ Roberts, who eventually signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
There are still 13 more Buccaneers visits left to be uncovered, which could help offer even more insight into Tampa Bay’s draft plans. The front office is under immense pressure to nail this upcoming draft class heading into a make-or-break 2026 season, and they’ll be turning over every stone to make sure this incoming generation of Buccaneers is a special one.