The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a desire to upgrade the tight end position.
New offensive coordinator Zac Robnson ran 12 personnel at the second-highest rate of any play caller last season. For that system to work in Tampa Bay, they needed another viable receiving threat behind Cade Otton.
Payne Durham and Devin Culp combined for only two catches last season. Ko Kieft specializes as a blocker and special teams contributor, but isn’t a receiving threat.
The Bucs seem to have found their guy, and they were confident enough to trade up to land him.
Buccaneers trade up to draft LSU tight end Bauer Sharp in sixth round of NFL Draft
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted LSU tight end Bauer sharp for a pre-draft 30 visit per JC Allen, so their interest was real.
Tampa Bay gave up their seventh-round pick to move up ten spots and secure Sharp at No. 185 overall in the sixth round to round out their draft class.
Sharp is a former QB that only made the change to tight end in 2022. After transferring from Southeastern Louisiana, he led the Oklahoma Sooners with 42 receptions in 2025.
“Lining up mostly inline and in the slot, Sharp is a good-sized athlete and energetic competitor (NFL scout: ‘There is some insanity to the way he plays’),” wrote NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler. “He is a violent blocker, although he would benefit from more control.”
Sharp has a lot of development to do before he has a clear path to playing time. He’s still new to the position, so there will be a learning curves as he jumps to the pro level. His special teams contributions could be they key to carving out a role in his rookie season.
“Sharp is more average than above average in most categories, but his special teams experience and alignment versatility give him a shot to earn an NFL roster spot,” wrote Brugler.
The Buccaneers clearly saw something that made them believe in Sharp as a fit for them, being that they uncharacteristically traded up just to ensure they landed him.
Add us as a preferred source on Google