The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have turned Baker Mayfield into a quarterback capable of throwing 41 touchdown passes, but their defense had so many holes on it that it ruined their title pursuit. The first order of business for Jason Licht is beefing up all three levels of this unit.
One player who has been mocked to Tampa Bay as frequently as anyone is Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who recently established himself as a player who won't be leaving the first round when April comes around. Even the folks over at ESPN believe that Tampa Bay using their No. 19 overall pick on Campbell just makes too much sense.
Field Yates of ESPN is all about the Campbell to Tampa Bay train, suggesting that he could immediately earn the tag of designated David replacement while playing a big role in turning the Bucs' defense around in the short term due to his versatility.
The Bucs will need to spend most of their attention in the 2025 Draft on the defensive side of the ball. Passing up on Campbell, especially considering the dearth of quality linebackers in this class when he is removed from the equation, could make things very complicated for Jason Licht.
Field Yankes says Bucs should draft Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell
Campbell came to Alabama as a five-star edge rusher, but he has since converted into a linebacker with such immense success and ease that he has established himself as arguably the best player at his position in this class. Some teams may view Georgia's Jalon Walker as an edge rusher.
Campbell has everything a defensive coordinator could want from a linebacker as an athlete, as the 244-pound dynamo can fly around the field and deliver some serious thump when he gets home. Campbell has a vice-grip, as he has one of the lowest missed tackle rates in the open field among 2025 draftees.
As a blitzer, Campbell consistently earned high marks. Todd Bowles may be a it rigid in some schematic areas of his defensive gameplan, but he has typically found a way to maximize players with a skillset like Campbell's.
Campbell is still learning the position, which is why going to Tampa Bay specifically could be very exciting for him. Learning from David, who has been one of the best in the game for years, could go a very long way towards smoothing out some of the rough edges in his game and turning him into a star.