Billed as Super Bowl contenders during the first half of the 2025 NFL regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quickly fell apart after a combination of many offensive injuries to the line, running backs, and star wide receivers, as well as a complete collapse of the defense under Todd Bowles. The Bucs ended up missing the playoffs entirely, giving the Carolina Panthers the NFC South on a platter.
After a series of key offseason moves, including an amazing draft class under the guidance of one of the league's top general managers in Jason Licht, the Buccaneers like their chances of making it back to the playoffs.
But if you ask the opinions of most mainstream NFL analysts, the Buccaneers are not one of the top teams in the league going into the fresh 2026 campaign. In fact, they are the definition of mediocrity and not even in the top half of the league's best teams.
The Buccaneers are the class of the NFC South
In their latest FPI power ranking projections for the 2026 NFL regular season, ESPN only ranked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 18th out of all 32 NFL teams, which is a disappointing number for Bucs fans, to say the least. The Bucs were rated behind the likes of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, and Dallas Cowboys.
However, where the Buccaneers rank relative to all the teams in the league isn't actually the most important thing. It matters, sure, but what matters most right now is how they stack up to the rest of the division.
And while the Bucs were a disappointing 18th, the other three teams in the NFC South were even worse - significantly worse. In fact, ESPN had the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers all ranked in a straight row from 24th to 26th, all of them more than five spaces below the Buccaneers in the overall NFL power rankings.
It really goes to show you that as much as the neglected Buccaneers are viewed as a mediocre team - which will still give Baker Mayfield and his teammates that chip on their shoulder that they need to be at their best - they are still the class of the division without much of a dispute. Missing out on the playoffs against would be absolutely catastrophic and finally a fireable offense for Todd "The New Jeff Fisher" Bowles, because the Buccaneers are clear favorites in the dirty NFC South.
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