Final Buccaneers mock draft reveals one move that changes everything

There is a lot of intrigue surrounding what the Buccaneers will do during the 2025 NFL Draft. The team has clear-cut needs at nickel cornerback and inside linebacker, and could use additional reinforcements at outside cornerback and edge-rusher.

In 2014, Jason Licht’s first draft as the Buccaneers’ general manager, he spent all six of his draft picks on the offensive side of the ball, hoping to overhaul a reeling unit. This year is quite the opposite — the Bucs enter the draft after retaining all 11 starters from a top-five unit a season ago, and the team seems poised to use their six selections in the 2025 NFL Draft to overhaul the defense.

Round 1, Pick 19: Donavan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College

Ezeiruaku, along with Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell and Georgia’s Malaki Starks, has been one of the prospects most connected to Tampa Bay throughout this draft process.

Despite signing Haason Reddick to a one-year deal in free agency, the team still wants to further reinforce their pass rush. Reddick will be 31 years old in September, and barring a double-digit sack season that inspires the front office to invest in him long-term, he will likely be a one-year rental for Tampa Bay.

Ezeiruaku is a pass rush specialist with a full arsenal of pass-rush moves at his disposal. Ezeiruaku recorded 28 sacks in his four-year college career, including a career-high 16.5 in 2024 on his way to being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and cementing himself as one of the top edge rushers in this draft class.

Though considered slightly undersized at 6-foot-2 and 248 pounds, Ezeiruaku boasts 34-inch arms, which rank among the longest of any edge rusher in this class — a trait the Buccaneers are known to value.

He also led all players at his position in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle, both of which measure short-area acceleration and agility, highlighting his explosive athleticism.

Drafting Ezeiruaku sharply raises the floor of the Bucs’ outside linebacker room, and could prove to be a wise long-term investment if he develops into the sack-artist that many believe he can.

Round 2, Pick 53: Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina

Depending on how the board falls, the Bucs could opt to address the secondary here — but inside linebacker is a pressing need, and this is not necessarily a deep class at the position which increases the sense of urgency for teams targeting the top guys.

Outside of Jihaad Campbell and UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger, Knight is the only linebacker left in the draft class that is seen as a consensus early-round prospect before a drop off in talent.

Players such as Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr, Oregon’s Jeffery Bassa or Clemson’s Barrett Carter could also draw interest from Tampa Bay later in the draft, but the Bucs have demonstrated the most interest in Knight.

According to Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds, the Bucs met with Knight twice at the Senior Bowl and also hosted him on a 30 visit during the draft process. Knight is already 25 years old, and while his older age has lowered his draft stock for some teams, it could actually be appealing in a way for the Buccaneers.

Inside linebacker is considered the hardest position to learn for a rookie in Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme, and Knight’s combination of maturity, experience, and football IQ could make him a great fit for a Bucs team that needs a rookie to make an early impact at the position.

Round 3, Pick 84: Nohl Williams, CB, California

At 6-feet-tall and just under 200 pounds, Williams fits the prototype of an outside cornerback in Bowles’ scheme. He is a physical player and willing tackler, and has often been pegged as a prospect the team could fall in love with due to his natural fit in the system.

The Bucs would likely prefer that Williams possessed better speed — he ran an uninspiring 4.5 40-yard dash — but the film shows that despite his middling speed, Williams is capable of developing into a true game changer due to his ability to cause disruption from the cornerback position.

He snagged an impressive 14 college interceptions, including 7 in 2024, and forced ten missed incompletions. His ball skills will certainly command attention from Bowles, who has been straightforward this offseason about his desire to add ball hawks to his defense after the unit only generated a lackluster seven interceptions in 2024. Drafting Williams would be a great first step in the revamping of the secondary in Tampa Bay.

Round 4, Pick 121: Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas

After landing Williams in round three, the Bucs double-dip and add another lengthy, physical corner to the secondary.

Bryant has been a fan-favorite in Bucs circles throughout the draft process and commonly-linked to the team ever since he raved about his NFL Combine interview with Tampa Bay, calling it his best interview.

Bryant, like Nohl Williams, has a penchant for generating turnovers. He notched multiple interceptions in all four of his college seasons, finishing with 13 career interceptions for the Kansas Jayhawks including four in 2024.

He measures in at six-feet-tall, but only 180 pounds. His frame has been a concern for some evaluators, who think Bryant will need to put on significant weight to be able to compete at the NFL level.

Despite his thin frame, Bryant plays with the heart of a lion. He is highly physical, and is a great tackler and willing run defender. He also has a reputation for being a very vocal trash talker on the field, and his love for the game is apparent when watching him play.

Bryant’s tenacity and passion would make him a seamless addition to the locker room in Tampa Bay, and the Bucs could cross-train him at both outside and nickel cornerback, allowing him to compete for immediate playing time as a rookie.