The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But with Tampa Bay having an assortment of needs to be addressed and the Buccaneers holding only seven picks, the ideal move is to trade down and acquire more draft picks.
Bucs General Manager Jason Licht held a pre-draft press conference Wednesday, and confirmed movind down is something the front office has discussed at length.
“In a lot of scenarios we’re working through, yeah,” said Licht when asked if he’s more likely to trade down this year than in previous drafts.
“The part of that that makes it difficult is you gotta find a trade partner. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes some teams just don’t want to move up. They don’t want to give up picks, and I understand why.”
Licht went on to explain that there is a group of players that if they’re still on the board at No. 15, the Bucs will take them no matter what, rather than trading down and risk missing them.
If multiple can’t-miss prospects are available, they’d be willing to move back just a few spots to pick up extra capital and still ensure they get one of their guys.
Licht is no secret to trading down. In fact, it’s something he loves to do as a general manager that values draft picks and wants to acquire more darts to throw at the board.
In 2016, Licht traded down two spots from No. 9 to No. 11 with the Chicago Bears and picked up a fourth-round pick in the process. He was still able to get his guy, Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.
In 2018, the Buccaneers traded the No. 7 overall pick along with a seventh-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the No. 12 overall pick and two second-round picks. The deal worked out for both sides as Buffalo secured quarterback Josh Allen and the Bucs landed Vita Vea.
In 2022, Tampa Bay traded back out of the first round completely, trading the No. 27 overall pick to the Jaguars in exchange for the No. 33 overall pick, along with a fourth-round pick and a sixth/round pick. Tampa Bay wound up selecting Logan Hall with the first pick of the second round.
Licht’s press conference was enlightening in terms of learning more about the Bucs' draft strategy entering next week’s draft. It sure sounds like the organization views trading down as the best option this year, depending on who is on the board.
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