The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have undergone some serious changes to their roster ahead of the 2026 season, and all of that turnover is certainly not going to help a defense that is starting to fall apart at the seams as some of the veteran players in this unit age out of their primes.
Those converging factors have made it seem more likely than not that Tampa Bay's No. 15 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is going to be used on a premier defensive player, namely a pass rusher. Two names at the top of the list include Auburn goliath Keldric Faulk and diminutive Texas A&M rocket Cashius Howell.
One could not find two more divergent skillsets. Howell had insane production with scary outlier measureables, while Faulk didn't pile up many sacks despite immense physical gifts. Despite those two contrasting resumes, Jason Licht is likely considering both of them at No. 15 overall.
Bucs could target Keldric Faulk or Cashius Howell in the 2026 NFL Draft
Howell's arm length was almost the shortest in NFL Combine history, and there are precious few edge rushers in the NFL who managed to have a long career with sub-31-inch arms, let alone earn a Top-15 selection. Excluding the arms, Howell has everything you want to see from a rush outside linebacker.
With arguably the quickest first step of anyone in this class, better run defense than most defenders his size, and a ferocious motor that helped him tally 11.5 sacks against an SEC schedule that is full of future professional offensive linemen, Howell will be an instant contributor on sub packages no matter where he is picked.
Against those same linemen, Faulk managed just two sacks all season long. That's a decline from a seven-sack season that put him on the map in 2024. Faulk also faces tweener concerns, as some wonder if the 285-pound end would be better off adding some extra weight and moving inside to defensive tackle.
However, Todd Bowles has often placed a great deal of emphasis on pass rushers with this sort of hybrid build. Faulk should be an immediate starter next to Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. If the Bucs get the player Faulk appeared to be in the 2024 season, he should be a high-level starter for the next decade.
The Bucs would be doing this roster a huge disservice if they didn't come out of the 2026 Draft with at least one pass rusher who could change the calculus of this roster. While Faulk and Howell both must be used very specifically, there is a future where both of them are huge successes in Tampa Bay.