It’s no secret that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to trade down from No. 15 during the 2026 NFL Draft. Jason Licht essentially telegraphed it to the rest of the league during his pre-draft press conference last week.
Tampa Bay has no shortage of needs to address, but they only have seven picks entering the draft. With the players expected to be available at No. 15, the Bucs could get better value moving back and selecting them a few picks later.Â
Of course, the biggest obstacle is finding a trade partner that actually wants to move up. But according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Bucs appear to be in an ideal position to pull off a trade.Â
"Mark the Buccaneers down as another team looking to move down on Thursday night, from their perch at No. 15. And I think they’re positioned to pull it off. Behind them, you have the Lions at 17, Panthers at 19, Steelers at 21, Eagles at 23, Browns at 24 and Bears at 25 as teams that might need tackle help. And with a run on the position potentially looming over that alley of picks, the Bucs could give someone the opportunity to jump the line. Which, I think, is something to keep an eye on as we draw closer."Albert Breer
The fact that multiple teams could be eyeing a move up creates a golden opportunity for Jason Licht, especially with offensive tackles expected to be the catalyst for trade interest.Â
If a run on tackles does materialize, it would play perfectly into Tampa Bay’s hands. Not only is it a position they don’t need, but it would spark urgency among teams looking to jump the line for their guy.
Peter Schrager even projected seven offensive tackles to be selected in the first round in his final mock draft, signaling just how high the demand could be — and the Bucs could reap all the benefits.Â
Trading down for more picks later in the draft while still coming away with a player such as Jacob Rodriguez, Akheem Mesidor, or CJ Allen is the best-case scenario for the Buccaneers. Here’s hoping the board falls according to plan, and Licht’s phone is ringing off the hook with potential trade partners once the Bucs are on the clock.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google