NFL Draft Rumors: 4 potential trade partner for the Buccaneers in Round 1

The NFL Draft is just a day away, but it feels like we're not close to figuring out what Jason Licht will do when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers go on the clock at No. 26 overall.

Various names and targets have been tossed out, from Jackson Powers-Johnson to Jared Verse to Kool-Aid McKinstry. Tampa Bay has several areas to address and four Top 100 picks to help do that, but there's a chance they could add more.

While tempting prospects could be on the board when Tampa Bay goes on the clock, there's also the possibility the team makes a move and ends up picking somewhere else for its first pick.

What teams could the Buccaneers potentially partner with on a Draft day trade?

Pittsburgh Steelers

This is pretty much the cap for how high the Buccaneers would trade up, and it makes sense to go straight to the top of the list. Pittsburgh goes on the clock at No. 20, and kicks off a run of teams that have overlap in draft targets with Tampa Bay.

Specifically, this is the range where guys like Jared Verse, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Graham Barton, and Tyler Guyton might end up getting picked.

After the Steelers, the Bucs would have to hope that Miami, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Green Bay all pass on those four guys, as well as whoever the Vikings likely end up trading with. The Dolphins, Cowboys, and Packers could all lean toward offensive lineman, while the Eagles have a knack for landing big time players -- all of which cuts into the Bucs chances of getting a top target.

Lest we forget, the Steelers need offensive line help too so the Bucs might even need to get up to No. 19 to avoid the rush.

New England Patriots

While trading up is a possibility, so is going the other direction and moving down. New England is near the top of the list of teams that could look to get back into the first round and the No. 26 pick is ripe to mine some recieving talent before a Day 2 run.

New England is rumored to be looking at a quarterback at No. 3 overall, or trading down and grabbing an offensive lineman. Even if the Patriots land Marvin Harrison Jr., or Rome Odunze, they'll likely want to move back in to take someone like Keon Coleman to further bolster the recieving corps or a lineman to help protect whoever the quarterback is.

The likeliest scenario is they roll with Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels and then trade back into land a wide receiver to pair him with. It could be that the Patriots trade back in to draft Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr., which would benefit the Bucs all the same.

Houston Texans

Last year the Texans wheeled-and-dealed their way into C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson, and once again are moving around the draft board already. Houston traded its first round pick to Minnesota, but don't sleep on them wanting to sneak back into Thursday.

Houston's first pick of the draft is slated to be at No. 42 pick, a selection the Bucs could slide back to if the Texans want to move up. It all depends on how the draft board falls, but if someone like Cooper DeJean is still available late, there might be a scenario where Houston gets Tampa Bay on the phone and tries to get back into the first round.

Minnesota Vikings

Here's a wild scenario: what if the Vikings don't package their two first round picks to trade up for a quarterback. What if they take the best available player at No. 11, a top defensive player at No. 23, and then get on the phone with Tampa Bay to trade back into the first round to take Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr.?

It's a little crazy to think about given all the rampant speculation that Minnesota will trade up for J.J. McCarthy, but it might be a better long-term strategy to land three first round picks and build around those players.

The problem is draft capital. Minnesota would essentially be pawning its 2025 first rounder to move up, but that might be a small price to pay for landing a franchise quarterback. Three is better than one, and the Vikings have a lot of holes to fill and a future to consider. It's not the craziest idea to think they'd triple down and ask the Bucs to help them pull off a deal that could set up a bright future.

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