If there's one undeniable strength for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it's how well Jason Licht has drafted ever since taking over the front office in 2014.
His first ever draft pick was Mike Evans, and from there he added key players like Tristan Wirfs, Antoine Winfield Jr., Ali Marpet, Chris Godwin, and Vita Vea. All of those players were either All-Pros or Pro Bowlers -- or both -- and each helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl in 2020.
It's not just Licht's ability to draft well in the first few rounds, he's mined late-round talent better than almost any GM in the league. This past season was a perfect example of that, as the Bucs not only drafted guys like Trey Palmer and Payne Durham but added a slew of undrafted free agents like Christian Izien who made an impact.
All of that means this year's draft -- one that was predicted to be a rebuilding year -- has Licht in prime position to once again cook up a masterclass.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Picks in 2024
This year the Buccaneers are expected to have seven picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. All of the picks originally belong to Tampa Bay, with the only potential additional selection being a compensatory pick that they'll get after losing Mike Edwards in free agency last year.
None of the other picks were part of incoming deals, although Tampa Bay is missing its fifth round selection after having traded it away last April.
Round | Pick |
|---|---|
1 | 26 |
2 | 58 |
3 | 89 |
3 | 92* |
4 | 125 |
6 | 220** |
7 | 246 |
* From Detroit
** Compensatory selections
Carlton Davis III was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a third round pick, but part of that deal meant sending a pair of sixth rounders back. One of those will be the 204th pick, but the Bucs were awarded a sixth comp pick earlier in the offseason which sort of offsets needing to trade the other one away.
The Bucs don't have a fifth-round pick this year because it was part of the trade package sent to Philadelphia in order to move up and draft Trey Palmer. So, in essence, the Bucs spent this year's fifth round pick last year.
Will Buccaneers receive any compensatory picks in 2024 NFL Draft?
We don't know exactly what the compensatory pick will be, but the Buccaneers are getting one in this year's draft. The NFL hasn't yet announced comp picks, but losing Mike Edwards to the Kansas City Chiefs last offseason will result in the Bucs getting on.
Right now it's projected to be a seventh round pick, but that could go up. The NFL bases comp picks on salary, playing time, and postseason honors. Edwards won a Super Bowl this year with the Chiefs but didn't pick up any notable honors along the way, although he did see some decent playing time throughout the year.
Have the Buccaneers ever picked 26th overall before?
This will be the first time in franchise history that the Buccaneers have drafted No. 26 overall. It's not the first time the team has picked 26th in a certain round, though, as Lavonte David was the 26th pick in the second round back in 2013 but was the 58th overall pick.
The closest Tampa Bay has come to picking No. 26 was in 1986 when the team took Rod Jones one pick earlier. However, the Bucs owned the 27th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft but traded it to the Jacksonville Jaguars and ended up making the 33rd overall pick their first selection that year (which ended up being Logan Hall).
Recent history of 26th overall pick in NFL Draft
Here's a look at the last ten players selected with the No. 26 pick:
- 2014: Marcus Smith, LB - Philadelphia Eagles
- 2015: Breshad Perrimen, WR - Baltimore Ravens
- 2016: Paxton Lynch, QB - Denver Broncos
- 2017: Takkarist McKinley, DE - Atlanta Falcons
- 2018: Calvin Ridley, WR - Atlanta Falcons
- 2019: Montez Sweat, DE - Washington Commanders
- 2020: Jordan Love, QB - Green Bay Packers
- 2021: Greg Newsome II, CB - Cleveland Browns
- 2022: Jermaine Johnson II, CB - New York Jets
- 2023: Mazi Smith, DT - Dallas Cowboys
It's sort of a hit-and-miss slot, but there have been some notable successes. Calvin Ridley and Montez Sweat stick out as high-upside players who have had an impact on teams they've played on, and Jermaine Johnson was a Pro Bowler this past season.
Of course the swath is wider than that, as this is probably the first time in years you're thinking about Paxton Lynch.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Picks in 2025
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Round 3
- Round 4
- Round 5
- Round 7
Tampa Bay traded its 2025 sixth-round pick to the Lions as part of a deal that sent Carlton Davis III to Detroit in exchange for a third-rounder in 2024.
This list is likely going to grow thanks to compensetory picks that get assigned next season as well.
Buccaneers draft picks in 2026
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Round 3
- Round 4
- Round 5
- Round 6
- Round 7
It's the same case, for now, in 2026 as the Buccaneers have all of their future draft picks for this year. That's unlikely to change, at least at the top, as Tampa Bay doesn't usually put together big trade packages to either move up or acquire a star player.
That has happened in the past, though. Tampa Bay didn't have first round picks in 2002 or 2003 after trading them to Oakland as part of the Jon Gruden swap. Similarly, the Bucs didn't have a first round pick in 2013 after trading it to the New York Jets for Darrelle Revis.