The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for all intents and purposes, knocked their 2026 draft out of the park. It's hard to mess it up when they were gifted one of the top edge rushers in the entire class.
Grades for the Bucs' picks have almost universally been "A's." Those scores have been carried by a few players and not necessarily the entire draft. We looked at this year's class and realized that some of their additions may not carry an "A" grade, but honestly, that's just being nitpicky.
Instead of grading, we opted to rank them from worst selection to best, but honestly, it doesn't change the grades.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft class is carried by four names, but the biggest steal may not be who fans think
7: Billy Schrauth - Guard - Notre Dame - Round 5
- The Bucs typically have a good offensive line, so taking Schrauth in the fifth round is more for depth than an immediate contributor. With other needs on the roster, Tampa could have gone in another direction without a second thought. While he has a physical toughness to the way he plays, his limitations in run blocking will challenge the Bucs' coaching staff.
6: Bauer Sharp - TE - LSU - Round 6
- Sharp is a developmental player who won't get much playing time during the season. He will take a backseat to the Bucs' Cade Otton. Working in his favor is the fact that the Buccaneers tight end room isn't comprised of big name players. Ko Kleft, Payne Durham, and Devin Culp are all competing for playing time and a roster spot. That leaves the door open for Bauer to make an immediate impression. If the Bucs were hoping to fix the TE depth, Bauer won't move that needle. A 6th-round prospect is never a risk, and there is a lot of upside, but initially, he will have to earn reps.
5: Josiah Trotter - LB - Missouri - Round 2
- It's not that we don't like Trotter; he has a lot of potential and fills a hole, but the Buccaneers seem to have reached simply to fill a need. Trotter isn't going to be explosive out of the gate, and that is what you want from a second-round pick. Camp is going to do him a lot of good, and he has to take everything in so he can adjust to the league's pace. For my money, Cincinnati LB Jake Golday may have provided a more well-rounded compliment to Alex Anzalone.
4: Demonte Capehart - DT - Clemson - Round 5
- Capehart is going to be a steal in round five. He has the physicality teams love from interior defensive linemen, and he plays with an attitude that makes his presence on the field bigger than what the tape shows. Capehart has strong starting experience at a top college. Had Clemson not taken a step backward in 2025, Capehart would have been drafted a lot earlier.
3: Rueben Bain, Jr. - Edge - University of Miami (FL) - Round 1
- Bain is the absolute steal of the first round, and there is no other way of putting it. The fact that he dropped to 15 was great for the Bucs, not so much for Bain. The edge rusher already played with a mean streak on the field, and this chip on his shoulder will only make him play with more intensity in an effort to prove to the other 14 teams how wrong they were for passing on him. While Bain will be the best draft move on everyone's list, we have him at three because his being available left Jason Licht with an easy decision. That wasn't the case with our top two.
2: Keionte Scott - CB - University of Miami (FL) - Round 4
- The Buccaneers needed to get help in the secondary, but the draft didn't offer them the quality of starting caliber options early. Bain falling took their first pick, and the slight reach on Trotter used up round two. Scott being drafted in round four is excellent value. He will bring immediate competition for a starting job and can play on the boundary or inside. He has a strong starting resume and has played at two top colleges, Auburn and the University of Miami. Fans should have high expectations for Scott in 2025.
1: Ted Hurst - WR - Georgia State - Round 3
- Bain, Scott, and Capehart were all excellent picks, but Hurst may outplay all of them when compared to the on-field value vs. draft status. Hurst is an absolute steal in round three. Six WRs were drafted before Hurst fell into the Buccaneers' laps. It's hard to argue players like Chris Brazzell, Malachi Fields, and Ja'Kobi Lane being drafted before him, but Tampa should be sending a thank you to the Dolphins for taking a massive reach on Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas with the 11th pick in the round. Many believed the Dolphins would have Hurst high on their board. That wasn't the case, and Licht stole a player who will contribute immediately.
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