When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make their pick at No. 15 in the first round this year, most fans expect them to go for a defensive player to beef up a side of the ball that was legitimately one of the worst in the NFL down the stretch of the regular season and THE reason why the Bucs collapsed and missed the playoffs despite playing in the league's weakest division.
Although Jason Licht and the Bucs like to go with the best player available and should consider some of the offensive linemen and tight end Kenyon Sadiq at No.15, a top defensive target would help this team the most in 2026.
The Buccaneers front seven has been tabbed as the biggest weak point in this defensive unit as a whole, but the Bucs could also use some more help in the secondary. Their best cornerback of the last season, Jamel Dean, elected to leave and join the Pittsburgh Steelers, thinking, like a few of his teammates, that the path to postseason success is easier elsewhere.
Jermod McCoy is a real risk for Buccaneers in 2026 NFL Draft
So the Bucs have to replace him, and there are quite a few draft experts who thus have Tampa Bay going corner in the first round. One of the popular choices is Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, who is an exceptional talent but tore his ACL in January 2025, leading his stock to suffer. Otherwise, he is a top-10, if not a top-5 talent.
However, those dreaming of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stealing the top corner from down south may need to adjust their expectations. Veteran NFL Draft insider Tony Pauline reports for Essentially Sports that several teams have given major red flags to McCoy during his medicals at the NFL Combine this year. Beyond just the ACL tear, there are teams that evaluted McCoy and deemed him to actually have a degenerative knee condition.
That is a major concern and creates a totally different equation to an ACL tear recovery, which is achievable for most players. If McCoy really has a degenerative knee issue, that is a tough investment for a team to make, because he may not last beyond the rookie contract.
That makes a first round selection a tough sell, particularly for the Buccaneers who have a myriad of other needs on defense and just drafted Benjamin Morrison last year, who came with injury concerns of his own. The Bucs have a number of other directions they can go in without gambling on an injured corner in the first round.
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