The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rode a legendary season from Baker Mayfield to an NFC South division title and a home playoff game, but Todd Bowles and the defense were unable to slow down Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in what became a last-second upset.
The playoffs showed that Tampa's offense, even without Chris Godwin, is in good shape. The defense needs multiple big additions in the 2025 NFL Draft and free agency if the Bucs want any chance of keeping pace with the rest of the NFC contenders. Jason Licht has his work cut out for him.
This 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft is exactly what Bucs fans need to wish for when April comes around. The defense can be turned around instantly if the Buccaneers hit on their draft picks in much the same way their playoff foe Washington beefed up a previously stagnant offense.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 19: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Between Joe Tryon-Shoyinka failing to take a step forward, Logan Hall failing to justify his selection, and second-round pick Chris Braswell only getting limited action during his rookie season, it has become clear that pass rusher is the biggest need on Tampa Bay's offseason ledger.
Scourton clocks in at 280 pounds, so pure speed is not his game. Where he stands out is his ability to set the edge on the outside, use raw power to bowl over tackles, and line up in multiple spots on the line due to his versatility. Scourton, who picked up 15 sacks in the last two seasons, might be one of the safest players in this class.
Round 2, Pick 54: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
The secondary was battered and bruised, but Tampa wasn't exactly shutting teams down when everyone was fully healthy. Hairston is a rare second-rounder who can right in and take an established starter's job, even though he may be better served on a man coverage team than a zone one.
Hairston makes up for a lack of great speed and a gambling mentality on the outside with tremendous performance on 50/50 balls, exceptional feel for the game when he does drop back in zone, and a feisty nature that makes him a player who should have no time establishing himself as a solid NFL player.
Round 3, Pick 85: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
The Bucs may be on the verge of losing Chris Godwin after nearly a decade of quality service in central Florida. While the emergence of Jalen McMillan would give them a solid No. 2 wide receiver behind Mike Evans, Licht could take advantage of the depth at the position in this class by bringing in Higgins.
Higgins is a 6-4 receiver who lacks amazing downfield speed, but he'll catch anything Baker Mayfield would throw at him while showing quality route-running and playmaking ability as a runner for a player his size. Higgins should shoot up draft boards if he puts questions about his speed to bed.