The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 7-5 now, meaning Todd Bowles has brought this team closer to being average than truly great. With losses to the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots in recent weeks, the Buccaneers have proven that they still have a way's to go before they can be considered Super Bowl contenders.
So while the Buccaneers are in the thick of the playoff hunt and still in the lead of a weak NFC South, it really isn't too early for this ever improving franchise to begin to keep one eye peeled on the draft ahead. After a Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals, here's a fresh three-round 2026 NFL Mock Draft for the Buccaneers, using the simulator provided by Pro Football Focus.
First Round: Pick No. 20, Oregon Ducks TE Kenyon Sadiq
The best edge rushers were already off the board, and while that is obviously the Tampa Bay Buccaneers biggest need, there is no sense in reaching with the 20th overall pick. Baker Mayfield has a gauntlet of weapons available at running back and wide receiver, but a tight end is a top quarterback's best friend and Baker's TEs are arguably the worst in the NFL.
Kenyon Sadiq is a much more athletic and much less drop prone player for Mayfield to have at his disposal. The Bucs have always been at their best with a reliable tight end, and Sadiq is a special prospect who has a chance to be elite. He has been destroying defenses at Oregon and is the definition of a mis match nightmare who can line up in the slot or block like a lineman.
Second Round: Pick No. 52, Arizona State CB Keith Abney II
The Buccaneers have a few legitimately great cornerbacks, but after Jamel Dean and Jacob Parrish, their depth is terrbile. In order to beat the best offenses in the NFL these days, your secondary is only a strong as its weakest link, and the Bucs have to get rid of Zyon McCollum, who is single handedly getting torched with offensive coordinators licking their chops to pick at him.
Enter Keith Abney II in the second round. The Arizona State product is an electrifyingly fast player who can hang with the best athletes at the wide receiver position, and he has really come along well in 2025, steadily upping the quality of his play week after week. He has been shutting down shop with little fanfare and is one of the top five corners in college football right now.
Third Round: Pick No, 84, Florida State NT Darrell Jackson Jr.
Everyone likes an in-state standout, and Florida State nose tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. was the best value pick on the board with all the top linebackers and pass rushers gone. Vita Vea is still one of the best nose tackles in the business, but at 30 years old, the Bucs have to start thinking about a possible understudy.
Jackson is a good pick to develop behind Vea for a year or two before the Florida State star is ready to spread his wings. He's been working hard to beef up even more in preparation for the NFL, and he could have already been drafted last year. The mid rounds are where you want to pick up nose tackles, and Jackson is the sort of double team drawing freak athlete who you would want to bet on as a bargain Vea replacement down the road.