Now that Super Bowl 59 is in the books, Jason Licht and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can finally put rubber to the road as they try to construct a team that can compete with the Philadelphia Eagles. With how strong the Eagles appear to be, Licht has a ton of work to do.
The Bucs are a defensive nightmare at this moment in time, as they were unable to properly supplement a Baker Mayfield-led offense that was more than capable of doing some serious damage in the postseason. Unfortunately, a lack of depth and poor play once starters returned from injuries sank Todd Bowles' ship.
The three players highlighted in this post-Super Bowl 2025 NFL Mock Draft could all see significant snaps during their rookie seasons. The combination of value and fit the Bucs could land with this pick make these players no-doubt picks for Licht and Bowles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers post-Super Bowl 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 19: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
The Bucs need more juice in their pass rush, but they also need a plan to replace Lavonte David as he continues to get older. Licht and the front office could end up killing two birds with one stone, as Walker is cut straight from the Micah Parsons hybrid mold that is all the rage now.
Walker has the speed to cover ground in coverage, a nasty demeanor that will make him a perfect middle linebacker if that is where Tampa leaves him, and enough skill tackling in space to make him the undisputed top inside linebacker in this class. Walker should be a Top 20 lock.
Round 2, Pick 53: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
While Tampa Bay will likely try to incorporate second-year player Chris Braswell into the rotation more, Licht should still be held to task if he doesn't come out of this draft class with multiple pass rushers. While he is a limited player, Ezeiruaku could get on the field as a rookie due to his impressive ability to pile up sacks.
While Ezeiruaku is never going to be a high-end run defender due to his light frame and lack of functional play strength, Tampa's lack of a consistent pass rush was so shocking that they might need to take the hit in run defense if they can get a designated rusher with this level of upside on the field more often.
Round 3, Pick 84: Nohl Williams, CB, Cal
The Buccaneers' secondary never recovered from the loss of Carlton Davis, as any team that let current-day Kirk Cousins throw for 500 yards in a victory is not a unit capable of taking a team deep into the postseason. Williams is a gambler, but he's also become a turnover machine who shined in Mobile.
Williams, who picked off seven passes during his final season with the Golden Bears, is a mess from a technical point of view at times. However, Todd Bowles has previously proven to be a good developer of defensive back talent. Williams' ballhawking will get teams interested.