The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew going into the offseason that they would need to hit the linebacker positions hard, both inside and outside, while also landing Vita Vea some timely help on the defensive line.
Despite having shots at Tampa native Trey Hendrickson, Maxx Crosby in a trade, or even a guy like Jonathan Greenard or Odafe Oweh off the edge, the Buccaneers only landed A'Shawn Robinson, Alex Anzalone, and Al-Quadin Muhammad in free agency. These three are decent players and solid upgrades on what the Buccaneers had before, but nothing about these players screams difference maker.
So the Buccaneers, especially after Lavonte David's retirement, are going to have to hit all the linebacker positions hard in the 2026 NFL Draft. But the front seven isn't the only area of weakness. Jamel Dean walked in free agency to join a playoff team in the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish, and Benjamin Morrison as the main cornerback trio.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to draft a cornerback
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans are concerned about the cornerback spot, which has been a position in play in the first round of several mock drafts this spring. And head coach Todd Bowles is rightfully concerned, too. Bowles said at the NFL owners meeting, via ESPN's Jenna Laine, that this team "definitely" needs another corner, “We definitely need another cornerback. Whether it's a veteran or whether it's a draftable pick remains to be seen and we'll kind of go from there. But we like to add one or two to the mix…”
The tough thing about going with a veteran in free agency is that all the worthwhile options have been cleared off the board by this point in April. It is getting harder and harder these days to find late wave value in free agency with how fast things proceed once the legal tampering period opens, and the Buccaneers have so many needs elsewhere on defense - and even on offense possibly with Mike Evans gone - that addressing all of them is difficult.
Now, the Bucs have a history of finding value after the first round at corner, and it is one of those positions where you can often find key contributors after the first day of the NFL Draft. Former Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis III was a second-round pick back in 2018. In 2019, Sean Murphy-Bunting was drafted in the second round followed up by Jamel Dean in the third round. Last year, the team drafted Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish on Day 2.
Jason Licht may have to once again bring his best scouting cap to the draft on Day 2 and Day 3 to find value at corner, but Bowles is 100 percent right. This is an area of need the Bucs absolutely have to address in a grueling offseason, especially since this team is poised to get into a lot of shootouts in 2026.