Head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht face a paramount off-season that could very well determine their long-term futures with the Buccaneers.
After an epic second-half collapse in 2025 saw a 6-2 start give way to a pitiful 2-7 finish, which resulted in no playoffs for the first time since 2019, Bowles barely kept a grasp on his job while being forced to make several staff changes. On Licht’s end, it’s undeniable that he’s done a great job of cultivating homegrown starters, but his recent failures to acquire true difference-makers at high-impact positions like edge rusher or address serious deficiencies like the ones at inside linebacker loom large.
As such, the 2026 NFL Draft will play a huge role in getting the Bucs back into playoff contention while proving whether or not the current leadership deserves another year at the helm. How could it play out with just about 9 weeks before Round 1 kicks off? Let’s take our first stab at a seven-round mock.
How Will Free Agency Affect the NFL Draft for Tampa Bay?
I don’t usually dive into this aspect when talking mocks, but this year feels different. Quite frankly, the Bucs must be active on the free agent and/or trade front to address some of their most glaring needs in ways that the draft is simply not going to do. The focus since their Super Bowl 55 victory has been retaining high-quality in-house talent, which is typically not a bad method at all. In fact, that’s usually a telling indicator of whether or not you’ve been team-building the optimal way.
However, pressure to win will often alter approach, as we saw when the Bucs signed Tom Brady and a litany of other proven contributors when they felt ready to make the leap. This current juncture sits in between that point and the Bucs of yesteryear when they’d simply to spend to get any kind of talent on the team period. They’re not devoid of talent by any stretch but are probably not serious contenders currently either, though it’s undoubtable that to get there they need proven veterans to raise the floor at some crucial spots.
So I’m going to approach this mock draft under the assumption that the Buccaneers WILL make a splash acquisition at either edge rusher or linebacker.
For this exercise, let’s go with inside linebacker being the preferred flavor. If the Buccaneers could pry away someone like Devin Lloyd or Nakobe Dean in free agency, they’d immediately have an elevated interior with a proven playmaking presence. There’s probably more work to be done there, but the urgency to add a top-tier “green dot” in the first two rounds is tremendously alleviated.
Let’s dive into it now with this in mind. Note: not doing trades right now, a little too early for that.
Round 1, Pick 15 — EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
So operating under the assumption the Bucs are no longer massively vulnerable in the heart of their defense, there are three positions the Bucs should feasibly be considering at 15th overall: edge rusher, defensive tackle, and cornerback.
The ideal fit here is obviously someone like Rueben Bain Jr. or David Bailey. However, they are both squarely in the top-10 conversation, which would necessitate a trade-up by the Bucs. Jason Licht has traded up once in the first round in 12 years of being Tampa’s GM — and that was literally one spot for Tristan Wirfs in 2020. Never say never, but that obviously casts doubt on the possibility.
So at that point you need to consider various variables:
- How much do you like the edges outside of the top 2 consensus guys?
- Do you like any of the defensive tackles enough to consider them top-15 material?
- How hopeless do you think Zyon McCollum (recently extended) and/or Benjamin Morrison (recently drafted) are after rough 2025 campaigns?
Ultimately, I can’t see them ignoring notable talents available to them in a draft thin on top-tier prospects, though I suspect the choice here could surprise some. It might be a controversial take but I’m ready to stand on it:
Mesidor is a better football player than Cashius Howell, and I can swallow the age pill.
Being 25 years old as a rookie is not normal and not optimal, there is no doubt about that. However, I’d be more concerned about that if Mesidor hasn’t been a consistently impactful presence at the Power 5 level playing for both West Virginia and Miami. With the latter, Mesidor served as part of a dynamic tandem with Bain against the best of the best in college football.
In 2025, Mesidor collected 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles for the Hurricanes, showing a deep toolkit of pass-rushing moves and excellent instincts in both pass and rush defense. His motor burns unendingly hot from whistle to whistle with great explosiveness off the snap and in space, he can play the finesse or power approach, and he is a disciplined, intelligent player. Perhaps most importantly, he shows up on money downs. According to Pro Football Focus, his 44 total pressures on true pass-rush snaps ranks third among edge defenders in this class (behind only Bain and Bailey).
If he was even a year younger, he’s a top-15 pick easily.
Two major reasons I feel the Bucs might prefer him over Howell: he’s more polished and he’s a better run defender with better measurables.
The Bucs run defense has been a point of pride since Bowles arrived in 2019, as it has consistently finished as a top 5 unit. They want someone who can be out on the field on all four downs, not just as a pass-rush demon, and Howell’s simply not there right now — and it’s reasonable to speculate if he might ever be. If reports are to be believed, he is going to check in with historically short arms for the position (possibly sub-31”), and he’s already smaller at 6-foot-2, 248 pounds. For reference, Mesidor is estimated at 6-foot-3, 265 pounds.
I have trouble believing the Bucs are going to buy in on that based on what we know about their preferences. So if edge rusher is the position they choose to invest in with their first-round pick, I’m feeling better at Mesidor at this juncture.
Round 2, Pick 46 — LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Alright, that first pick was a mouthful so we’ll be more brief from this point onward.
While I did say signing a linebacker takes the pressure off the need to get a top-tier one in the draft, that doesn’t mean the Bucs shouldn’t be open to it — especially if they find themselves in an optimal position to do so.
Rodriguez, who won the Butkus Award in 2025 as the nation’s top linebacker, is a turnover machine (19 in 30 career college starts) who plays with excellent athleticism and effort. He’s instinctual and sees the whole field to knife through blockers and make plays despite smaller stature.
Rodriguez would immediately aid a massive weak spot in Tampa’s defense the last few years, that being coverage in the middle of the field and against running backs. He has the speed to play man coverage and carry receivers on wheel routes while having the patience to settle down and make tackles in space on checkdowns. His zone instincts and awareness would be like nothing the team has enjoyed since Lavonte David at the peak of his powers.
He’s lean (6-foot-1, 235 pounds) and not particularly skilled at rushing the passer, which isn’t ideal, but signing someone like Nakobe Dean (who is VERY good at blitzing) and still having Sir’Vocea Dennis on the roster would make that less of an issue and give Rodriguez a runway to improve without it actively hampering the scheme.
A totally transformed unit of Dean, Rodriguez, and Dennis with Mesidor and Diaby coming off the edge would be huge in turning around the front 7.
Round 3, Pick 77 — CB Malik Muhammad, Texas
The Bucs need to continue investing in the secondary with the likely departure of Jamel Dean and the uncertain futures of both Morrison and McCollum. When injuries ravaged the corner room last season, standout rookie Jacob Parrish departed his primary nickel role to play outside, and he did well there, so it might not be dire. However, if given the choice between Parrish being satisfactory as a boundary corner or game-altering at nickel, the team is likely more inclined to the latter.
So with the later Day 2 pick, Tampa picks the heady Malik Muhammad. As arguably Texas’s best secondary player in 2025, Muhammad showcased excellent technique and intelligence playing a variety of coverage concepts for the Longhorns. He’s disciplined and cerebral in zone, and a stupendous irritant in man despite his lithe frame (5-foot-11, 183 pounds).
The Bucs might not always go for the smaller guys on the outside, but it’s hard to ignore Muhammad’s sheer coverage chops and bulldog mentality. He could easily be cross-trained at nickel as well, giving the team even more of the coveted flexibility Bowles craves from his secondary.
Round 4, Pick 116 — DL Chris McClellan, Missouri
The Bucs found a very solid contributor on Day 3 last year in Elijah Roberts, who ended up starting quite a few games (9) and playing a lot of snaps (more than 500) while showcasing some enticing potential as a pass-rusher. Run defense isn’t quite as stellar, so the Bucs would benefit from finding someone stout to pair with him in a rotation.
Enter McClellan, who proved to a productive starter for two seasons at Mizzou. He looks NFL-ready with a well-built frame (6-foot-3, 315 pounds with 34” arms), significant power, and heavy hands to stun offensive linemen and create movement on all four downs. He’s reactive and leverages his strength and decent short-area quickness to make plays around the line of scrimmage.
Now here’s the main issue, and why we’re talking about him as a Day 3 pick: the consistency isn’t all the way there yet, and the technique can be sloppy. His hands are strong, but McClellan needs to keep them moving throughout the rep. Too often he’ll let a blocker into his chest and not have the discipline to reset and find a way to work through it. He also lacks bend and adequate pad level, which limits how dynamic he can be.
As a rotational piece, McClellan’s pure power approach feels like a good pairing with the more nimble Roberts.
Round 5, Pick 153 — IOL Pat Coogan, Indiana
The Bucs struggled immensely with their interior line depth in all of 2025 when Ben Bredeson and Cody Mauch both missed huge chunks of the season and young options like Luke Haggard and Elijah Klein simply did not progress as hoped.
While seeking a a veteran interior lineman should be a priority in free agency, the team also needs to continue investing in young cheap options. Enter Coogan, a former Notre Dame recruit who started games at both guard and center in 2023 and 2024 before being starting center for the National Champion Hoosiers.
The Buccaneers scouting staff has strong familiarity with the Notre Dame program, so it likely has put eyes on Coogan prior to his transfer. Gaining someone at the pivot who also has guard experience would give the roster what it has so far failed to receive from Klein, as Coogan is a cerebral blocker who maximizes average strength and agility.
Round 6, Pick 194 — QB Luke Altmyer, Illinois
We know how late-round picks go. When it comes to dart throws, trying to find a practice squad / developmental QB3 is totally acceptable here.
The Bucs don’t really possess anything like that, so Altmyer is as good of a bet as any in this weak class. Nothing about Altmyer’s game will “wow” you, but he’s quick to process defenses and get the ball to where it needs to go with solid arm strength and accuracy. He’s a fearless scrambler and incredibly tough, which at the least mirrors some of what Baker Mayfield does well.
You can definitely see the makings of a decent backup QB who would fit well into the offense Tampa wants to run.
Round 7, Pick 230 — LB Wesley Bissainthe, Miami
Your goal with seventh-rounders is extracting special teams value, primarily.
Whether it’s as a gunner, a returner, etc., you need to contribute to the bottom of the roster if you want a chance. Given how destitute Tampa performed on special teams throughout all of 2025, they need an infusion of reliable coverage guys.
Bissainthe seems to fit that profile fairly well. A former 4-star recruit, Bissainthe didn’t quite live up to that billing, though intelligence and effort weren’t part of the reasons why. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker is an undersized, linear athlete, but he’s got notable explosiveness with the ability to read and react to what’s happening in the run game or in pass coverage.
If he can learn to harness his strength more efficiently and work off blockers better, he should earn the chance to at least compete for special teams snaps.
There you have it, Bucs Nation. Our first mock draft is in the books, and it was a challenging one. How do you feel about it? Discuss in the comments below.