BR’s 2026 Buccaneers’ 3-Round Mock Draft 3.0

Pros:

• Elite Athleticism: Sadiq is an explosive athlete with elite speed, allowing him to separate from linebackers and safeties vertically.
• Receiving Skills: Natural hands receiver with excellent ball tracking skills, securing contested catches and making plays on throws outside his frame.
• Versatility: Versatile route runner who lines up in-line, in the slot, or split wide, creating separation with smooth releases.
• Body Control: Outstanding body control and spatial awareness, making difficult catches along sidelines and in traffic.
• Blocking: Competitive blocker who engages in the run game despite receiver-heavy skills and frame limitations.
• Football IQ: High football intelligence with excellent field awareness, finding soft spots in coverage and adjusting routes.
• Clutch Performer: Elevates his game in critical moments, demonstrated by his Big Ten Championship Game touchdown performance.
• Physical Tools: Impressive leaping ability and coordination, allowing acrobatic catches and hurdles over defenders.
• Physical Development: Leaner physique this season, with improved strength and athleticism, including a 41.5-inch vertical jump

Cons:

• Size Limitations: Undersized frame at 245 pounds can limit effectiveness as an in-line blocker against bigger defensive ends and linebackers.
• Target Volume: Limited sample size as a featured receiver raises questions about handling increased target volume and defensive attention.
• Press Coverage: Struggles with physical press coverage from bigger defensive backs who disrupt release timing.
• Run Blocking: Inconsistent technique, particularly on combo blocks and reaching blocks on outside zone schemes.
• Zone Coverage: Needs to develop more nuanced route running against zone coverage, occasionally sitting in windows instead of finding open grass.

Summary:

Sadiq has excelled on and off the field at Oregon, earning top marks from Pro Football Focus as one of the best returning tight ends in Power Four football for 2025. Sadiq’s receiving skills and improved blocking have impressed coaches and teammates, showcasing his well-rounded game.

Round – 2, Buccaneers’ Pick 46:.Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas

HT: 6’3
WT: 238 lbs

Accolades:

• 2× Second-team All-American (2024, 2025)
• 2× First-team All-SEC (2024, 2025)
• Freshman All-American (2023)
• Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year (2023)

Video:

Pros:

• Possesses exceptional lateral quickness and acceleration, allowing him to cover ground from sideline to sideline with the speed of a safety but the hitting power of a traditional middle linebacker.
• Shows advanced instincts, diagnosing run plays, consistently beating blockers to the spot and knifing through traffic with remarkable efficiency to find the ballcarrier.
• Brings the thunder as a tackler, striking through his target with explosive hip rotation and delivering bone-rattling hits that create highlight-reel moments and demoralize opposing offenses.
• Displays natural pass rush talent with an array of moves, demonstrating the versatility to win with speed around the edge or power through the interior on well-timed blitzes.
• Consistently delivers in clutch situations, as evidenced by game-clinching plays against Alabama as a freshman and his dominant performance against Oklahoma, showing he elevates in the spotlight.
• Shows a rare knack for creating turnovers with four forced fumbles against SEC competition. By using precise hand placement to target the football while completing tackles.
• Processes information at elite speed, rarely taking false steps or getting manipulated by misdirection, allowing him to play faster than testing numbers would suggest.
• Demonstrates surprising coverage awareness for a downhill thumper, showing fluid hip turn in zone drops and consistently getting proper depth in his landmarks.

Cons:

• Can overpursue running plays, allowing cutback opportunities when he commits too aggressively to his initial read without maintaining gap discipline.
• Struggles disengaging from longer, more powerful offensive linemen who can lock onto his frame and control him once they establish contact.
• Man coverage skills are a work in progress, particularly against quicker receiving backs who can create separation with sudden breaks in their routes.
• Tends to rely more on athleticism than technique when taking on blocks, sometimes attempting to run around rather than through engagement points.
• Could improve hand placement and leverage in confined spaces, occasionally getting caught upright when navigating through interior traffic.

Summary:

Hill brings a unique blend of physicality and range that translates to the next level. He plays with a controlled aggression and instinctual feel that’s impressive for his experience. Hill’s ability to sniff out plays and anticipate the ball’s movement is a huge asset. His performance against Oklahoma showcased his standout traits: quick diagnosis, explosive gap penetration, and devastating tackles that shift momentum.

Round – 3, Buccaneers’ Pick 77: Dani Dennis-Sutton, DE/EDGE, Penn State

HT: 6’5
WT: 255 lbs

Accolades:

• 2× Third-team All-Big Ten (2023, 2025)

Video:

Pros:

• Physical Frame: NFL-ready size and length give him natural leverage against tackles.
• Violent Hand Usage: He stacks and sheds blockers efficiently, especially coming downhill in the run game.
• Powerful Bull Rush: Can walk tackles back into QBs with proper alignment and leverage.
• Closing Burst: Impressive burst to the QB when he creates separation, converting pressure into sacks.
• Disciplined Edge Setter: Maintains outside contain, forces runners inside to teammates, showing solid football IQ.
• High Motor: Relentless backside pursuit shows up repeatedly in games.
• Versatile Alignment: Operates from 2-point and 3-point stances, giving coordinators scheme flexibility.
• Exceptional Character: Steady improvement and best football in big moments show his grit.

Cons:

• Initial Get-Off: Lacks explosive first-step quickness, sometimes neutralizing his length advantage.
•  Predictable Pass Rush: He relies heavily on power moves without effective counters when stalled.
• Pad Level: Tends to rise when engaged, letting linemen get under his pads and control the point.
• Lateral Agility: Appears limited in space, struggling with coverage drops or quick direction changes.
• Bending the Edge: Shows stiffness when trying to flatten his rush path from wide alignments.

Summary:

Dennis-Sutton’s development as an NFL pass rusher hinges on timing his initial punch and diversifying his rush arsenal. When he fires his hands with precision – like the strip-sack vs. Notre Dame – he overwhelms tackles with power. The flashes are there, especially in big moments, but his rush plan needs refinement to threaten NFL tackles. With a DL coach who teaches technique, his production could surge by year two as his hands catch up to his power.

The BR Rub

I know what you’re thinking, a tight end in the first round? But, the Buccaneers could lose Cade Otton and Ko Kieft via free agency. That would leave the team with Payne Durham and Devin Culp. Durham has flashed occasionally, and, well, I don’t know what the hell the deal is with Culp.

With that said, Kenyon Sadiq is an offensive weapon. He’s a fantastic athlete. Sadiq runs great routes, has a high football IQ, and at 244 lbs can pull his weight blocking.