BR’s 2026 Buccaneers’ 7 – Round Mock Draft 2.0

Pros:

• Ball-Hawking Prodigy: This guy’s got a sixth sense for the football. His elite ball skills and instincts are a turnover waiting to happen, showcasing an uncanny spatial awareness to track and high-point passes, all while maintaining incredible body control through contact.
• Master of Deception: In zone coverage, McCoy is a chess player, not a checker player. He’s a master at baiting quarterbacks into risky throws, making it look like he’s giving cushion before exploding into action at the perfect moment to make a play.
• Route Recognition: His route recognition is seriously advanced for his age. Double moves and misdirection rarely fool him; he processes complex route combinations in real-time with impressive speed.
• Fluid Movement, Sticky Coverage: McCoy moves like water. His natural fluidity in transitions allows him to mirror receivers through every break, never losing a step or giving up leverage. He’s like glue in coverage.
• Competitor: When the ball’s in the air, he brings that “dog” mentality. He battles ferociously through the catch point, refusing to concede anything, even against bigger, more physical receivers.
• Press Coverage: His press coverage technique is clinic-worthy. He uses perfectly timed jams to disrupt receivers’ routes without ever overextending or compromising his own position.
• Strategic Disguise Artist: Before the snap, McCoy is playing mind games. He excels at disguising coverage intentions, manipulating quarterback reads by selling false leverage and then flipping his hips at the absolute last second to surprise them.
• Special Teams Asset: And if all that wasn’t enough, he’s a threat in the return game too! With natural vision and burst, he’s proven he can turn a simple punt into a game-changing play, building on his impressive high school average of 18.8 yards per punt return.

Cons:

• The Big Injury Question Mark: The January 2025 ACL tear is a major concern, casting a shadow over his rookie season with potential timeline issues. His recovery progress is definitely going to be under the microscope.
• A Bit Too Grabby: While he’s usually solid, when he gets beaten downfield, he can sometimes get a little too hands-on, revealing an inconsistent trust in his recovery speed against those deep vertical routes.
• Tackling Technique Needs Work: In open space, his tackling form could use some refining. He occasionally opts for a shoulder hit instead of wrapping up, which can lead to missed tackles against shifty ball carriers.
• Inconsistent Run Support: His engagement in run support isn’t always there. Sometimes he takes more conservative angles instead of attacking downhill with the same fire he shows when he’s in coverage.
• Athleticism Not Fully Translated: Even with a multi-sport background, his track explosiveness doesn’t consistently translate into his football movements. His combine numbers might be good, but they’re not quite in that elite tier we’d expect given his other athletic traits.

Summary:

McCoy offers significant scheme versatility, allowing him to perform effectively in various defensive systems. He is particularly well-suited for defenses that prioritize zone pattern-matching concepts, where his instinctive understanding of spatial relationships and route combinations enables him to process plays efficiently. While concerns exist regarding his recovery speed against top-tier NFL deep threats, his strong anticipation and sound technique generally help mitigate any perceived deficiencies in pure straight-line acceleration.

Round – 2, Buccaneers’ Pick 46: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois

HT: 6’4
WT: 260 lbs

Accolades:

• Third-team All-American (2024)
• First-team All-Big Ten (2025)
• Third-team All-Big Ten (2024)
• Freshman All-American (2022)

Video:

Pros:

• Proven Production: Logged 27 career sacks over four seasons as a full-time starter, showcasing steady year-to-year disruption.
• Wrestler’s Hands & Leverage: Background in wrestling is evident in his ability to control blocks, win hand battles, and maintain pad level at the point of attack.
• Speed-to-Power Threat: Generates impressive force through his rush path, routinely driving tackles backward and compressing the pocket.
• Pro Frame / Functional Mass: Carries ~260 pounds on a long, well-distributed build with minimal bad weight and room to hold strength at the next level.
• Violent Edge Moves: Utilizes a forceful chop-rip sequence to clear outside hands and flatten efficiently toward the quarterback.
• Pocket Awareness: Shows mature rush IQ, recognizing when he’s reached landmark depth and countering inside to stay on the QB’s track.
• Relentless Motor: Plays with snap-to-whistle effort, earning near every-down trust from coaches late in his career.
• Alignment Versatility: Demonstrated the ability to win from interior alignments, giving defensive coordinators flexibility in pressure design.

Cons:

• Limited Edge Burst: Possesses below-average top-end speed, which can cap his ability to consistently win the high side against athletic tackles.
• Uneven Run Defender: Flashes physicality but overall run-game reliability wavers, leading to situational usage on clear rushing downs.
• High Pad Level vs Power: Tends to play upright against down blocks, making it difficult to anchor when linemen win leverage underneath him.
• Inconsistent Finisher: Missed tackle numbers climbed as a senior, raising concerns about balance and closing control in space.
• Predictable Rush Sequencing: Can become over-reliant on the bull rush, with limited counters when initial power is stalled.
• Questionable Space Value: Coverage responsibilities diminished over time, suggesting limited comfort or trust operating in open-field assignments.

Summary:

There’s legitimate NFL talent in Gabe Jacas’ profile, but teams must clearly distinguish between the player he is now and the ceiling they’re projecting. His wrestling background provides a strong technical base that already translates to the line of scrimmage — hand usage, leverage discipline, and body control are more advanced than many prospects in his class. That toughness and functional power show up most clearly as a pass rusher, where his burst and strength can jolt tackles and compress the pocket. However, his effectiveness currently leans heavily on power-based wins, and without a more diverse, well-structured rush plan, he can be neutralized by experienced NFL blockers who are comfortable countering straight-line bull rush attempts.

Round – 3, Buccaneers’ Pick 77: Connor Lew, IOL, Auburn

HT: 6’3
WT: 300 lbs

Accolades:

• First-team All-SEC Freshman (2023)

Video:

Pros:

• Elite pass protection technician with phenomenal hand placement and reset ability
• Exceptional lateral quickness and balance, moving like a pulling guard in space
• High football IQ, making protection calls and identifying stunts and blitzes pre-snap
• Improved anchor strength, capable of absorbing bull rushes from larger SEC nose tackles
• Plays with controlled aggression and nasty finishing mentality
• Exceptional leverage fighter, using center-of-gravity advantage to win battles
• Next-level awareness and processing speed, picking up late blitzers and stunts
• Battle-tested against NFL-caliber competition as a rare three-year starter at center in the SEC

Cons:

• Frame limitations can make him vulnerable to larger SEC nose tackles (340+ pounds) with proper leverage
• Leans forward in pass protection, creating vulnerability to quick swim moves by explosive defensive tackles
• Can get driven back into the quarterback’s lap against powerful bull rushers
• Slow getting out on screen passes, needing refinement in timing and coordination with quarterback and running back
• Tends to attack with same hand pattern on initial engagement, a tendency NFL defensive tackles may exploit

Summary:

Lew profiles as a scheme-versatile pivot who will thrive in systems emphasizing movement over raw power. His athletic tools and proven production against elite competition suggest high ceiling. Technical flaws are correctable, and his year-over-year improvement indicates he’s not near his development peak. The right offensive coordinator will maximize his second-level blocking and protection recognition while scheming around his size limitations.

Round – 4, Buccaneers’ Pick 116th: Kaleb Elarms Orr, LB, TCU

HT: 6’2
WT: 234 lbs

Accolades:

• First-team All-Big 12 (2025)

Video:

Pros:

• Range/Speed: Sideline-to-sideline defender with plus long speed and burst. Closes quickly and erases space in pursuit.
• Run Defense/Trigger: Attacks downhill with urgency and physical intent. Processing and gap discipline improved significantly within TCU’s structure.
• Tackling: Finishes with authority and control. Cut missed tackles dramatically, showing consistent wrap-up technique through contact.
• Blitz Ability: Effective green dog blitzer with natural timing. Generated 25 pressures despite limited pass-rush opportunities.
• Play Strength/Balance: Displays strong contact balance when filling gaps. Anchors versus lead blockers better than his listed size suggests.
• Durability/Workload: Logged heavy snap counts in 2025. Conditioning and durability check out with no notable concerns.
• Development Curve: Clear upward trajectory from Cal to TCU. Production and grading improvements point to continued growth potential.
• Competitive Makeup: Plays with an edge and patience. Stayed engaged behind starters, reflecting strong competitiveness and maturity.

Cons:

• Processing/Instincts: Run reads remain inconsistent. Bites on misdirection and play-action, creating false steps and vacated gaps.
• Coverage: Zone awareness is average. Allowed high completion rates, with receivers consistently settling into open windows.
• Size/Play Strength: Undersized build shows up versus power. Struggles to disengage when squarely met by fullbacks and pulling linemen.
• Pursuit Angles: Inconsistent pathing to the perimeter. Will overrun plays, opening cutback lanes instead of finishing.
• Ball Production: Limited impact in coverage. One interception across extensive snaps raises concern about playmaking ability.

Summary:

There is a real football player in Elarms-Orr, but he is not a three-down starter at the next level yet. He thrives attacking downhill and filling run lanes with urgency. His jump in run defense from Cal to TCU is impressive. He plays with improved pad level, trusts his keys, and finishes through contact. His blitzing adds value, showing timing and feel when attacking gaps.

The concern shows up in space. When offenses spread the field, his processing lags behind the play. Play-action still pulls him out of position too often. His zone drops lack anticipation, and receivers consistently find space around him. The low interception total is not accidental. He offers limited playmaking ability in coverage, which caps his role in passing situations.

His path starts on special teams, with a reserve linebacker role developing behind it. He brings speed, effort, and toughness for core units immediately. His run defense gives him a chance for early-down snaps in heavier packages. The best fit keeps him in the box and limits coverage responsibilities. There is enough here for a roster spot, but processing must improve for a larger role.

Round – 5, Buccaneers’ Pick 155th: Landon Robinson, DT, Navy

HT: 6’0
WT: 293 lbs

Accolades:

• 2× First-team All-AAC (2024, 2025)
• First-team All-American (2025)
• The American Defensive Player of the Year (2025)

Video:

Pros:

• Get-Off: Explodes off the snap with a first step that consistently puts interior blockers on their heels.
• Anchor: Drops his weight and locks in, holding his gap firm versus single blocks.
• Hand Usage: Violent, active hands that strike quickly and reload when stalled at contact.
• Burst: Rare short-area acceleration for a near-300-pound interior defender.
• Leverage: Naturally low pad level helps him win positioning battles despite lacking ideal height.
• Motor: Relentless effort shows up snap-to-whistle, with consistent pursuit.
• Stunts/Twists: Fluid lateral movement makes him effective on loops and interior games.
• Development: Noticeable growth as a pass rusher from junior to senior tape.

Cons:

• Length: Short arms and compact build lead to issues disengaging and surviving NFL-level double teams.
• Tackling: Technique is inconsistent and will need real refinement to finish cleanly at the next level.
• Block Control: Limited length shows up at the point of attack, making it harder to stack, shed, and dictate reps.
• Run Defense: Gap integrity wavers, especially in two-gap responsibilities where discipline and extension are required.
• Competition Level: Production came against AAC talent, leaving valid questions about NFL translation versus higher-tier linemen.

Summary:

Robinson’s NFL value is entirely scheme-dependent. He is a one-gap penetrator who wins with burst and leverage, not size or length. Put him in a movement-heavy front that emphasizes slants, stunts, and disruption, and he has a path to contributing. His pro day speed pops for a defensive tackle, and that lateral quickness carries over in twist games where he can stress interior protection. The senior-year jump as a pass rusher was legitimate, showing up in meaningful spots rather than empty production.

The concerns are not subtle. At 5-foot-11, 293 pounds with short arms, he is undersized by NFL interior standards. Double teams are going to test him immediately, and when blockers get square, he lacks the mass and reach to anchor consistently. The tackling inconsistency compounds the issue. He gets there, but too often fails to finish, which will not fly at the next level.

The outcome range is pretty straightforward: late-round pick or priority undrafted free agent. The floor is a preseason flash player who struggles to stick. The ceiling is a situational interior rusher who earns passing-down snaps. He has the athletic traits and motor coaches will bet on, but sticking on a roster will come down to improving his hands and handling the physical jump from AAC competition to NFL trenches.

Round – 6, Buccaneers’ Pick 195th: Nadame Tucker, DE/EDGE, Western Michigan

HT: 6’2
WT: 248 lbs

Accolades:

• Third-team All-American (2025)
• MAC Defensive Player of the Year (2025)
• Vern Smith Leadership Award (2025)
• First-team All-MAC (2025)

Video:

Pros:

• First-Step Explosion: Fires off the snap with consistent burst, immediately stressing tackles before they can anchor or set their base.
• Hand Timing: Advanced feel for timing his swipes, knocking down punches with accuracy and disrupting blockers early in reps.
• Edge Bend: Turns the corner with impressive flexibility, flattening to the quarterback while maintaining low pad level through the arc.
• Coordination: Upper and lower body stay in sync, showing rare hand-foot harmony for a player with limited starting experience.
• Ball Disruption: Produced four forced fumbles in 2025, including a strip-sack at the Senior Bowl, finishing plays with intent.
• Closing Burst: Accelerates with urgency once he clears the edge, consistently converting pressure into sack production.
• Lateral Agility: Quick feet and fluid hips allow him to redirect and finish when quarterbacks shift the pocket.
• Coverage Flashes: Limited reps dropping into space, but showed enough movement skills to stay attached underneath.

Cons:

• Limited Sample Size: Only one full FBS season of production, with three quiet years at Houston raising durability and development questions.
• Frame/Length Limitations: At 250 pounds with modest length, struggles against longer tackles who land first and cut off his rush path.
• Run Defense: Frequently plays too far under blocks, loses leverage, and gets displaced, making him unreliable setting the edge.
• Tackling Consistency: Missed tackles showed up too often in 2025, with technique breaking down in space and at contact.
• Pass-Rush Counters: Lacks a dependable secondary move; when his initial burst is stalled, he struggles to adjust and finish reps.

Summary:

The tape is legitimately intriguing. When Tucker gets a clean runway, his first-step burst can overwhelm tackles in a hurry. The hand timing, bend, and ability to convert speed to power are all translatable traits, not just MAC production. His Week 1 showing against Michigan State Spartans football, where he racked up three sacks against a first-team All-Big Ten tackle, made that clear. The Senior Bowl only backed it up. The pass-rush juice is real, and in a league always hunting for guys who can affect the pocket, that alone gives him a path.

The concerns carry real weight. Tucker will be 26 before his first NFL snap and has just one year of meaningful film. His frame is light for the position, and until he builds anchor strength and improves his block-shedding, he profiles as a situational rusher. The run defense simply isn’t there yet. He gets moved off the point, loses gap integrity, and his tackling technique is inconsistent. Missed tackles that slid in 2025 will get exposed quickly at the next level, and offenses will adjust once the book is out.

The path is clear but narrow. Tucker projects best as a designated pass rusher in a 4-3 front, ideally from a wide alignment where he can attack on passing downs. The upside is tied to how quickly he developed once he saw real reps, but this is still a projection bet. Any team bringing him in needs patience—adding functional strength without sacrificing burst while coaching up his run defense and counter package. If the pass rush translates, there’s real value here. If not, the age and limited résumé make it a gamble.

Round – 7, Buccaneers’ Pick 229th: Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State

HT: 6’6
WT: 261

Accolades:

• CFP national champion (2024)

Video:

Pros:

• Size: Good build with solid length and frame; looks every bit like an NFL-caliber tight end.
• Blocking: Elite run blocker; mauler mentality with real power and a nasty edge.
• Point of Attack: Handles defensive ends with ease; thrives on chip blocks and in two-TE sets.
• Physicality: Generates movement as a lead blocker; flashes pancake ability in space.
• Play Strength: Strong hands and grip; sustains blocks and consistently finishes through the whistle.
• Technique: Sound fundamentals; plug-and-play option as an in-line blocking specialist early.
• Hands: Limited targets, but dependable; clean catcher who rarely puts the ball on the ground.
• Awareness: Finds soft spots in zone; understands spacing and timing.
• Contested Catch: Comfortable in traffic; wins through contact and secures the football.
• Intangibles: High-level work ethic and leadership; respected presence in the locker room at Ohio State.

Cons:

• Receiving Production: Limited impact in the passing game; blocking-first profile with secondary receiving value.
• YAC Ability: Offers little after the catch; not a creator once the ball is secured.
• Athleticism: Stiff mover who labors in space; lacks fluidity and suddenness.
• Red Zone Impact: Minimal scoring presence; just four career touchdowns and not a primary target near the goal line.
• Route Running: Constrained route tree; struggles to separate and lacks polish as a route runner.

Summary:

Will Kacmarek projects as a true in-line tight end whose value will come from his ability to block at a high level right away. He fits best as a TE2 or TE3 early in his career, contributing in heavy personnel packages and run-focused situations where his physicality and technique can consistently show up. His game is built around doing the dirty work, handling defensive ends, and helping set the tone in the run game.

There are clear limitations in the passing game that cap his overall ceiling. He offers minimal upside as a route runner, does not create much separation, and is unlikely to generate yards after the catch. While he can be trusted to catch the ball when targeted, he is not someone an offense will feature or rely on in scoring situations.

Overall, Kacmarek is a niche prospect, but one with a defined role that translates to the next level. Teams that prioritize physical run blocking from the tight end position will value him late on Day 3 or as a priority free agent, where he can stick on a roster by doing the small things well and filling a specific role.

Mock Summary 

This mock draft leans heavily into reshaping the Buccaneers’ defense early, starting with cornerback Jermod McCoy in Round 1. He brings high-end instincts, ball skills, and scheme versatility, giving Tampa Bay a potential playmaker in the secondary if he returns fully from injury. The front seven gets attention next with Gabe Jacas, a power-based edge rusher who adds physicality and production, followed by Kaleb Elarms-Orr and later additions like Landon Robinson and Nadame Tucker—players who offer rotational value, developmental upside, and situational impact rather than immediate star power.

Offensively, the focus is more targeted but important. Connor Lew projects as a technically sound, high-IQ interior lineman who can stabilize the middle of the offensive line in a movement-based scheme. Late in the draft, Will Kacmarek adds a true blocking tight end presence, reinforcing the run game and giving the offense a reliable in-line option in heavy personnel packages.

Overall, the class emphasizes toughness, trench play, and role-specific contributors over splashy skill talent. It’s a blueprint built on improving depth, adding competition, and fitting players into defined roles, with the success of the group likely hinging on development and how quickly the early defensive picks translate to the NFL level.