Buccaneers’ 2026 NFL Draft Grades For Every Pick

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to feel good after the 2026 NFL Draft. Tampa landed one of the biggest steals of the first round and continued making good picks on Day 2 and Day 3. Buccaneers GM Jason Licht made the most of the team’s seven selections, reloading the roster ahead of the 2026 season.

How many starters did the Buccaneers land during the draft? And how many players need to “hit” for Tampa to reclaim their throne atop the NFC South in 2026?

Here are grades for every pick the Buccaneers made during the draft.

Round 1, Pick 15: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

The Buccaneers got incredible value by scooping up Bain with the 15th overall pick. Frankly, Tampa got incredibly lucky to land Bain without having to trade up.

Tampa Bay desperately needed to add some juice at edge rusher. Bain will do that and then some.

He is an incredible athlete who plays with an infectious, hard-nosed mentality that should rub off on the rest of Tampa’s defense. In that way, he could be a force multiplier who makes everyone on the unit that much better.

His addition will take pressure of Yaya Diaby, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Anthony Nelson, making everyone better in the process.

Bain will immediately start for the Buccaneers and give the unit a new identity and edge.

Grade: A

Round 2, Pick 46: LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri

Tampa entered the offseason with a big need at off-ball linebacker. That need became even greater after Lavonte David announced his retirement from the NFL.

In fairness, the Buccaneers did add both Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom during NFL free agency. They also still have SirVocea Dennis under contract. So the Buccaneers could have easily ignored the position during Day 2.

Instead, Tampa added the son of Jeremiah Trotter much to the chagrin of Philadelphia fans.

Josiah brings the same alpha energy to the field that his father did during his career. He is an explosive athlete who is at his best when he is shooting through gaps and taking on ballcarriers. Just like Bain, he will change the attitude of Tampa’s defense for the better.

The biggest concern with Trotter is his ability to hold up in coverage. Tampa may sub him out frequently on third downs to stop their opponents from bullying him in the pass game.

Good pick by the Buccaneers.

Grade: B

Round 3, Pick 84: WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State

Buccaneers fans understand better than anyone else that there’s no replacing Mike Evans. But Hurst can attempt to fill his role in Tampa’s offense just as well as anyone else.

Hurst is an incredibly athletic receiver who stands tall at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and can still run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. In fact, he logged an impressive 9.90 out of 10 RAS score during the pre-draft process.

The obvious concern around Hurst is whether or not he’ll thrive against NFL competition. After all, he played all of his college football for Valdosta State and Georgia State.

But if there’s anywhere he can succeed, it is with a truly fearless quarterback like Baker Mayfield.

Hurst may start the season behind Jalen McMillan on the depth chart, but he could steal his spot quickly if he can ball out against NFL cornerbacks.

Grade: B+

Round 4, Pick 116: CB Keionte Scott, Miami

This may be an even better value pick than Bain.

Scott is a slot/safety hybrid who NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said has a “play style and tackle production resemble that of a Will linebacker.” That is a perfect description of what Scott brings to the table.

Remember how Trotter struggles when playing in coverage? Scott could easily be his replacement on obvious passing downs.

Scouts also love Scott’s mentality and leadership abilities. Those intangibles certainly seem like a priority for Tampa in retrospect.

His tumble down the draft board is reminiscent of Brian Branch from the 2023 NFL Draft. Buccaneers fans have to hope that he’ll prove his doubters wrong just like Branch did.

At worst, Scott will provide incredible depth behind Jacob Parrish during his rookie season. But he projects as someone who will eventually become a starter in the NFL.

If that happens, that will make this pick fantastic as a fourth rounder.

Grade: A

Round 5, Pick 155: DT DeMonte Capehart, Clemson

This pick is all about stopping the run.

Capehart is a run defense specialist who only started 12 games during six seasons in college football. But don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s a bust.

Capehart is an unrefined pass rusher, but his massive frame helps him clog up the middle with ease. He stands tall at 6-foot-4, 313 pounds, putting him close to Vita Vea’s size.

Coincidentally, Capehart projects as a reserve nose tackle who could spell Vea on early downs.

Grade: B-

Round 5, Pick 160: G Billy Schrauth, Notre Dame

Schrauth looks like another character pick by the Buccaneers.

He is a two-year starter and team captain who is the prototypical “tough guy” offensive lineman. Buccaneers fans can think of him in the same light as right guard Cody Mauch.

Schrauth started the first seven games of the 2025 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Naturally, Schrauth’s injury situation is cause for concern, which explains why he was available in the fifth round.

Ultimately, he should give Tampa some much-needed depth at guard if he can stay healthy.

Grade: C

Round 6, Pick 185: TE Bauer Sharp, LSU

Finally, the Buccaneers took a shot on a developmental tight end.

Sharp had quite the interesting collegiate career, starting as a quarterback at Southeastern Louisiana. But he quickly converted to tight end and transferred to Oklahoma in 2024, then LSU in 2025.

He put up some solid receiving production considering his position switch. But his production by itself will not be enough to earn him a roster spot.

Sharp may need to really shine during training camp for Tampa to keep him around for the future.

It will be interesting to see which positions the Buccaneers try him out at during training camp.

Grade: C