Critiquing 2026 NFL Drafts Hauls: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

With the retirement of Lavonte David and several other key pieces including Mike Evans, the Bucs decided to create a new identity. Bain was the start. 

The Second Day

On Day 2, the Bucs added more defensive help in the second round selecting linebacker Josiah Trotter from Missouri. Josiah is the son of former NFL veteran Jeremiah Trotter who played with the Eagles. Josiah wasn’t exactly the linebacker I was looking at for this pick. When it rolled it around to No. 46, the Bucs second round pick, C.J. Allen, the former Georgia Bulldog was still on the board and someone I thought the Bucs would go after heavily.

Allen went six picks later to the Colts. Trotter in a few ways reminds me of Lavonte David in the sense that he is more of a run stopper. David was also strong in coverage, something that Trotter struggles in and will have to either get better at or just won’t be on the field for. This is why I have them at an A, not an A+. 

The other pick on Day 2 was former Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst. With the departure of longtime legend wide receiver Mike Evans, the Bucs decided to go get someone of similar measurements to fill the hole and not put pressure on Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka. If Hurst is half as good as Evans, it will be great for the Bucs as they also have Jalen McMillan to carry some slack as well. 

The Third Day

On Day 3, the Bucs didn’t stop. They added top talent. In the fourth round, they added Keionte Scott, Rueben Bain Jr.’s teammate from Miami (FL), a cornerback who excels in the pass rush. In the past, the Bucs have had to sacrifice one of their better coverage guys to rush their quarterback with a cornerback. Now, they have Scott. 

In the fifth round, the Bucs went for more depth along the defensive line selecting DeMonte Capehart. He is another run-stopper and could be someone that helps when Vita Vea isn’t on the field. Coming from Clemson, he comes from a winner and Dabo Swinney is a proven coach. While I don’t expect him to play much for a while, he might play here and there when the starters rotate. 

The final two picks came both in the sixth round. First, guard Billy Schrauth added depth to the Bucs offensive line that struggled to stay healthy last season. According to some experts, he might have gone in Day 2 if he had a full season of film. However, he didn’t and thus he went in the sixth and the Bucs got a steal. 

The Bucs’ other pick, they traded up for. At the end of the sixth, they selected tight end Bauer Sharp. While he doesn’t have many stats, his purpose is likely to be used solely in the blocking game. This also likely spells the end of Ko Kieft as Sharp is younger and significantly cheaper. Kieft did just re-sign with the Bucs, but there will be direct competition for the fullback/tight end. 

In total, the Bucs crushed the draft and hit on every single pick if we were looking at needs. Whether they will translate to the league is another story.