The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look for diamonds in the rough in the draft. And here is the Buccaneers’ 2026 NFL Draft guide to get you ready for the upcoming annual seven-round selection meeting.
Ahead of this crucial week, let’s look at the Buccaneers’ picks, their biggest needs, potential targets, and recent history. The draft is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this year, with Round 1 kicking off on April 23. Rounds 2 and 3 happen on April 24. The festivities wrap up with Rounds 4-7 on April 25.
Buccaneers’ 2026 NFL Draft picks
There’s enough draft capital for the Buccaneers to make some noise. Of course, it all starts with hitting that first pick. And, as you’ll see later in this article, they’ve been fairly solid at doing that in recent years.
Round 1, Pick 15
Round 2, Pick 46
Round 3, Pick 77
Round 4, Pick 116
Round 5, Pick 155
Round 6, Pick 195
Round 7, Pick 229
Buccaneers’ 2026 NFL Draft needs and targets
EDGE: There’s always a chance someone surprising drops into the Buccaneers’ lap. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely to be a guy like David Bailey (Texas Tech), Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), or Arvell Reese (Ohio State). However, all hope is not lost. Many NFL mock drafts have the Buccaneers getting Akheem Mesidor of Miami. And that’s not a bad consolation prize.
Mesidor can be quite a terror, according to NFL.com. But he might not make an immediate impact.
“Mesidor is an instinctive, high-effort edge rusher with a fluid rush style and a deep toolbox,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “He bursts upfield and can shrink the corner while punishing oversetting tackles with inside counters. He strings moves together with effortless mid-rush adjustments, utilizing harmonious hands and feet to carve efficient tracks into the pocket. He’s a problem for guards when reduced inside, too. His urgency shows up in run defense, where he uses play strength and short-area quickness to disrupt blocking schemes and stay around the football.
“He won’t be as long as most edge-setters, and his anchor at the point is just average. The talent and motor are obvious, but his age and injury history could push some teams to discount his grade below what the tape shows.”
Yes, there is some risk here. But there’s also a chance to grab a star at the No. 15 spot.
Another option is Keldric Faulk, but that seems like a little of a stretch for this point of the draft.
LB: Sure, if Sonny Styles dropped into the Buccaneers’ laps, they would sprint to the podium for the Roger Goodell announcement. However, that’s extremely unlikely to happen.
Georgia’s CJ Allen is a more realistic option. He’s a smooth and dependable player, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
“Allen represents exactly what defensive coordinators covet in a modern off-ball linebacker: a player who can be trusted to do his job on every single snap without freelancing himself out of position,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “His calling card is run defense, and here is the deal with that skill set: it is legitimately elite. He reads and reacts faster than most college linebackers, fills gaps with proper leverage, and brings enough pop to stack blocks and disengage.
“The tackling numbers are not inflated by cleanup stats either; he meets runners in the hole and wraps up with fundamentals that NFL coaches will appreciate from day one.”
TE: This could be an interesting call for the Buccaneers. There’s a strong chance Kenyon Sadiq will be available. Should they go that direction?
Sadiq has speed to burn for the position, but what else? He is an impressive athlete, according to Pro Football Focus.
“Impressive athlete for his size in fluidity and explosiveness,” Trevor Sikkema wrote. “Ideal versatility. Very reliable hands. Great feet in pass protection.”
Sadiq can also block in space. However, he is likely to get overpowered by defensive linemen and linebackers. And he doesn’t have great arm length.
He seems like a player who can deliver the home run plays on occasion, but perhaps won’t be a six-catch-a-game guy like Trey McBride.
Recent draft history — top picks for the last five years
2025: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State (Round 1, pick 19)
2024: OL Graham Barton, Duke (Round 1, 26)
2023: DL Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh (Round 1, 19)
2022: DE Logan Hall, Houston (Round 2, 33)
2021: LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Washington (Round 1, 32)
It has been a good run for the Buccaneers with their recent first picks. Included in the mix is Egbuka, who finished fifth in the AP offensive rookie of the year voting.
Barton has been a fixture, starting 33 of a possible 34 games in his young career. Kancey finished 10th in the AP rookie of the year voting in 2023. But he made only three starts last season because of injury.
Hall didn’t make any starts as a rookie, but last year started all but one game. Tryon-Shoyinka spent four seasons with the Buccaneers but is with the Browns now.
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