Bucs mock draft – Syndication Server

Early mock drafts have Bucs targeting top WR prospects in 2025

Early projections for the 2025 NFL draft have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going after one of this year’s top pass-catchers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already have one of the best veteran wide receiver tandems in the NFL in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but will that keep them from targeting another elite pass-catcher at the top of next year’s draft?

The answer is no, according to many of the early first-round projections for the 2025 NFL draft, which routinely have the Bucs targeting one of next year’s top-end receiver prospects.

According to the Mock Draft Database, the players most often connected with the Bucs in early mock drafts are Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III and Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Most of these mock drafts have the Bucs picking somewhere in the teens, and considering both Burden and McMillan have legit top-10 potential, either of them could be viewed as a steal at this point, though it’s obviously extremely early in the process.

The Bucs have some promising young talent behind Evans and Godwin at the moment (Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillan, Rakim Jarrett), but with Evans turning 32 years old next year and Godwin playing on the final year of his current contract in 2024, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them spend their first-round pick next year on another blue-chip receiver.

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2024 NFL mock draft: Bucs find new interior anchor for offensive line

In this first-round projection for the 2024 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers add the top center prospect in this year’s class

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have sorely missed the impact of Ryan Jensen at the heart of their offensive line, as a devastating knee injury cut his career short after helping lead the Bucs to a Super Bowl win back in 2020.

Could Tampa Bay spend their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft hoping to find a worthy replacement for what Jensen brought to the team?

That’s the idea behind the latest 2024 NFL mock draft from NFL Network’s Charles Davis, which has the Bucs using the No. 26 pick in he first round on Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson.

“The Rimington Trophy winner (nation’s top center) would step right in for the retired Ryan Jensen as the starting pivot,” Davis said of the pick, pointing out one of Powers-Johnson’s impressive accolades from a stellar 2023 campaign for the Ducks.

Powers-Johnson is the top center prospect in this year’s draft, and absolutely worthy of a first-round selection. He’s a powerful, athletic blocker with the smarts and nastiness to be the perfect successor for Jensen, and an instant upgrade over current starter Robert Hainsey.

Tampa Bay needs upgrades at both center and left guard this offseason, and depending on how the board falls, they should be able to address one of them with that first-round pick. If Powers-Johnson isn’t available, other options like Duke’s Graham Barton, Washington’s Troy Fautanu, and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier could all be potential fallback options if the Bucs still want to address their needs along the interior of the offensive line.

To check out the full mock draft from Davis at NFL.com, click here.

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2024 NFL mock draft: Full 7-round projections for the Bucs

An updated look at how all seven rounds of the 2024 NFL draft could turn out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine is in full swing, and the results could have a significant impact on what happens when the 2024 NFL Draft rolls around at the end of next month.

Just like every other team in the league, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a close eye on this week’s action at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, as they continue to lock in their draft board.

The Bucs are currently set to have six selections in this year’s draft, and are also projected to receive a seventh-round compensatory selection, which would give them seven picks altogether. They have plenty of needs to fill, and since most of their salary cap space will be spent trying to keep their own free agents, they’ll need to fill those needs with this draft class.

Here’s an updated look at how all seven rounds could turn out for the Bucs:

2024 NFL mock draft: Bucs go defense twice in dueling 1st-round projections

See which defensive prospects the Tampa Bay Buccaneers land in these dueling first-round projections for the 2024 NFL draft

The offseason headlines for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have centered on premium positions on offense, but some of their most underrated needs are on the other side of the ball.

That could lead the Bucs to spend their No. 26 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft on defense, and the latest 2024 NFL mock draft from USA TODAY Sports has them doing just that.

This dueling first-round projection has every team making multiple picks at their respective spots, with USAT’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz and Nate Davis each making their own set of selections at each of the 32 spots, and both go defense for the Bucs at No. 26.

Middlehurst-Schwartz has the Bucs landing Florida State edge defender Jared Verse:

A spot much earlier in the first round is entirely within reach for Verse, one of this class’ most stable producers and a pass rusher whose well-rounded game should translate well to the next level. In this scenario, however, the Buccaneers would be overjoyed to scoop him up as they look to upgrade their talent on the edge.

Davis also adds defensive talent for Tampa Bay, opting for Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. instead:

Carlton Davis III’s recent play and $14 million salary in 2024 could make him a financial target if the Bucs can slot in a comparable replacement.

Verse would be a fantastic match of need and value that late in the first round, and would be a fantastic replacement for departing veteran Shaq Barrett opposite rookie sensation YaYa Diaby.

If the Bucs do want to move on from the talented but inconsistent (and oft-injured) Davis, a well-rounded corner who excels in man coverage would be a sensible target, and Rakestraw definitely fits that bill.

To check out the full first-round mock drafts at USA TODAY Sports, click here.

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Bucs go wide receiver in new NFL.com mock draft

Would you want the Bucs to draft a receiver in the first round should Mike Evans leave in free agency?

Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make an immediate replacement at wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft?

NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah released his second mock draft of the offseason ahead of the NFL Combine coming up in March, and he has Tampa Bay doing just that. Jeremiah mocked Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Bucs with a replacement for Evans being at the top of his mind with the pick.

Here’s what he had to say about Mitchell and his fit with the Bucs:

The Bucs go with the power forward-like receiver to potentially replace Mike Evans, who is ticketed for free agency. If you want to see what Mitchell is capable of, turn on the tape of the College Football Playoff semifinal against Washington.

Mitchell is indeed a Mike Evans-like height at 6’4″, but he’s much lighter, coming at 196 pounds to Evans’ 225 — as such, the comparison doesn’t seem to match up there. Regardless, Mitchell has been scouted as a crisp route runner with a nose for the football, but notes that he struggles in high traffic and that he has a tough time with physical cornerbacks (another thing that doesn’t match up with Evans’ skillset).

There’s also still a question of whether or not the Bucs would draft a wide receiver in the first round even if Evans did leave. There are far more pressing holes on the offense and defense to address, and the team would likely be okay working with Chris Godwin and Trey Palmer while it either addressed a wideout need in free agency or simply waited until next year.

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New ESPN mock draft projects Duke lineman to Bucs

Duke’s Graham Barton has been one of the most commonly-mocked players to the Bucs, and it comes with good reason.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a big need for interior offensive linemen, and draft pundits around the league seem to be taking notice.

A recent PFF mock draft from Trevor Sikkema had the Bucs taking Duke tackle Graham Barton with the No. 26 pick in the NFL draft this year, and ESPN’s latest mock draft has done the same. Field Yates put out their first post-Super Bowl mock on Wendesday, and he also had Tampa Bay selecting the versatile lineman out of Durham, North Carolina.

Here’s what Yates had to say about Barton:

Barton’s versatility makes him an appealing player to basically every team, as he began his college career as a center and finished it at left tackle, playing both spots at a high level. Many in the scouting world think he’ll settle into a guard role with center flexibility, and this pick would follow a Tampa Bay trend. The Bucs like to draft mobile college tackles and kick them inside, with recent examples including Cody Mauch and Robert Hainsey.

Yates is correct. Mauch was a tackle that the team bumped to guard for his debut season with the Bucs in 2023, and Hainsey was a tackle that ended up moving to center by circumstance after and injury to Ryan Jensen at the beginning of 2022. Given Tampa Bay’s draft history and their current need, Barton is a very reasonable projection for the first round.

Guard and center may be perhaps Tampa Bay’s biggest need, but it isn’t the only one. The Bucs also need another edge rusher to compliment standout rookie Yaya Diaby, so that is also a route the team could go in the NFL draft this April.

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Bucs mock draft: Updated 7-round forecast for Tampa Bay

See how all seven rounds of the 2023 NFL draft could turn out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have more needs than picks heading into the 2023 NFL draft, and without any salary cap space to work with, they’ll need their rookie class to pull their weight this season.

Currently slated to pick 19th in the first round, the Bucs might look to move down and acquire additional picks in the middle rounds, or pair up some of their extra picks in the later rounds to move up into that range, hoping to land as many instant-impact players as possible.

If they were to stick with all of their current selections, here’s an updated look at how they could use them:

2023 NFL mock draft: Full 7-round projections for Bucs, trade-down version

Here’s what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could get in the 2023 NFL draft if they trade down in the first round and acquire additional picks

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to hit their 2023 NFL draft class out of the park, and the best way to make that happen is to acquire more dart throws by trading down from the No. 19 overall pick in the first round.

Thanks to a long list of key free agents on both sides of the ball, and a daunting salary cap situation, the Bucs have way more needs than draft picks this year. Trading down in the first round would allow them to grab additional picks on Day 2 and in the middle rounds, and increase their chances of rebuilding their depth and landing impact players in areas of need.

For this mock draft scenario, we’re imaging the Bucs have traded down with the Kansas City Chiefs, dropping down to the final pick in the first round, in return for the No. 64 overall pick in the second round, as well as the No. 135 pick in the fourth round.

In that scenario, here’s what the Bucs could come away with (projected compensatory picks via Tankathon):

2023 NFL mock draft: Full 7-round forecast for Bucs

Bucs Wire editor Luke Easterling updates his full seven-round projections for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2023 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at a crossroads as they prepare for the 2023 NFL season.

Following Tom Brady’s retirement, the Bucs are facing an offseason full of huge question marks, from a long list of key free agents on both sides of the ball, to a daunting salary cap situation.

Nailing the 2023 NFL draft will be critical for the Bucs if they want to compete for the NFC South title again next season, and for the foreseeable future.

Here’s an updated look at how all seven rounds of this year’s draft could shake out for the Bucs as they usher in a new era following Brady’s departure:

2023 NFL mock draft: Post-Senior Bowl 7-round projections for Bucs

Bucs Wire editor Luke Easterling updates his projections for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2023 NFL draft after Senior Bowl week

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are facing a daunting offseason, with a challenging salary cap situation, the retirement of Tom Brady, and a long list of key free agents on both sides of the ball.

That means the Bucs will have to get immediate contributions from their rookie class this year, nailing as many picks in the 2023 NFL draft as possible to help reload the roster.

With Senior Bowl week officially in the books, here’s an updated look at how all seven rounds of this year’s draft could play out for the Bucs: