B-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Buccaneers spent pick No. 116 on Mason Reiger, a name the board had a full 33 spots lower. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
That interior defensive lineman hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. That is a tight end worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. The roster is better shaped than it was, with tight end chief among the fixes.
Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 15 they get a problem off the edge at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
A reach on Malachi Lawrence in the 46th pick; the board had better options right there. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Taking Eli Stowers in the Round 3 slot is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Mason Reiger in slot 116 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Trey Moore. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Red Murdock at the 195th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They did well to land Tyren Montgomery in slot 229, just ahead of his grade. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.