B+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grand theft in pick 77: the Buccaneers steal Hill Jr. and grade out a B+.
by alexokf ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
When a board-topper like Anthony Hill Jr. slides to No. 77, you do not overthink it, and the Buccaneers did not.
They will need Caldwell to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it.
It is not that Hill Jr. is a bad player; it is that the Buccaneers had louder needs to answer first.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
The board fumbled Sonny Styles all the way to Round 2, Pick 14, and they scooped it up. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went linebacker with Anthony Hill Jr. while clear needs at interior defensive lineman, edge rusher and other spots sat open.
They barely believed it either: Treydan Stukes still on the board at slot 116. It fills a real need, too.
A real head-scratcher, Jeff Caldwell in the 155th overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A premium they did not need to pay, Ar'maj Reed-Adams a notch or two before his time. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They will replay Tanner Koziol at pick No. 195 for years; that is how good the value is. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Fair-plus on Ephesians Prysock, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Robert Spears-Jennings in the 229th pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.