B-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers let Lance fall into their laps, and walked away with a B-.
by [email protected] ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 3 reaches
The trade table was a mismatch, and the Buccaneers were on the right end of it, hauling in a fortune in surplus value.
The Buccaneers indulged a want in Rodriguez while a need in edge rusher and quarterback stayed open. Landing Lance that late papers over a lot of smaller sins.
The Rodriguez pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 24 they get the heartbeat of the defense at fair value. Need was not the driver here.
A curious use of pick 46. Edge rusher and quarterback needed the pick; a linebacker in Jacob Rodriguez did not.
Treydan Stukes at slot 77 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Somehow Bryce Lance was still sitting there in pick No. 116, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A straight-up fair deal on Beau Stephens at the 155th pick, value and slot in agreement. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They read the board right and Dae'Quan Wright was the payoff at Round 6, Pick 14. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A real head-scratcher, Nick Barrett in the Round 7 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Desmond Reid. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.