C+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Flashes of a plan, unevenly executed. Buccaneers: C+.
by stestansfield ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
The war room fell hard for Caden Curry, and it showed at No. 77: 48 picks ahead of a board that had other ideas. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.
Spending an early pick on linebacker with tight end, quarterback and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to. They will regret leaving tight end for another day if the season turns on it.
Not a disaster, not a triumph, just a middling class.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 26 they get the heartbeat of the defense. Need was not the driver here.
No edge and no loss on Keith Abney II in the 46th pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A wild overpay on Caden Curry in No. 77, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The roster fit checks out.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Harold Perkins Jr. at linebacker with tight end, quarterback and other spots open.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Bryce Lance in the Round 4 slot. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A tidy bit of business in the 155th overall pick, where Jaeden Roberts graded well above the range. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Pat Coogan. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Daevin Hobbs at No. 229 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.