B-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Buccaneers a B-.
by PATRICK305 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
The Buccaneers clearly saw something nobody else did in George Gumbs Jr., taking him 152 picks ahead of his grade. The board is not convinced. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
The Allen value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. For all the activity, offensive lineman went untouched, which is hard to explain.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with interior defensive lineman chief among the fixes.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 15 they get a moveable chess piece at tight end. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Somehow Rueben Bain Jr. was still sitting there in the 46th pick, and they pounced on premier edge rusher value. It fills a real need, too.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, CJ Allen in the Round 3 slot, plain and simple. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They reached into another round for George Gumbs Jr., and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Nyjalik Kelly at pick No. 155 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A big swing on Kamran James at No. 195, well ahead of any board in the building. The roster fit checks out.
Jamari Lyons in Round 7, Pick 13 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.