stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
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stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON DEC 15, 2025

Bucs get Heavy on D-line, LB and DBS

  • stestansfield DRAFTING FOR THE
    Buccaneers
Draft Selections
Cashius Howell Head Shot
PICK: 19 RND: 1 (TB)
Cashius Howell
DE-EDGE Texas A&M
CJ Allen Head Shot
PICK: 52 RND: 2 (TB)
CJ Allen
LB Georgia
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 83 RND: 3 (TB)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 120 RND: 4 (TB)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
DeMonte Capehart Head Shot
PICK: 159 RND: 5 (TB)
DeMonte Capehart
DT Clemson
Earnest Greene III Head Shot
PICK: 200 RND: 6 (TB)
Earnest Greene III
OT Georgia
Jackson Arnold Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (TB)
Jackson Arnold
QB Auburn
Draft Grade — Buccaneers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Buccaneers won the night they stopped Arnold from sliding. Grade: B-.

Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Buccaneers were there to profit. Jackson Arnold, the No. 206 name on the board, should have been long gone before the 234th overall pick.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped tight end, which is a strange place to end up. If Howell pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. Interior defensive lineman was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.

Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.

Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.

Pick Analysis
Pick19 Rnd1 Cashius Howell
In pick 19 they get a premier pass rusher, reach and all.
Pick52 Rnd2 CJ Allen
Value with a capital V on CJ Allen in the 52nd overall pick, a genuine coup. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Pick83 Rnd3 Michael Taaffe
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Michael Taaffe at the 83rd pick. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick120 Rnd4 D'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds at Round 4, Pick 20 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick159 Rnd5 DeMonte Capehart
A reasonable price with a little left over, DeMonte Capehart in No. 159. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick200 Rnd6 Earnest Greene III
Earnest Greene III is a better player than pick No. 200 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick234 Rnd7 Jackson Arnold
You do not let a quarterback like Jackson Arnold reach the Round 7 slot and blink. They did not. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.