stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON FEB 26, 2026

Bucs go CB Heavy

  • stestansfield DRAFTING FOR THE
    Buccaneers
Draft Selections
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 15 RND: 1 (TB)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Chris Bell Head Shot
PICK: 46 RND: 2 (TB)
Chris Bell
WR Louisville
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 77 RND: 3 (TB)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Will Lee III Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (TB)
Will Lee III
CB Texas A&M
Beau Stephens Head Shot
PICK: 153 RND: 5 (TB)
Beau Stephens
OG Iowa
Eric O'Neill Head Shot
PICK: 193 RND: 6 (TB)
Eric O'Neill
DE-EDGE Rutgers
Brandon Cleveland Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (TB)
Brandon Cleveland
DE NC State
Draft Grade — Buccaneers
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
More right than wrong for the Buccaneers, and a B- to prove it.

The Buccaneers went off the board in a big way for Brandon Cleveland, 94 picks early. Conviction is one thing; this is another.

On value alone, Ponds makes the weekend a net positive. The interior defensive lineman hole is the one line item this class does not answer. They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

The weekend tilted hard toward the defense.

Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.

Pick Analysis
Pick15 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In the 15th overall pick they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece, and a steal at that. Need was not the driver here.
Pick46 Rnd2 Chris Bell
Chris Bell at pick No. 46 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick77 Rnd3 D'Angelo Ponds
A cornerback of that caliber at the 77th pick is the definition of value, full stop. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick116 Rnd4 Will Lee III
Good price on Will Lee III in slot 116, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick153 Rnd5 Beau Stephens
Nice patience on Beau Stephens, who had no business lasting to Round 5, Pick 15. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick193 Rnd6 Eric O'Neill
Eric O'Neill at pick 193 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick229 Rnd7 Brandon Cleveland
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Brandon Cleveland. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.