stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON FEB 19, 2026

Bucs Overhaul The Defesinve side pre Combine

  • stestansfield DRAFTING FOR THE
    Buccaneers
Draft Selections
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (TB)
Kayden McDonald
DT Ohio State
Gabe Jacas Head Shot
PICK: 46 RND: 2 (TB)
Gabe Jacas
LB-EDGE Illinois
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 77 RND: 3 (TB)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Justin Joly Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (TB)
Justin Joly
TE NC State
Kage Casey Head Shot
PICK: 153 RND: 5 (TB)
Kage Casey
OT Boise State
Justin Jefferson Head Shot
PICK: 193 RND: 6 (TB)
Justin Jefferson
LB Alabama
TJ Hall Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (TB)
TJ Hall
CB Iowa
Draft Picks Received
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Kayden McDonald
DT Ohio State
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Jeremiyah Love Head Shot
PICK: 15 RND: 1 (MIN)
Jeremiyah Love
RB Notre Dame
Draft Grade — Buccaneers
Overall B-
ValueC NeedB+ TradesC FutureB+
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Buccaneers a B-.

Nobody else had Gabe Jacas anywhere near slot 46. The Buccaneers did, by 50 spots, and that gap is the whole story. The bottom line is a respectable B-.

Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Ponds. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped quarterback, which is a strange place to end up.

Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work. On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with interior defensive lineman the one that mattered most.

Good work on the whole, with quarterback the one box left unchecked.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Kayden McDonald
They took Kayden McDonald at par in pick No. 18, which is nothing to complain about. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick46 Rnd2 Gabe Jacas
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Gabe Jacas well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick77 Rnd3 D'Angelo Ponds
They robbed the room for D'Angelo Ponds here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. The roster fit checks out.
Pick116 Rnd4 Justin Joly
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Justin Joly at pick 116 is the proof. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick153 Rnd5 Kage Casey
Kage Casey at slot 153 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick193 Rnd6 Justin Jefferson
A straight-up fair deal on Justin Jefferson at the 193rd pick, value and slot in agreement. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick229 Rnd7 TJ Hall
A slide stopped in the Round 7 slot, with TJ Hall worth more than the price. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.