stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
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stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAY 8, 2026

Bucs reload into Super Bowl Contenders

  • stestansfield DRAFTING FOR THE
    Buccaneers
Draft Selections
Malik Hartford Head Shot
PICK: 15 RND: 1 (TB)
Malik Hartford
S Ohio State
Malachi Nelson Head Shot
PICK: 46 RND: 2 (TB)
Malachi Nelson
QB UTEP
Daevin Hobbs Head Shot
PICK: 77 RND: 3 (TB)
Daevin Hobbs
DL Tennessee
Bear Alexander Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (TB)
Bear Alexander
DT Oregon
Alex Birchmeier Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (TB)
Alex Birchmeier
OG Penn State
Dante Dowdell Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (TB)
Dante Dowdell
RB Kentucky
Laurence Seymore Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (TB)
Laurence Seymore
OG Western Kentucky
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa Head Shot
PICK: 15 RND: 1 (TB)
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
LB Notre Dame
Brice Pollock Head Shot
PICK: 46 RND: 2 (TB)
Brice Pollock
CB Texas Tech
Trey'Dez Green Head Shot
PICK: 77 RND: 3 (TB)
Trey'Dez Green
TE LSU
C.J. Fite Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (TB)
C.J. Fite
DT Arizona State
Hollywood Smothers Head Shot
PICK: 153 RND: 5 (TB)
Hollywood Smothers
RB NC State
Draft Picks Received
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Grade — Buccaneers
Overall D
ValueF NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
Hard to find the plan in the Buccaneers' weekend. D.

The Buccaneers put a flag in the ground for Malik Hartford, 180 picks before anyone else would have, and the value took the hit. Hard to defend, and the D reflects that.

A whole weekend of picks and tight end is somehow still a want. On the needs board they went 4 of 8, with interior defensive lineman the one that mattered most.

The verdict is not kind, and fairly so; this class has a hill to climb.

Pick Analysis
Pick15 Rnd1 Malik Hartford
In slot 15 they get a downhill hitter at safety, though the board says they badly overpaid. Need was not the driver here.
Pick46 Rnd2 Malachi Nelson
They talked themselves into Malachi Nelson at the 46th pick, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick77 Rnd3 Daevin Hobbs
They reached into another round for Daevin Hobbs, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick116 Rnd4 Bear Alexander
Bear Alexander at the 116th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick155 Rnd5 Alex Birchmeier
Value said wait; Alex Birchmeier in Round 5, Pick 15 says they were not listening. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick195 Rnd6 Dante Dowdell
Dante Dowdell at No. 195 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick229 Rnd7 Laurence Seymore
Laurence Seymore in pick 229 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.