stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
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stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON AUG 18, 2025

Bucs get Kenny Pickett

  • stestansfield DRAFTING FOR THE
    Buccaneers
Draft Selections
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (TB)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
David Bailey Head Shot
PICK: 54 RND: 2 (TB)
David Bailey
LB-EDGE Stanford
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 86 RND: 3 (TB)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 122 RND: 4 (TB)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 231 RND: 7 (TB)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Dante Dowdell Head Shot
PICK: 235 RND: 7 (TB)
Dante Dowdell
RB Kentucky
Draft Picks Received
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (MIN)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 231 RND: 7 (MIN)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (BUF)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (CLE)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
A.J. Harris Head Shot
PICK: 22 RND: 1 (MIN)
A.J. Harris
CB Penn State
Duce Robinson Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (BUF)
Duce Robinson
WR Florida State
John Mateer Head Shot
PICK: 200 RND: 6 (BUF)
John Mateer
QB Oklahoma
Players Gained
Head Shot
Kenny Pickett
QB
Draft Grade — Buccaneers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB- TradesC- FutureA-
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Buccaneers a B-.

The rest of the league had time to spare on Patrick Payton; the Buccaneers did not wait, grabbing him 60 spots ahead at pick No. 122. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.

Lawson falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman. Spending an early pick on linebacker with interior defensive lineman, tight end and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to.

They went 3 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the interior defensive lineman spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick50 Rnd2 Deontae Lawson
Somehow Deontae Lawson was still sitting there in No. 50, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick54 Rnd2 David Bailey
Value said wait; David Bailey in the 54th pick says they were not listening. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick86 Rnd3 Harold Perkins Jr.
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending Round 3, Pick 22 on Harold Perkins Jr. with interior defensive lineman, tight end and other spots unsolved.
Pick122 Rnd4 Patrick Payton
Patrick Payton at slot 122 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick231 Rnd7 Riley Mahlman
Riley Mahlman in pick 231 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick235 Rnd7 Dante Dowdell
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Dante Dowdell. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.