stestansfield'S MOCK DRAFT
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Bucs go defensive heavy

  • stestansfield DRAFTING FOR THE
    Buccaneers
Draft Selections
Jahdae Barron Head Shot
PICK: 26 RND: 1 (TB)
Jahdae Barron
CB Texas
Malaki Starks Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (TB)
Malaki Starks
S Georgia
Oluwafemi Oladejo Head Shot
PICK: 84 RND: 3 (TB)
Oluwafemi Oladejo
LB-EDGE UCLA
Barrett Carter Head Shot
PICK: 101 RND: 3 (TB)
Barrett Carter
LB Clemson
Cobee Bryant Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (TB)
Cobee Bryant
CB Kansas
Dont'e Thornton Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 157 RND: 5 (TB)
Dont'e Thornton Jr.
WR Tennessee
Joshua Gray Head Shot
PICK: 205 RND: 6 (TB)
Joshua Gray
OG Oregon State
Draft Picks Received
Jahdae Barron Head Shot
PICK: 26 RND: 1 (LAR)
Jahdae Barron
CB Texas
Barrett Carter Head Shot
PICK: 101 RND: 3 (LAR)
Barrett Carter
LB Clemson
Joshua Gray Head Shot
PICK: 205 RND: 6 (WSH)
Joshua Gray
OG Oregon State
Draft Picks Traded
Grey Zabel Head Shot
PICK: 19 RND: 1 (LAR)
Grey Zabel
OT North Dakota State
Mac McWilliams Head Shot
PICK: 235 RND: 7 (WSH)
Mac McWilliams
CB UCF
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Draft Grade — Buccaneers
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB TradesC+ FutureC
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Buccaneers: B-.

You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Buccaneers did exactly that with Oluwafemi Oladejo in the 84th pick. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.

Starks at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. The interior defensive lineman hole is the one line item this class does not answer. On the needs board they went 4 of 8, with offensive lineman the one that mattered most.

Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Pick Analysis
Pick26 Rnd1 Jahdae Barron
In pick 26 they get a ballhawk on the outside, and a steal at that. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick53 Rnd2 Malaki Starks
Steal is underselling it; Malaki Starks at the 53rd pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick84 Rnd3 Oluwafemi Oladejo
Oluwafemi Oladejo at the Round 3 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick101 Rnd3 Barrett Carter
Barrett Carter in pick No. 101 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick121 Rnd4 Cobee Bryant
Cobee Bryant at No. 121 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick157 Rnd5 Dont'e Thornton Jr.
Dont'e Thornton Jr. at the 157th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It fills a real need, too.
Pick205 Rnd6 Joshua Gray
They took Joshua Gray at par in pick 205, which is nothing to complain about. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.