Buccaneers five-round post-Super Bowl mock: Bucs take edge rusher in first round

With the Super Bowl over and the Philadelphia Eagles crowned champions, it's time to look toward the NFL offseason. We're approaching a day that serves as a favorite for many NFL fans — draft day.

The Buccaneers pick No. 19 in the draft this year, and they have plenty of needs. Most of them are on defense, so we kept this in mind as we went through five rounds on Pro Football Focus' mock draft simulator and tried to grab players for every need in Tampa Bay.

Here's how that mock draft turned out and what we think about the players we picked:

Round 1, Pick 19: EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

American team defensive lineman Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M works through drills during Senior Bowl practice. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken high-upside, raw edge rushers before, so they might think twice about doing it yet again — especially while we're waiting to see if players like Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Yaya Diaby and Chris Braswell work out. Stewart is a physical freak and had a great senior bowl, but he's only netted 4.5 sacks at the college level and will need some serious development.

Round 2, Pick 51: LB Jalon Walker, Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Jalon Walker was available here in our PFF mock, as it seems like there isn't a clear consensus on where he should be picked in this draft — PFF has him fairly low, but the Athletic's Dane Brugler considers him the No. 3 player in the entire class. I'm not convinced this is possible, but if it is, it would be a steal for the Bucs. Walker can play a hybrid linebacker role both on-ball and off-ball that Todd Bowles would love to experiment with. He's only started 11 games at the college level and is still adjusting to both roles, though, so he's a bit of a project as wel..

Round 3, Pick 83: CB Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State

Florida State Seminoles defensive back Azareye'h Thomas warms up before a game against the Memphis Tigers. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

This should be a defense-heavy draft, and Azareye'h Thomas would be the first DB taken in that sense. Thomas is very smooth and has great height and length for a corner, but his game speed will be a question in the NFL. If the Bucs could develop him, he could slot in nicely in this Todd Bowles defense.

Round 4, Pick 119: G Willie Lampkin, North Carolina

North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Conner Harrell looks to pass as offensive linemen Trevyon Green and Willie Lampkin block. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Bucs need some depth at guard, and Lampkin could help there. He's a sticky, powerful blocker and has a good anchor, but he's ridiculously undersized. coming in at 5'10", 270 at the Senior Bowl. His draftabilty depends on how much teams care about that — if they do, he might not even go this high in the draft and the Bucs could potentially pick him up way later.

Round 5, Pick 156: QB Quinn Ewers, Texas

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers looks into the crowd after the 28-14 loss to Ohio State. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bucs ware certainly sticking with Baker Mayfield, but they'll also need another quarterback at some point with Kyle Trask likely on the way out. This time, they could draft a project in Ewers, who would do well to sit behind someone and learn instead of jumping out into NFL action right away. Ewers is effiicient and works well in the pocket, but he'll need to develop better skills against pressure and find his deep ball again at the NFL level.

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