2 Buccaneers Who Could Make Under-the-Radar Second-Year Leap in 2026

These two Tampa Bay Buccaneers players could be more impactful than you think this year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Elijah Roberts (95) against the Buffalo Bills prior to the game | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

There are plenty of players from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' draft class that could make a very important second-year leap — wide receiver Emeka Egbuka could emerge as the Buccaneers' WR1, for example, and defensive backs Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison could both be crucial parts of a defensive back corps that needs to step up across the board in 2026.

But while the players drafted in the early rounds are important, getting significant impact players drafted in the later rounds is how teams win the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers have a few players from that group in their 2025 draft class, and any impact from them would be great news for Tampa Bay — particularly on its defensive line.

Here are two under-the-radar Buccaneers draft picks who could make a big splash if they took a second-year leap in 2026:

OLB David Walker

Central Arkansas defensive lineman David Walker (DL72) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

David Walker technically didn't get a rookie season last year because he tore his ACL in training camp — fellow rookie J.J. Roberts did the same. General manager Jason Licht calls them "bonus rookies", and for good reason, because Tampa Bay's edge rushing rotation would benefit immensely if Walker is the player they thought he was out of college in 2026.

An insanely productive edge rusher at Central Arkansas, Walker enters an edge rotation in 2026 that added Miami phenom Rueben Bain Jr. in the draft and former Detroit Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad in free agency. If Walker was able to play strong football this season. He'd probably work his way up to EDGE4 ahead of incumbent Anthony Nelson, and if that happens, the Bucs would be ina phenomenal spot with their edge rushing group.

Walker will have plenty of chances to make a splash in training camp if he stays healthy. And if he really performs during pre-season, the Bucs' pass-rushing attack could get completely overhauled in the very best way in 2026.

DL Elijah Roberts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) and defensive end Elijah Roberts (95) react during the first quarter | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Walker's not the only second-year player on the defensive line, though. SMU product Elijah Roberts is going into his second year after a solid first year, and the pieces are in place for him to make a big impact, too.

Roberts should serve as a rotational player on a line that just added A'Shawn Robinson from the Carolina Panthers, but with rotational defensive player Logan Hall moving on to Houston, he should get quite a few snaps. Last year, Roberts had two sacks, 14 tackles and three passes defended, but he also had 10 pressures in the nine games he started — and if he does better than that this season, the Bucs' defensive line won't miss a beat when they rotate pieces around.

A versatile player who can play on the inside and the outside, Roberts had a promising start to his rookie campaign last year. If he can make a jump and prove himself a high-tier defensive tackle, the Bucs defense might be a huge, huge problem with all their new pieces.

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