Final Draft Grades for the Buccaneers' 2026 NFL Rookie Class

The NFL Draft is a complicated puzzle, and it's one that NFL GMs have to build without knowing in advance which pieces they'll have to work with.

It's an even playing field, though, and the teams that are able to balance their current needs while still prioritizing the best players available are the ones that tend to separate themselves from the rest.

In the case of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bucs had a number of positional needs on the roster they wanted to address this year. The catch is that they needed to do so without abandoning the 'best player available' philosophy that's paid off for them in the latter half of Jason Licht's tenure.

Now that it's all said and done, let's take a closer look at how well Licht and his team performed in this year's NFL Draft by assessing each individual pick before assigning a final overall grade for the Buccaneers' draft class in its entirety.

Round 1 (No. 15): Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

Rueben Bain Jr. sliding all the way to 15 was poetic justice for the Buccaneers. For too long, the team has been searching for a star pass rusher capable of elevating the effectiveness of their 4-man pass rush. Bain is a prospect capable of filling that role in Tampa Bay.

He has heavy hands, incredible power, a relentless motor and undeniable production — especially in big moments. Those attributes, combined with his never-say-die attitude, should allow him to thrive playing alongside established players like Yaya Diaby, Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea while opening up opportunities for those players to perform at their best as well at the same time.

.@Buccaneers @ruebenbainjr is coming for you. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/s5oCsigaMV
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 24, 2026

Although suggestions that Bain's arm length and lack of athletic testing are what caused him to fall to 15 in the draft, those critiques don't come anywhere close to overshadowing the power, technique and unrelenting force that he put on tape throughout his collegiate career. NFL analyst Brian Baldinger said it best.

"[Bain] plays every single play with technique, violence and maximum power."

Draft Grade: A+

Round 2 (No. 46): Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri

Josiah Trotter may be the hardest-hitting linebacker in this entire draft class. Although Georgia's CJ Allen felt like a more well-rounded player to target with this pick, the Bucs obviously believed Trotter was the better fit. There's no denying that Trotter has tremendous natural ability when it comes to diagnosing plays, sifting through traffic, shedding blocks, blitzing and completing tackles.

One of the things that stands out the most in Josiah Trotter's profile is how good he is at blitzing.

Legitimate 1v1 wins as an off-ball LB in the pass rush game are all over his college tape pic.twitter.com/JIvikcJFRn
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) April 26, 2026

The fact is, though, that Trotter lacks some agility and awareness in coverage, which is something that has plagued the Buccaneers at this position in recent years. It's important to note, however, that Trotter just turned 21 earlier this month. It would only be fair to assume that he has a lot of room to grow as a player, especially in that area. I initially graded this pick as a C-, but after digging deeper into the player and scheme fit and potential reasons why the Buccaneers may have opted out of drafting higher consensus players at the same position, I've given that initial grade a slight bump.

Draft Grade: C

Round 3 (No. 84): Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State

The Buccaneers surprised some people when they took a shot on a small-school wide receiver with their third pick. Ted Hurst is a tantalizing prospect based on his elite combination of size, athleticism, and production. The caveat, though, is that he played in the Sun Belt Conference, so his evaluation is challenging to project to the next level.

That being said, Hurst did everything he could in his situation by consistently dominating opponents while at Georgia State before proving he belonged at the Senior Bowl in Mobile.

High praise for Bucs’ newest WR, Ted Hurst, from a guy who knows a thing or two about athletic specimens in Bruce Feldman.

I really like this high upside pick for the Bucs. https://t.co/o0e01ynXcC
— Collin Haalboom (@SI_Buccaneers) April 25, 2026

Despite already having solid depth at the WR position, the departure of Mike Evans left the Bucs without a true boundary X receiver. Although Hurst is not that (at least not yet), he has an impressive collection of attributes that could eventually allow him to thrive in that sort of role for the Buccaneers.

Draft Grade: B+

Round 1 (No. 116): Keionte Scott, DB, Miami

The Buccaneers selected Rueben Bain's college teammate, nickel cornerback Keionte Scott, with the 116th overall pick in the fourth round. Scott is a fast, energetic and dynamic playmaker with a highly aggressive approach to the game. In other words, he is exactly what Todd Bowles looks for in a defensive back.

All five of Miami DB Keionte Scott's sacks last season came when he was aligned to the same side of the formation as Rueben Bain Jr.

The @Buccaneers were very smart to keep these two together. pic.twitter.com/ZhS5oahEOx
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 26, 2026

What's unique about Scott compared to other DBs in this (or any) draft class is his effectiveness as a blitzer. Last season, Scott recorded five sacks and 20 pressures in just 87 pass-rushing reps. Scott isn't just effective around the line of scrimmage, though, as he finished his final season at Miami ranked eighth in the nation among CBs with an 87.1 PFF coverage grade. That, combined with his 91.2 run defense grade, puts him in elite company as one of just two cornerbacks in the country to rank top 10 in both coverage and run defense grades.

Keionte Scott, Tykee Smith, Antoine Winfield Jr., & Jacob Parrish in the same secondary?

Each one has a disrupt and destroy mentality on the field. Bucs fans are about to see a pod of heat seeking missiles wreaking havoc on the back end of Todd Bowles’ defense this season.
— Collin Haalboom (@SI_Buccaneers) April 25, 2026

Scott is the real deal. Hidden behind his elite instincts, run defense and blitzing ability is the 4.33 speed he has to work with. The selection of Keionte Scott in Round 4 of the 2026 draft has the potential to not only define this rookie class for the Buccaneers as a great one but also go down as one of the biggest draft steals of the year.

Draft Grade: A+

Round 5 (No. 155): DeMonte Capehart, DT, Clemson

With their first of two picks in the fifth round, the Buccaneers selected DT DeMonte Capehart out of Clemson. Listed at 6-4, 313 pounds, Capehart is strong and powerful run-stuffer with great length and elite athleticism. His 9.96 relative athletic score is the ninth-best mark out of 2278 defensive tackle prospects evaluated since 1987.

DeMonte Capehart was drafted in round 5 with pick 155 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.96 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 9 out of 2278 DT from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/KMwgRQbHUp pic.twitter.com/hln4tad5Pq
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 25, 2026

Capehart earned a reputation for being an impactful player for the Tigers, but based on his athletic profile, it's fair to imagine that his best days are ahead of him. Capehart will be walking into an ideal situation for him with the Buccaneers to hone his craft and develop in a rotational role under the mentorship of a couple of bona fide interior rushers like Kancey and Vea.

This is no disrespect to Peter Woods and even though he’ll get drafted higher, Demonte Capehart was the best defensive lineman for Clemson this year. He is an ass kicker and a man mover. All I see on tape is belt to ass on the interior. Look at how he plays with his hands. pic.twitter.com/7Lw5RlpNOV
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) April 13, 2026

The Bucs wanted to add to their DT room, and adding a high-upside prospect with unique size and elite athletic tools like Capehart is a great way to do it. Achieving this with the 155th overall selection in the draft? That's tremendous value.

Draft Grade: B+

Round 5 (No. 160): Billy Schrauth, OG, Notre Dame (A-)

Billy Schrauth was not only a captain in his final season at Notre Dame, but he was a very important player. Unfortunately, Schrauth ended up missing the majority of the season due to a knee injury. Now fully healthy and ready to attack his pro career with a vengeance, Schrauth can be expected to come into camp with several key strengths, including a strong base, impressive grip strength and a unique ability to recognize and pick up complex blitz packages.

#NotreDame LG Billy Schrauth was an impressive watch even though he was limited to 7 games because of injury. Sturdy anchor, has run displacement ability as a combo and one-on-one blocker, nice strain ability. Has started games at both guard spots. pic.twitter.com/NVIV6OQio2
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) February 13, 2026

Schrauth has good versatility, having started at both LG and RG for the Fighting Irish. That experience will come in handy for the Buccaneers, as both guards, Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson, missed time in 2025. Schrauth has the experience, versatility and athleticism needed to step in as the Bucs' primary swing guard right away with the potential to develop into a long-term answer at either guard spot if the team eventually decides to move on from Bredeson or Mauch.

The fact that Schrauth has the potential to develop into a quality NFL starter at a very important position makes his selection in Round 5 tremendous value and yet another example of Licht matching value in the draft with a current position of need on the roster.

Draft Grade: A-

Round 6 (No. 185): Bauer Sharp, TE, LSU (B)

The least heralded pick for the Bucs among this year's stellar draft class was naturally their final pick, which was LSU tight end Bauer Sharp.

Jason Licht packaged their sixth and seventh round draft picks to his old pal John Spytek and the Raiders in order to move up 10 spots to make the selection. Although Sharp wasn't mentioned among the top TE prospects in this year's class, he is a top 10 athlete at the position based on his combine performance. Not only that, but the former quarterback actually has some solid production dating back to 2024, when he led the Oklahoma Sooners in receptions and receiving yards before transferring to LSU to close out his college career.

Thought LSU TE Bauer Sharp looked smooth and explosive. Showed his catch radius too pic.twitter.com/DBBWFka5xM
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 23, 2026

The Bucs wanted to add a tight end in this year's draft, and although they waited longer than some would have liked, they found a developmental prospect with a ton of athletic ability who's only been playing the position for a few years. Sharp's experience playing on special teams, combined with the upside he presents based on his skillset and athletic profile, makes him an intriguing candidate to make the team and maybe even develop into an offensive contributor in time.

Draft Grade: B

After taking a more modest approach to free agency than most fans wanted to see, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a lot of boxes to check heading into this year's NFL Draft. Although it seemed like a tall task just a week ago, it's impossible to ignore the impressive fashion in which Licht and his staff executed a plan that married prospect value with positional need with almost all of their selections.

What’s so impressive about the Bucs’ draft is that Jason Licht managed to address every positional need (EDGE, LB, WR, DB, DT, OG, TE) without ever feeling like it was forced.

The majority of those selections were widely considered value picks, & they all hit on positions of…
— Collin Haalboom (@SI_Buccaneers) April 25, 2026

I like to avoid hyperbole at all costs, but it is truly my belief that this year's draft class has the potential to go down as one of Licht's best as GM of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only did he address the current positional needs on his roster in a very calculated way, but he remained patient and let the draft board come to him, ultimately resulting in high-value picks the majority of the time.

Bain, Trotter and Scott can all be expected to start, or at least see a significant amount of playing time, almost immediately for the Buccaneers. On the other hand, prospects like WR Ted Hurst, DT DeMonte Capehart and OG Billy Schrauth will have an opportunity to sit and learn behind proven starters, each with the potential to occupy those starting spots in the years to come.

Buccaneers Final Overall Draft Grade: A

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