7 Combine Questions That Will Shape the Buccaneers' Draft Board

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a big draft coming up. General manager Jason Licht has a lot of holes to fill, and he's going to have to decide how he aims to balance filling those holes in free agency or the NFL Draft. He'll get his first look at the NFL Draft this week, though, as the NFL Combine barrels ahead in Indianapolis.

Naturally, the Combine comes with questions, and with any hope, it will also give some answers to Licht and his staff. Here are seven questions to ask as the Bucs look to revamp their team following a disappointing 8-9 finish last year.

Will this be another defense-heavy draft?

The Buccaneers went all-out on defense in the 2025 NFL Draft, making four of their six selections on that side of the ball. A few of those players, like defensive tackle Elijah Roberts and cornerback Jacob Parrish, have looked promising — but there is still work to be done.

The Bucs have quite a few holes on defense that we'll talk about below, like linebacker, edge rusher and defensive back. The Bucs went defense-heavy last year, but will they do so again this year? If they think they're a contender, and Licht seems to think so often, then they probably have to if they hope to field a competitive roster in 2026.

So what needs to be done? Glad you asked. To start, they desperately need an inside linebacker.

When should the Bucs draft an inside linebacker (if they do at all)?

Inside linebacker isn't typically thought of as a premier position, but the Bucs need one badly. Linebacker Lavonte David is still mulling over retirement at the moment, but even if he does come back, he's lost several steps. The Bucs thought SirVocea Dennis would be the man to play beside him, but he had a rough outing last year, so they may need to replace him.

So what do they do? If the Bucs want to draft a linebacker in the first round, players like Sonny Styles or Arvell Reese, both out of Ohio State, could be answers, but they may need to trade up in the first round make that happen. Other prospects, like Georgia's CJ Allen or Texas' Anthony Hill Jr., could be available later if they wanted to keep some draft capital.

Alternatively, the Bucs could look to free agency to fill one of those linebacker needs. Do that, and then there's less pressure to fill the other inside linebacker spot when the draft rolls around.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Should the Bucs try to draft an edge rusher yet again?

The Bucs have tried to draft edge rushers in the past, and it hasn't worked out too well for them. Outside of Yaya Diaby, who looks to be a promising player at that position, the Bucs have swung on players like Chris Braswell, Jose Ramirez and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in recent years, with none of them looking to pan out too well.

Tampa Bay desperately needs some juice off the edge. They'll have David Walker back this year, who tore his ACL in training camp, but it will be interesting to see if Licht ends up trying to dip into this well yet again instead of looking in free agency. He tried to go there by bringing in Haason Reddick on a one-year deal, but that didn't work out either, so he's at a crossroads when it comes to sorting out that crucial defensive position.

Could the Buccaneers look to bring in a new tight end?

Cade Otton has been a reliable, if unexciting, player for the Buccaneers since he was drafted. Otton has had his ups and downs, but he's a free agent in 2026 and the Bucs might not bring him back.

If that's the case, deciding on when to draft a tight end might be tough. The Bucs would have to spend a first-round pick to get a truly elite option like Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq, which might be too high given the needs they have elsewhere. Draft one in the lower rounds, and there's a risk that you aren't upgrading from Otton.

Any new tight end would be cheaper than Otton would be, though, so that would be appealing. All in all, it might behoove the Bucs to look at tight end during the draft.

Will Tampa Bay try to replace Jamel Dean?

Jamel Dean took a big pay cut to play corner for the Buccaneers again in 2025, but he put the Bucs in a tough position by playing really good football. Dean signed a deal with a $13 million market value in 2023, and Spotrac has his current value at $12.5 million. That's not much of a decrease, and if he were to command even more, the Bucs would have to let him go.

And then, they'd have to replace him. Corner is a valuable position in today's NFL, so the Bucs would likely have to get another one sooner rather than later. Tampa Bay just spent a pick on Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison last year, but if Dean is gione, they could spend an early pick on another outside corner once again to really solidify that cornerback corps.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Could the Bucs draft another running back to fill Rachaad White's absence?

The Bucs will have one running back down in Rachaad White after he inevitably leaves in free agency. Additionally, running back Sean Tucker is a restricted free agent, so he might be gone too if another team offers him money the Bucs aren't willing to match.

That would leave running back Bucky Irving all alone. Irving is a shifty back who is excellent in space, but he isn't a power or speed running back. If White and Tucker leave, the Bucs are out a speed back and another helpful receiving back, so Tampa Bay might wanna take a look at running backs in the draft.

While replacing White's skillset would be helpful, the Bucs haven't had a true power back in a while. Maybe take a look at that?

Would it be crazy to draft another wide receiver?

Probably, yes. But there's also the matter of what Mike Evans does, and if he moves on from Tampa Bay, there's an archetype the Bucs will no longer have.

Evans is a big-bodied, quintessential X wide receiver, and if he were to leave, no remaining starters — Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin or Jalen McMillan — would fit that role at all. Tampa Bay could look to free agency to find someone with Evans' frame and playstyle, but alternatively, another pick on wideout who fits the physical bill could be possible.

Would it be controversial? Absolutely, but while Mike Evans is irreplaceable, Tampa Bay might want to try if he leaves in free agency.

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