Buccaneers Address One Need, Ignore Another in Mel Kiper's Final ESPN Mock Draft

We're just eight days away from the 2026 NFL Draft, and all 32 teams are likely going over the final touches on their draft strategies and scouting reports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their general manager, Jason Licht, pick at No. 15 this year, and there are plenty of options at their disposal with where they are in the order.

The Buccaneers really (really) need depth on defense at just about every position, and they also need starters at edge rusher and inside linebacker. It makes sense that the Bucs would target a defensive player with their first-round pick, particularly after drafting wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, but there's also no reason to think Tampa Bay wouldn't do that again. Many mock draft artists and NFL pundits have suggested that possibility, especially given Mike Evans' departure in free agency to the San Francisco 49ers.

ESPN's longtime draft expert Mel Kiper released his final mock draft of the offseason, a two-round mock, and he has the Buccaneers going offense in the first round with a prospect commonly-mocked to them — and then, he has the Bucs addressing one of their two biggest needs in the second round.

Mel Kiper has Buccaneers taking Kenyon Sadiq and Jacob Rodriguez

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) celebrates against the Southern California Trojans | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Kiper's first pick for Tampa Bay is Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq, an athletic, large-framed tight end who could serve as a red zone threat in lieu of Evans and a weapon in 12 personnel.

"There's a chance we see more two-tight-end sets in Tampa Bay with coordinator Zac Robinson's offense coming to town and the loss of receiver Mike Evans in free agency," Kiper wrote. "So, I'm not sweating the Cade Otton re-signing as a major deterrent to the Bucs looking at Sadiq as an option in the middle of Round 1. Sadiq is the clear top tight end in the draft class, and he was one of the biggest winners of the combine, running a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at 241 pounds and leaping 43½ inches in the vertical. That explosion is obvious on the tape, too. He had 560 receiving yards last season, and a lot of it came after the catch."

Sadiq was productive during his last year at Oregon, catching for 560 yards and eight touchdowns on a school-record 51 receptions for a tight end. It isn't an explicit need for Tampa Bay and the Buccaneers, and skipping out on an edge rusher for Sadiq would likely be a poor idea given how much they need to address the pass rush, but he'd undeniably add another dimension to Zac Robinson's offense in Tampa Bay.

Meanwhile, Kiper does have the Bucs drafting some much-needed help at linebacker in the form of Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez in Round 2.

"Lavonte David retired this offseason, ushering in a new era at linebacker for the Buccaneers," Kiper wrote. "Tampa Bay signed Alex Anzalone, and now it can add a true tackling machine. Rodriguez ranked second in tackles in the FBS over the past two seasons (252)."

Rodriguez is a strong tackler and, more importantly, has been very stout in coverage, grading out with a 92.7 coverage grade on PFF. He netted 63 tackles and four interceptions last year, and he'd be a strong addition alongside linebacker Alex Anzalone. The Bucs could also look for other linebackers at this stage of the draft, like Cincinnati's Jake Golday or Missouri's Josiah Trotter.

A Sadiq pick would certainly be interesting for the Buccaneers, but they would simply have to draft an edge rusher as soon as possible were that the case. That would, in turn, push their search for a starting inside linebacker even farther down the draft, so it might be a good idea for Licht to draft by need to ensure Tampa Bay will field a solid defensive unit in 2026.

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