Buccaneers' draft pick officially set for 2026 NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season ended in Week 18, with the Atlanta Falcons defeating the New Orleans Saints and thus handing the division to the Carolina Panthers. Now, their attention turns to the next big thing — the NFL Draft.

The Buccaneers had a decent idea of where they were going to pick, but now, they know for sure — the Bucs are set to pick at 15th in the upcoming NFL Draft in April. That pick is four picks higher than the No. 19 they were at just a year ago, so they have some more players to work with as they try to pick their next star.

The Buccaneers, with the Ravens' loss to the Steelers, will pick 15th in the NFL draft.
— River Wells (@riverhwells) January 5, 2026

Jason Licht has plenty of needs to address

The Buccaneers have plenty of needs, and despite going almost entirely defense in the 2025 NFL Draft, they may need to do so again.

The Buccaneers' off-ball linebacker corps is dire, with Lavonte David likely retiring this offseason and SirVocea Dennis playing poorly during the year. The team could also use edge rushers, as it's likely unwilling to bring Haason Reddick back after he didn't play to standard and Yaya Diaby still needs to take another step forward in his development. The Bucs could still use interior line depth, and if cornerback Jamel Dean leaves in free agency, they're thin there, too.

On offense, needs are less dire, with no position sticking out entirely. The Bucs massively struggled with offensive line depth in 2025, so shoring that up could be a big priority. Additionally, running back Rachaad White is almost certain to leave in free agency, so Licht will have to address that at some point, too.

The Buccaneers have picked at No. 15 twice in their history as a franchise. The first time was in 1999, when they took defensive tackle Anthony "Booger" McFarland, and then in 2004, when they took wide receiver Michael Clayton. Last year, the Buccaneers went offense, selecting wide receiver Emeka Egbuka with the No. 19 pick.

There's plenty of time to deliberate over who to pick as the NFL Combine approaches toward the end of February.

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