Does Daniel Jeremiah's 'Fun' First Round Mock Pick Make Sense For Bucs?

This would be quite the first-round stunner once again by Jason Licht.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have quite a few needs on defense, with edge rusher, inside linebacker and cornerback among their many needs. The Bucs need bona fide starters at those first two positions, but they could use depth at cornerback and the interior defensive line to really feel good about that unit going into 2026.

Despite that, though, there are some who think the Buccaneers could potentially go offense at pick No. 15, especially after franchise legend Mike Evans departed for the 49ers. The Buccaneers no longer have a reliable red zone option with him gone, so a wide receiver with a similar frame could benefit the offense and add to an already-impressive receiving corps.

A tight end could also accomplish that, though, and there have been an increasing number of mock drafts linking the Bucs to Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Among the newest of them is NFL Draft guru Daniel Jeremiah, who sat down with ESPN analyst Mina Kimes and talked about how "fun" the Bucs drafting Sadiq would be.

Daniel Jeremiah thinks Kenyon Sadiq to Bucs would be 'fun'

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) looks on before the game against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

In a mock draft the two conducted live, Kimes gave Jeremiah the choice between Sadiq and Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk. Jeremiah took Sadiq for the Bucs without hesitation.

“I’m gonna surprise you,” Jeremiah told Kimes. “I’m gonna take Sadiq. So I have a much higher grade on him. It would be fun," Jeremiah said. "Baker, I think that would be a good combination there, run after catch, let him go... The other thing is, Jason, when I’ve talked to Jason Licht in the past over the years, we’ve talked about edge rushers. He mentions production a lot. “The pressure percentage [with Faulk] is low, the win percentage is low,” Jeremiah said. “He’s one of the more tricky players for me, because I love the body, I love how hard he plays. He’s all the stuff [you want] off the field, great kid. He doesn’t play with a ton of snap or urgency.”

There has been plenty of chatter about the Buccaneers taking Sadiq already, and it would certainly be an interesting selection. The Bucs recently signed tight end Cade Otton to a three-year, $30 million deal, so drafting a tight end on top of that would be quite the move from Licht and company.

Sadiq is certainly productive. He had eight touchdown catches on 51 receptions last year, and he showcased his strong athleticism and solid blocking skills during his 2025 campaign at Oregon. He would be useful in Tampa Bay, and he could act as a red zone threat that the Bucs would be dearly missing without Evans.

However, it would still be a bad idea to draft him. The Bucs have a desperate, desperate need for defensive depth, and they already re-signed a tight end for decent starting money earlier in the offseason in Otton. It would be fun, but it would also be neglectful of their biggest needs, and a premier pass rusher is much better draft value than a tight end in the first round. If Licht wants to win as fast as possible, addressing the edge should be his No. 1 priority.

Licht did go with a wide receiver in Round 1 last year when the thought process was much the same, though, so you never know. It won't be long until we find out, as the Bucs make their first pick on April 23rd, when the first night of the draft begins.

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