The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the top teams in the NFC, but even a great team can always get better. And Bucs fans are starting to realize that this team does have a few glaring weaknesses that must be shored up before the team can enter the conversation alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, and Kansas City Chiefs as having the best all around squads in the league.
Before the Bucs face another top NFC opponent in Week 12 in the Los Angeles Rams after humbling defeats to AFC East powers Buffalo and New England, here is a three-round 2026 NFL Mock Draft that helps the Buccaneers beef up in key areas. This mock draft was created utilizing the PFF simulator
First Round, Pick No. 19: Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell
Look, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need linebacker help all over, including at the traditional inside linebacker spots. But when you look at this Bucs team and see that YaYa Diaby is the one guy with four sacks and ten QB hits, you really have to say that this pass rush is abysmal and far below the level required of a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Think back to the best Bucs team that won it all. They all had a great edge rusher, and the Bucs don't have that right now. Texas A&M star Cashius Howell is one of those guys worth taking a gamble on in the top 20 of the draft to boost their pass rushing firepower.
Howell has been a sack machine for A&M these past two seasons, and he is one of those guys who just explodes past offensive tackles with his first step. The Bucs need someone with that kind of violence and explosiveness off the edge who can finish plays, and Howell is easily one of the best pure pass rushing threats in this class.
Second Round, Pick No. 51: South Carolina CB Brandon Cisse
There are a lot of people around the NFL who are high on South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse, who is seen by many scouts and analysts as being in the conversation as the best pure cover corner in this draft class.
It's pretty early in the process and most people haven't gone through the whole season to make their evaluations - and Cisse himself just picked up an injury in a tough loss to Texas A&M this past weekend.
But assuming he has no injury issue, Cisse is definitely one to watch for the Bucs. Tampa Bay already has a great cornerback room and another real standout from this rookie class in Jacob Parrish, but in the second round, Cisse is way too good of a value pick to pass up on. He's a borderline top 20 guy on raw talent and athleticism alone.
Third Round, Pick No.83: Missouri EDGE Zion Young
It's usually best not to double dip at positions in the draft, but when a guy like Zion Young falls to the third round and when you look at just how badly the Bucs need a pass rusher - and how impactful pass rushers are at this level - then it would be almost criminal to pass up on Young here.
The Missouri star is the latest in an underrated lineage of edge rushers at the school. He is undersized at 255 pounds, but that's precisely why he's such a great value play. Young plays a lot stronger than his weight suggests, and the Bucs would benefit most from having pure speed and destruction off the edge.
Plus, once Young gets momentum going, he's as strong as an end on contact with the tackle and is just a terrifying athlete and playmaker. Young in the third round would be a game changer and probably the biggest steal in the draft class.