In 2021, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 13 games, tied for the best record in the NFL and secured the first of what would become four consecutive NFC South titles. The Buccaneers then eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams on a walk-off field goal in the Divisional Round.
All of that led to Tampa Bay being slotted into the 27th pick of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which meant they were due to be on the clock pretty late on the evening of April 28. In the end, however, the Buccaneers didn't pick at all that night.
Instead of staying put at number 27, General Manager Jason Licht increased his overall draft assets by trading down six spots with the Jacksonville Jaguars, to the first pick of the second round, which would be held the following evening. The added return was fourth and sixth-round picks. While Licht would later use that additional sixth-rounder to move up three spots in the second round before selecting Central Michigan tackle Luke Goedeke, the Bucs did hold on to the Jaguars' fourth-round selection, which was actually the very first pick of Day Three of the draft. That pick was used to select Washington tight end Cade Otton, who quickly developed into a two-way starter.
The Buccaneers kicked off Day Two of the draft by nabbing Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall. Hall also became a regular starter in his second season and opened 39 games over the past three campaigns. Now, both Hall and Otton are headed towards their first dip into the NFL's free agent market unless they re-sign with the Buccaneers prior to March 11. However, they likely would not have been teammates or pending free agents in the same year if not for that trade down Licht engineered from pick 27 to 33.
Because Hall was taken with the first pick of the second round instead of late in the first round, his first NFL contract was the standard four-year deal that all players chosen in Rounds 2-7 receive. In contrast, all players drafted in the first round get a four-year deal that also has a fifth-year team option, which must be exercised between the player's third and fourth seasons. Had Hall been taken even one pick higher he might still be under contract with the Buccaneers for the 2026 season.
Hall is one of 17 players from the Bucs' final 2025 roster and reserve lists who could [become unrestricted free agents](https://www.buccaneers.com/news/bucs-have-16-potential-unrestricted-free-agents-in-2026) (UFAs) on March 11. In the weeks between the Super Bowl and that kickoff to the new league year, we are taking a closer look at nine of those 17 players, examining where they are in their careers, what they have accomplished recently and what the free agency and the draft fields look like at their positions.
This is the full schedule of our 2026 Free Agent Focus rundown:
February 13: [WR Mike Evans](https://www.buccaneers.com/news/2026-buccaneers-free-agent-focus-mike-evans)
February 18: DL Logan Hall
February 25: RB Rachaad White
February 27: CB Jamel Dean
March 4: WR Sterling Shepard
March 6: OLB Haason Reddick
This list is subject to change based on potential roster moves in the coming weeks. However, we continue this week with a 16-game starter in 2025 who contributed to one of the NFL's top run defenses.