Todd Bowles Confidante Projects Bucs Will Choose Between Two Linemen In Round 1
April 8th, 2026
Joe had a long, private chat with Todd Bowles’ friend and supporter Pat Kirwan last week at the NFL annual meeting in Phoenix.
Bowles is a regular guest on Kirwan’s show on SiriusXM NFL Radio, and Joe talked to Kirwan one day after Kirwan spent time on and off the air with Bowles.
So of course Joe had a little extra interest in what Kirwan had to say yesterday about the Bucs’ potential 2026 first-round draft pick.
Kirwan went through an on-air mock draft exercise and reached Tampa Bay at No. 15., where Kirwan projected the Bucs to be deciding between edge rusher/defensive tackle prospect Keldric Faulk out of Auburn and DT Peter Woods from Clemson.
Kirwan went with Woods, who is more of a Calijah Kancey type than a mauling manbeast nose tackle. But Woods also is a guy who just turned 21 and is sure to add to his body. He measured 6-2 1/2 and 298 pounds at the NFL Scouting combine.
JoeBucsFan.com draft guru Sean Sullivan has Woods as the top defensive tackle on his board and calls him a Chris Jones clone. “He just collapses the pockets over and over and over again.” (You can hear Sean’s full breakdown on the Best In Class podcast.)
Faulk is a tweener at this point in his development, and another very young guy. He turns 21 this summer. Faulk measures 6-6, 276 pounds and seems like a guy who would have benefited from another year in college. But he is a freakishly athletic prospect and one that’s more of a project.
Joe probably wouldn’t draft either guy as high as No. 15, but why is Kirwan feeling the Bucs go that route?