Bucs target?
One thing Joe likes about ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid is that he professionally grew up in football.
A college quarterback (he played with former Bucs cornerback Ryan Smith at North Carolina Central), Reid got into coaching at his alma mater and then turned into a college football recruiter before joining the Fourth Estate. So Reid has a ton of contacts in college football. Add to that the guy travels across the country for games, for everything draft related (all-star bowls, workouts, combine, pro days, etc.) and Reid is as plugged in as they get.
It seems, per a report he filed this week, the Bucs are doing a lot of homework on pass rushers (duh) and tight ends (hhmmm?).
And Reid typed it would not shock him at all if Cade Otton has a high-end partner at tight end in two weeks.
What we’re hearing about the Buccaneers’ draft: Defensive end and tight end are two positions that the Bucs have keyed in on as Round 1 options, with tight end Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon) being a real possibility at No. 15.
Joe has written about seeing a lot of references to Kenyon Sadiq to the Bucs. And Joe’s on board.
But why, Joe? The Bucs need defense!
Simple: The Bucs are maybe one field-stretcher (Sadiq) at tight end from a dynamic and explosive offense. The Bucs are maybe four players away from having a good defense. It’s unlikely the defense is fully repaired by just one draft.
(Remember: The Bucs added a No. 5 overall pick at inside linebacker in 2019 to a team that already had Ndamukong Suh, Lavonte David, Jason Pierre-Paul and Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett and it still was a bottom-five scoring defense. JPP, David and Shaq are not on the Bucs’ roster last time Joe checked.)
With a powerful offense, the Bucs could outscore people regularly and get back to the playoffs.
Think about it: Will Bucs coach Todd Bowles will be granted amnesty after the 2026 season if the Bucs don’t get back to the playoffs? Joe doesn’t think Bowles has the luxury of time to get the defense right for 2027.
The Bucs ranked No. 26 in the NFL last year in average points scored in wins. So don’t try to tell Joe this offense doesn’t need more.