Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald.
In two weeks, a bleary-eyed Joe will stagger into the media workroom at One Buc Palace before Day 3 of the draft and chug copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake in order to finish the draft.
Trust Joe, he loves the draft. And yes, that includes all of it, every last player taken.
Unlike Chucky, Joe doesn’t tap out on the final day of the draft. But by then, Joe’s body is shot and he’s already not looking forward to driving home after Day 3, fighting to stay awake.
(If Joe is able to get to bed by 2 a.m. after Day 2 of the draft, that will be a success.)
But by the hour, Joe is more and more interested (excited?) that the Bucs may draft a defensive lineman in the first round.
While you can argue there isn’t a defensive lineman worthy of a No. 15 pick, this may be why Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has put out the Bat Signal for his NFL fraternity of general managers that he’s looking to trade down.
Picking a defensive lineman in the 20s makes more sense. And hey, if Licht and the Bucs can pick up a player or an extra draft pick, all the better.
There really isn’t one absolute stud to choose. The only guy projected as a first-round pick is Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald.
In appearing on the “*Ross Tucker Football Podcast*,” one of the best series of football-centric podcasts you will find, NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell noted McDonald isn’t much for a pass rush, but boy, is he a beast against the run.
“McDonald is a pure, great run defender,” Cosell said. “What is unique about him is, watching his tape, not only did he win with physicality, but he made tackles.
“You rarely see a defensive tackle make as many tackles in the run game as Kayden McDonald.”
And we all know how much Bucs coach Todd Bowles covets stopping the run.
What do we all whine about — including Joe — with the Bucs defense the past couple of years? Tackling. Well, this McDonald tackles. And he’s a total ass-kicker in the trenches.
Do you think Houston regrets not bulking up on the defensive line? Or Philadelphia? Why can’t the Bucs do that? They could if they draft McDonald.
Joe’s not demanding or calling for Licht to draft McDonald. But the thought of adding McDonald to the defensive line along with Vita Vea and ornery A’Shawn Robinson brings a smile to Joe’s face.
And if you project this a year out, if Calijah Kancey is hurt (again), how do we know the Bucs will bring him back? Vea, 31, is in a contract year. How do we know he returns? Drafting McDonald covers the Bucs if either Kancey or Vea, or both, are not on the roster a year from now.
“McDonald is a PURE great run defender… You rarely see a defensive tackle make as many tackles in the run game as Kayden McDonald.”@GregCosell breaks down the Ohio State DT: pic.twitter.com/tDvArtn6UG
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) April 10, 2026