Following the NFL Scouting Combine, the Bucs are continuing with their pre-draft preparation. Up next for the team is hosting Top 30 visits in late March and early April. These visits allow Tampa Bay to bring in players for private meetings at the team facility so the Bucs’ brass can get a better idea of who the draft prospect is in a less time-crunched setting than the Senior Bowl or the NFL Scouting Combine. Teams are allowed to schedule 30 of these visits.
Players who live or played college ball within 50 miles of the team facility do not count against these 30 visits. This bodes well for the Bucs because Florida is a prep football mecca and have Florida, UCF and USF within that range, allowing them to bring in a plethora of players without reducing their Top 30 number.
Teams use these visits for various reasons, and these visits can be used as a smokescreen to make other teams think they are high on a player. Just because a player is not hosted does not mean a team is not high on them. Two years ago, the Bucs spent a first-round pick on defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and didn’t even bring him in for a Top 30 visit, which was a smokescreen of a different kind.
Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles And Gm Jason Licht Bucs Draft
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers
Teams like the Bucs can also use Top 30 visits to get to know a less-heralded prospect who is projected to go late in the draft, or establish a rapport with a potential undrafted free agent that could aid the team when it comes to recruiting that player following the draft. The team hosted several players it wound up drafting last year on Top 30 visits, including center Graham Barton, outside linebacker Chris Braswell, wide receiver Jalen McMillan, running back Bucky Irving and tight end Devin Culp.
One of the most critical components of these visits is the fact teams can use their own doctors to look into medical questions they may have about a player. This gives the team additional context on how comfortable they may be with actually selecting the player in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Tampa Bay has also been using Zoom meetings to meet with NFL Draft prospects instead of just using Top 30 visits to get to know potential Buccaneers.
Here is a list of players who have reportedly visited the team on a Top 30 visit or have a Top 30 visit scheduled with Tampa Bay.
Bucs 2025 Top 30 Visits
Inside Linebacker
South Carolina Ilb Demetrius Knight Jr. Bucs
South Carolina ILB Demetrius Knight Jr. – Photo by: USA Today
South Carolina ILB Demetrius Knight Jr. – NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline reported that Knight, whom the Bucs met with twice at the Senior Bowl, will visit Tampa Bay. Knight is regarded as a second-round draft prospect.
Cornerback
Oregon CB Nikko Reed – NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported that Reed, who is likely a Day 3 selection, will take a Top 30 visit to Tampa Bay. Reed did not receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine.
Bucs 2025 Combine Visit Tracker
Pewter Report has a comprehensive list of most of the draft prospects that Tampa Bay interviewed at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis – either formally or informally. The list can be found on PewterReport.com by clicking here.