If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one undisputed strength, it’s the drafting prowess of Jason Licht, who took over the front office in 2014.
Mike Evans was his first-ever draft selection, and he went on to add important players like Vita Vea, Chris Godwin, Ali Marpet, Tristan Wirfs, and Antoine Winfield Jr. Each of those players contributed to the Bucs’ 2020 Super Bowl victory and was either an All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, or both.
Not only is Licht a skilled first-round drafter, but he also has superior talent spotting skills in the latter rounds compared to other general managers in the league. This past season was a prime illustration of that, as the Bucs added a number of impactful undrafted free agents, including Christian Izien, in addition to drafting players like Trey Palmer and Payne Durham.
With all of that, Licht is well-positioned to deliver another masterclass in the upcoming draft, which was expected to be a rebuilding year.
2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Selections
The Buccaneers are anticipated to have seven selections in the 2024 NFL Draft this year. The only possible additional selection is a compensatory choice that Tampa Bay will receive after losing Mike Edwards to free agency last year. All of the initial selections belong to Tampa Bay.
The remaining selections were not included in any recent trades, but Tampa Bay is without its fifth round pick since it traded it away in April of last year.
Round |
Pick |
---|---|
1 |
26 |
2 |
58 |
3 |
89 |
4 |
127 |
6 |
204 |
7 |
244 |
7 |
255* |
* Projected compensating selections are these choices.
Due to its inclusion in the trade package that was shipped to Philadelphia in order to advance and draft Trey Palmer, the Bucs do not have a fifth round pick this year. The Bucs essentially used their fifth-round pick from this year last year.
In the NFL Draft of 2024, will the Buccaneers earn any compensatory picks?
The Buccaneers will receive a compensatory choice in this year’s draft; we are unsure of its exact value. Although the NFL hasn’t revealed the compensatory selections yet, the Bucs will be selected because of the loss of Mike Edwards to the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason.
As of right now, the expected pick position is seventh round, although that could change. The NFL bases its decision on postseason awards, playing time, and money. While playing well during the season, Edwards did not receive any noteworthy awards in addition to his Super Bowl victory with the Chiefs this year.
Has the Buccaneers previously selected 26th overall?
The Bucs will draft with the 26th overall pick for the first time in team history. Though Lavonte David was selected 26th in the second round of the 2013 draft, he ended up being the 58th overall pick, this is not the first time the team has selected 26th in a certain round.
When the team selected Rod Jones with the first choice in 1986, Tampa Bay was the closest to selecting No. 26. The Bucs, on the other hand, held the 27th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but they traded it to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who ultimately selected Logan Hall with the 33rd overall pick that year.
Current NFL Draft history with the 26th overall pick
The following ten players were chosen with the No. 26 pick:
Marcus Smith, left guard, Philadelphia Eagles, 2014
2015: Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perrimen
2016: Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch
2017: Atlanta Falcons’ DE Takkarist McKinley
2018: Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley
2019: Washington Commanders – Montez Sweat, DE
2020: Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love
2021: Cleveland Browns CB Greg Newsome II
2022: New York Jets’ CB Jermaine Johnson II
2023: Dallas Cowboys’ Mazi Smith, DT
Although it’s a hit-or-miss slot, there have been a few noteworthy successes. Notable high-upside athletes who have had an impact on the clubs they have played for are Calvin Ridley and Montez Sweat. This past season, Jermaine Johnson was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Since this is most likely the first time you’ve thought about Paxton Lynch in years, the swath is undoubtedly larger than that.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Draft Selections
Firstly, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6 and Round 7.
The Bucs now own every draft pick through 2025, but given what transpired this year, that might alter. Some of these picks may be used to climb up in this year’s draft because Jason Licht has a history of haggling to get players he likes.
Compensatory choices that are assigned for the upcoming season will probably add to this list as well.
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Buccaneers draft choices in 2026
The Buccaneers have all of their future draft selections selected for this year in 2026, thus for the time being, things are the same. Tampa Bay doesn’t typically put together large trade packages to either move up or acquire a star player, so that’s unlikely to change, at least not at the top.
However, that has happened before. Tampa Bay traded its first-round picks to Oakland in exchange for Jon Gruden, therefore they were not available to them in 2002 or 2003. Comparably, after surrendering their first-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Darrelle Revis in 2013, the Bucs were left without one.