Bucs general manager Jason Licht is counting on the 2026 NFL Draft to keep the team’s contention window open.

Tampa Bay’s squad will look quite different next season, relying on a cast of players to replace two franchise legends. While there is optimism about what each free-agent signing will provide, what really has Licht excited is the draft.

Speaking one-on-one with team reporter Casey Phillips, Licht shared the balance the draft provides him from a team-building standpoint and why he is confident the team will add players in less than a month who will anchor the next phase of the roster.

Jason Licht Admits Bucs Were Limited A Little Bit In Free Agency

Many clamored for the Bucs to make a big move in free agency. With only $50 million to spend and a lot of positions to address, a high-end signing or trade did not come to fruition. Jason Licht admitted that with how the roster is constructed, there are already a lot of players making big money.

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Baker Mayfield, Tristan Wirfs, Chris Godwin Jr., Luke Goedeke, and Antoine Winfield Jr. are all currently on contracts averaging $20 million or more a year.

That is not to mention Vita Vea and Zyon McCollum averaging more than $15 million a year. Licht also has to consider giving the fifth-year option to Calijah Kancey, as well as extending other 2023 draftees Cody Mauch and Yaya Diaby.

“It becomes very important when you have a roster with — now our players earn every penny that they’re making, but we have some players making, you know, the higher end of the salary scale,” Licht said. “When you get to that point, it limits you a little bit in what you can do in free agency. You have to look ahead. You have to look at the future.

“You want to be able to resign your really good players when their contracts are up, if you don’t do it beforehand. So, you need an influx of young players who [can] contribute, so you can keep the balance of the team. I’m not saying we’re planning on moving on from anybody, not at all.”

More tough goodbyes could be coming next offseason, as Godwin would not have any guaranteed money left on his deal and Vea will be a free agent and 32 years old. Each of them could be brought back, but they would still cost a pretty penny. Licht always keeps the door open on retaining his players, but Mayfield is also in a contract year.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield Photo by: USA Today

While the $33,333,333 a year he has made on his three-year, $100 million deal has been a bargain, it will not be that way for much longer. The two-time Pro Bowl signal-caller will likely command at least $50 million a year next offseason, and if he plays anything close to the level he did in 2024, that number could push closer to $60 million annually.

That makes the 2026 NFL Draft even more important for Licht and the front office to hit out of the park. Re-signing Mayfield will lead to less money to go around for re-signing or signing other players, making it paramount to identify cost-controlled difference-makers.

“When you have a quarterback on a second or third contract, when you’ve got some other players — I’m not saying they’re limiting what we can do at all,” Licht added. “We’re very happy that we have them, but you need to bring in young players who can help. We’ve had a lot of success lately with the draft. We’re signing a lot of our own players, which is why we’re in that position and that’s the goal. So, you want to keep drafting well. That’s the secret to having sustained success.”

Jason Licht Is Fine With Veering Course In The NFL Draft

Everyone tries to predict the NFL Draft, but when it comes to how it plays out, it never goes quite according to plan.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

A surprise pick or trade can cause a ripple effect and lead teams on different courses. Navigating those waters is something Jason Licht enjoys. It was something that happened last year, when everyone predicted the Bucs would select a defensive player.

Instead, the team chose wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, a move that looks much better in hindsight than it did on draft day. That does not mean team needs and prospects will not line up in a way that allows Tampa Bay to upgrade the defense, an area that could still use a boost on each level.

“This draft matches with what our needs are very well,” Licht said. “Now, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be assured to get one of those players. It can be a little bit of a daunting task. You never know when your players that you like are going to be taken, but it does match up well. You can never go wrong if you have to veer course and take another position that the public or the critics don’t feel you need.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, WR Emeka Egbuka and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“At some point, you’re going to be happy you got that player — it showed up last year when we took Emeka [Egbuka]. I don’t think anybody had that on their bingo card and we’re in a good position right now because of it.”

The Bucs could go in several viable directions on April 23rd, the night when the 2026 NFL Draft begins. It could very well be a defensive player everyone has mocked to the team for months, or perhaps it is a wild card no one sees coming.

For Jason Licht, his formula has not changed. Drafting and developing talent while keeping the core intact defines his team-building approach.

The difference now?

The stakes are higher than ever.

With a new era of Bucs football looming, finding players to lead the next wave will be crucial to sustaining the success the franchise has built over the last decade.