Pewter Report’s position previews for the 2026 NFL Draft are done and now it’s time to see who the Bucs select to upgrade their roster. One of the highlights from each position preview that we do is forecasting the most ideal players who Tampa Bay could draft at those positions. We call them Pewter Report’s Bucs Best Bets, and we select a player at each position who could be drafted by the team in rounds 1-3 and then another selection on Day 3 in rounds 4-7.

Here are Pewter Report’s picks for this year.

To read the position previews with extra intel on each Bucs Best Bet, click on the linked position groups.

Pewter Report’s 2026 Bucs Best Bets

QUARTERBACKS

ROUNDS 1-3: QB Drew Allar – Penn State

It’s doubtful the Bucs draft a quarterback at all this year with new backup Jake Browning arriving in free agency – let alone before Day 3. But Allar has some intriguing tools and a playing style similar to that of Baker Mayfield. He also met with the team informally at the NFL Scouting Combine.

ROUNDS 4-7: QB Jalon Daniels – Kansas

It’s unlikely that Tampa Bay drafts a quarterback at all this year with Browning and Connor Bazelak backing up Mayfield. But Daniels is a mobile quarterback who could bring a different dimension to the offense. He’s got a good arm and was an official 30 visitor. Daniels might be an option as a seventh-round pick or an undrafted free agent.

RUNNING BACKS

ROUNDS 1-3: RB Mike Washington Jr. – Arkansas

The Bucs have a really good backfield with Bucky Irving, newly signed Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker. Washington, who met with the Bucs formally and also as an official 30 visitor, brings good size at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds and would add a different body type to the RB room in the third round. He also has blazing 4.33 speed and good hands out of the backfield.

Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr. – Photo by: Nelson Chenault – IMAGN Images

ROUNDS 4-7: RB Emmett Johnson – Nebraska

If Tampa Bay does draft another running back to compete with Irving, Gainwell and Tucker it would likely come on Day 3. Johnson is an incredibly shifty running back with good contact balance and excellent hands. He would be a fantastic scheme fit with the Bucs, but would drafting another running back be too much of a luxury, especially with a lot of needs on defense this year?

WIDE RECEIVERS

ROUNDS 1-3: WR Ted Hurst – Georgia State

Hurst’s stock is on the rise, as he went from being a Day 3 pick to a Day 2 pick after a great showing at the Senior Bowl. After running a 4.42 at the Combine and excelling in the pre-draft process, there’s a chance that Hurst could go in the second round. The Bucs formally interviewed Hurst at the Combine and are looking for a big X receiver to replace Mike Evans. At 6-foot-3, 192 pounds Hurst fits the description.

ROUNDS 4-7: WR De’Zhaun Stribling – Ole Miss

Is Stribling a Day 2 pick because of his 6-foot-2, 207-pound frame and 4.36 speed? Or is he a Day 3 pick because he’s never been a true No. 1 receiver, never posted a 1,000-yard season and runs a limited route tree? The Bucs brought him in for an official 30 visit, and he fits the profile of a big X receiver that could stretch the field vertically in Evans’ absence.

TIGHT ENDS

ROUNDS 1-3: TE Oscar Delp – Georgia

Delp’s pre-draft stock is on the rise due to a great pro day workout and he’ll definitely be gone by Day 3. Underused as a receiver at Georgia, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Bulldogs tight end opened eyes with a 4.49 time in his 40-yard dash. That speed shows up on tape and he’s a willing in-line blocker when asked to do so. Delp had an official 30 visit with the Bucs.

Georgia TE Oscar Delp – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Alan Poizner

ROUNDS 4-7: TE Will Kacmarek – Ohio State

Kacmarek was the “other tight end” at Ohio State, taking a backseat as a receiver to No. 1 tight end Max Klare. While he lacks the speed and athleticism to do much after the catch, Kacmarek has good hands as an outlet receiver underneath. But Kacmarek is mainly known for his blocking, as he’s a mean brute in the trenches. Kacmarek shined at the Senior Bowl and was formally interviewed at the Combine by Tampa Bay.

OFFENSIVE TACKLES

ROUNDS 1-3: OT Gennings Dunker – Iowa

The Bucs haven’t shown a lot of interest in offensive linemen this year, and certainly don’t have the need to draft an offensive tackle. Not with two ace starters in Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke in the lineup along with Justin Skule and Ben Chukwuma as reserves. But the Bucs love to draft athletic offensive tackles and move them inside to guard. Dunker played at Iowa, is a ginger and has a mullet. That checks a lot of boxes for Jason Licht.

ROUNDS 4-7: OT Kage Casey – Boise State

Like Dunker, if the Bucs were to draft Casey, who played left tackle at Boise State, he would kick inside to guard. The Bucs met with him informally at the Combine, and Licht could always call former Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter, who has spent the last couple of seasons as a coach at Boise State for a good reference on Casey.

INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

ROUNDS 1-3: IOL Vega Ioane – Penn State

To Pewter Report’s knowledge, the team hasn’t done a lot of homework on Ioane – publicly. There was no known interview at the Combine, nor was their an official 30 visit that we are aware of. But Ioane was an All-American guard and the top-rated interior offensive lineman in this year’s draft and could be a stealth pick by Tampa Bay. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder may be too good to pass up in the first round at No. 15 if he’s still on the board.

ROUNDS 4-7: IOL Jeremiah Wright – Auburn

The Bucs had an informal interview with Wright at the Combine and he seems to check a lot of the boxes that the team looks for along the offensive line. At 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, Wright has tremendous size and plays with a mean streak. He’s a mauler and a fantastic finisher in the run game, and he’s solid in pass protection due to his big, strong hands and sturdy base. Wright might be a great fit in the fourth or fifth round.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

ROUNDS 1-3: DT Lee Hunter – Texas Tech

The Bucs have done a lot of homework on Hunter, interviewing him at the Senior Bowl, formally interviewing him at the NFL Scouting Combine and then hosting him on an official 30 visit. The former UCF star had a great season in his lone year with Texas Tech. At 6-foot-3, 322 pounds, Hunter is big and strong, but he also has a great first step and the quickness to penetrate the backfield. In a weak class of defensive tackles, he could be targeted in the second round.

Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Michael C. Johnson

ROUNDS 4-7: DT DeMonte Capehart – Clemson

Capehart was a bit of an underachiever at Clemson. Despite his 6-foot-5, 312-pound frame, the powerful Capehart wasn’t much of a stat producer, and was often overshadowed playing next to defensive end T.J. Parker and defensive tackle Peter Woods. But Capehart, who was an official 30 visit, turned heads with a 4.85 time in the 40-yard dash and has some unlocked potential in him that could make the risk of taking him in the fourth or fifth round worth it.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS

ROUNDS 1-3: OLB Akheem Mesidor – Miami

The Bucs desperately need to improve their pass rush production from the outside linebacker position, and Mesidor, who is a first-round talent, could be the answer for Tampa Bay. The team had a formal interview with him at the Combine after he recorded 12.5 sacks for the Hurricanes. Mesidor is 25, but also has 35.5 career sacks and enters the league pro-ready with a wide array of pass rush moves and a relentless playing style.

ROUNDS 4-7: OLB Nadame Tucker – Western Michigan

A veteran of many Pewter Report mock drafts, including our first back in January, Tucker is an older prospect, who will turn 26 in June. But he’s coming off a 14.5-sack season and is a late bloomer. A bit undersized, Tucker wins with quickness off the snap and speed around the corner. He may not be a full-time starter candidate, but as a Day 3 selection he could be a quality designated pass rusher.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS

ROUNDS 1-3: ILB Josiah Trotter – Missouri

While we would like to have Jacob Rodriguez here as a Bucs Best Bet (he’s in Pewter Report’s Final Bucs Mock Draft), you don’t always get what you want. Rodriguez figures to go ahead of pick No. 46 in the second round. So Trotter, who came in for an official 30 visit, is the pick here due to his age (21) and upside. He’s also a bigger inside ‘backer at 240 pounds with great blitzing instincts and the strength to stack and shed as a second- or third-round pick.

Missouri ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: IMAGN Images

ROUNDS 4-7: ILB Kendal Daniels – Oklahoma

The Bucs probably wouldn’t wait until Day 3 to draft Daniels to be a starting Mike linebacker, as he’s more of a developmental player making the transition from safety. But if Tampa Bay were to double dip at the position – as they should consider doing – drafting a big, heavy hitter with great coverage instincts like the 6-foot-5, 242-pound Daniels would be a great get on Day 3.

CORNERBACKS

ROUNDS 1-3: CB Chris Johnson – San Diego State

Johnson is a late first-round prospect, and the thinking here is that he could be one of the players the Bucs may target should the team try to move down in round one. With a 6-foot, 190-pound frame and sub-4.5 speed, Johnson is a solid, athletic playmaker who could be a starting-caliber cornerback right away in the NFL. The Bucs had a pre-draft Zoom call with him.

ROUNDS 4-7: CB Devin Moore – Florida

The Bucs could use some more size in the secondary with the departure of 6-foot-1 cornerback Jamel Dean in free agency. Moore is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds and came in to One Buc Place for a local pre-draft visit. He’s battled injuries through much of his career, but started 10 games last season and played well. Moore could also be a Day 1 starter on special teams as a Day 3 pick.

SAFETIES

ROUNDS 1-3: S Treydan Stukes – Arizona

The Bucs formally interviewed Stukes at the NFL Scouting Combine and it’s easy to see why. He’s an incredibly athletic, versatile defensive back capable of playing either safety spot, nickelback or even outside cornerback. With a 6-foot frame and 4.33 speed, Stukes is an intriguing option on Day 2 to replace the versatile Christian Izien, who left in free agency.

ROUNDS 4-7: S Cole Wisniewski – Texas Tech

The Bucs had Wisniewski in for an official 30 visit prior to the draft. At 6-foot-3, the Texas Tech star safety would add some size to the secondary and give Todd Bowles a match-up option against bigger tight ends like Atlanta’s 6-foot-6 Kyle Pitts. While he didn’t record an interception in two seasons for the Red Raiders, Wisniewski notched eight INTs in 2023 at North Dakota State.

Join Pewter Report’s LIVE 3-Day Bucs Draft Show – April 23-25

Pewter Report will be broadcasting its annual LIVE 3-Day Bucs Draft Show – presented by PrizePicks – from One Buccaneer Place on April 23-25. Buccaneers fans are encouraged to watch nearly 20 hours of wall-to-wall draft coverage from the Pewter Report staff streamed on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel, which has nearly 23,000 subscribers.

The LIVE 3-Day Draft Show will also be streamed on PewterReport.com in addition to Pewter Report’s X and Facebook accounts – @PewterReport. Here are the broadcast times:

Thursday, April 23 – 7:00 pm ET / Day 1 starts at 8:00 pm ET
Friday, April 24 – 6:00 pm ET / Day 2 starts at 7:00 pm ET
Saturday, April 25 – 11:00 am ET / Day 3 starts at noon ET

The entire Pewter Report staff will be on hand to preview and discuss each of the team’s draft picks, offering insight and analysis found nowhere else – in addition to answering questions from fans and reading their comments from the chat on-air.

The Pewter Report staff will also be offering live reaction from interviews with general manager Jason Licht, head coach Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay’s draft picks following their selections.