The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books and the Bucs have new players on their roster looking to contribute to the team this upcoming season. Tampa Bay got off to a hot start with the selection of Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. in the first round, and meticulously added to their team in other rounds, too.

Pewter Report certainly thought the Bucs did a great job in this year’s draft, but is that how other talking heads around the league see it? Let’s take a look and see what grades some of the national NFL Draft analysts are giving the Bucs in this year’s draft with excerpts from their explanations.

Bucs Draft Grades Roundup

Mel Kiper, ESPN: B-

“The two picks that really stand out from this draft class, though, are two kids from across the state at Miami. Reuben Bain Jr. mixes power, bend, good angles and burst to be a real pass-rushing problem for opponents. Offensive coordinators have to account for him. He had 9.5 sacks and 71 pressures last season, and he pitched in against the run, too.

“A lot has been made about his short 30⅞-inch arms. But there’s no denying his consistent ability to get home with all of his other traits. With Al-Quadin Muhammad (11 sacks last season) also coming in, the Bucs’ pass rush could be really good in 2026.

“I also liked the Keionte Scott pick a lot. He’s all over the Miami tape, disrupting opposing offenses as a blitzer, chasing down running backs and making plays on the ball in coverage. Scott could factor in as a slot corner or safety. Tampa Bay got him at good value, too — he was No. 80 on my board, so I wasn’t expecting to see him still out there at the 116th pick.

“The tight end position wasn’t addressed until the sixth round. I had it as the top roster need, and Kenyon Sadiq was often matched with the Bucs at the 15th pick. I have no issue with the Bucs taking Bain there (Sadiq and Bain were back to back on my board), but they needed to do something at the position before taking Bauer Sharp in the late rounds.

“Tampa Bay re-signed Cade Otton, but the Bucs could go with a lot of two-tight end sets this season in Zac Robinson’s offense, and it was a missed opportunity to not get a higher-rated prospect.”

Chad Reuter, NFL.com: A-

“Tampa Bay was giddy to find Bain still waiting in the green room in the middle of the first round. He should be one of the top defenders in the draft class, wreaking havoc inside and outside in the Buccaneers’ defensive system. Trotter was picked earlier than I figured he’d be, but he’s a strong, run-stuffing middle linebacker who can help make up for the retirement of Lavonte David.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo courtesy of Missouri Athletics

“Hurst isn’t a physical specimen like former Bucs receiver Mike Evans, but he can contribute as a rookie because of his strong hands and ability to separate off the snap and downfield. Scott’s inability to fit every team’s scheme might have cost him draft position, but Tampa Bay could use the versatile defender at nickel or safety, or as a physical outside corner. Capehart was a fine value as a run-stuffing DT in Round 5.

“Schrauth would likely have been a Day 2 pick if he hadn’t missed time last season with a knee injury; he’s a beast inside who should start this year or next. The Bucs were smart to wait on tight end until late, when they picked up Sharp.”

Danny Kelly, The Ringer: A+

“The Buccaneers land my fifth-ranked player here, and they didn’t even have to move up to do it. Some thought that Bain could fall down the draft board a bit, primarily because of his short arms and a report that found that Bain was the driver in a 2024 car accident that resulted in the death of a passenger in his vehicle. As for his lack of arm length, it never seemed to show up in college, and I don’t think it will be a huge issue for him in the pros.

“He’s just too explosive and too powerful. He should be a big-impact player right away for a team that needed to bolster the ranks on the edge.”

Carter Bahns, CBS Sports: A-

“Defense is the focus of this draft for Tampa Bay, which went with an edge rusher and linebacker in consecutive picks to open the weekend. That’s not a bad move for a team that lost Lavonte David to retirement.

“Arm length is the only knock against Rueben Bain Jr., but it was a big enough question mark to drop him low enough on the board for the Buccaneers to scoop him up at No. 15. While he has some of the shortest arms we’ve ever seen from a first-round edge rusher, that didn’t stop him from terrorizing offenses last year as the most disruptive defensive end in college football. He arrives in Tampa Bay as the answer to the franchise’s biggest weakness: disrupting opposing quarterbacks.”

Nate Davis, USA Today: B

“First-rounder Bain, short arms and all, second-round LB Josiah Trotter and fourth-round CB Keionte Scott could all be Week 1 starters for a club in an atypical state of transition. But don’t be surprised if explosive third-round WR Ted Hurst turns out to be the best of the bunch in the Bucs’ post-Evans world.”

Matt Verderame & Gilberto Menzano, Sports Illustrated: B+

“Bain’s draft slide, which was partly due to his 30 7/8-inch arms, turned out to be a benefit for the Buccaneers, whose biggest roster need was at edge rusher. Bain doesn’t have special athleticism to make up for his lack of arm length, but coach Todd Bowles is going to love his relentless demeanor on the field. Trotter—whose father, Jeremiah, was an All-Pro linebacker with the Eagles—needs to improve in coverage, but he has great instincts and may be an option to replace the recently retired Lavonte David.

“After addressing the needs up-front, Tampa Bay added more numbers in the secondary with Scott, who has inside-outside flexibility.”

Bucs edge Rueben Bain Jr. – Photo by: Jared Lennon – The University of Miami

Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports: Round 1: A Round 2: C+ Round 3: B- 

Round 1: “Bain falling this far is kind of crazy, but the Buccaneers are getting a ton of value here. Bain can win against the run in a big way with physicality, and it should translate to playing against bigger offensive linemen. His arm length might stop him being a 10-sack player every year, but he’s a high-floor player who can make the Buccaneers defense a lot more physical.

Round 2: “The Buccaneers needed to add some speed and youth at linebacker, and the downhill Trotter makes a lot of sense for Todd Bowles’ defense. Trotter has a lot of speed and power to be a fixture for the Buccaneers’ defense for a long time.

Round 3: “Freak athlete who’s walking into a good WR room that needs an X option. Hurst is big and can run, and could fit that mold with some patience and development. Not a bad pick for this range.”

Nick Baumgardner & Scott Dochterman, The Athletic: Round 1: A Round 2: B Round 3: A

Round 1: “Tampa Bay got a steal here. Considered a top-10 talent, Bain fell to No. 15, where he aligned with the Buccaneers’ positional needs. Tampa Bay largely has journeymen at that position group, so Bain immediately gives the group a weapon. How much will Todd Bowles adjust his defense to accommodate Bain, who’s more of a 4-3 edge who can kick inside on passing downs? That remains to be seen.

Round 2: “Trotter (6-2, 240) is a really good run defender. The son of former NFL standout Jeremiah Trotter, Josiah Trotter had some coverage holes in his game as a younger player at Missouri. I would’ve preferred Jake Golday here, but this is a solid pick.

Round 3: “Tampa Bay finds a big speedster to replace Mike Evans and provide another super-talented option for Baker Mayfield. Had Hurst played at Georgia instead of Georgia State, he’d have been a huge name in this cycle. He’s a good pick here, even if he’ll need some time to adjust to a new level of game speed.”

Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Photo courtesy of Georgia State Athletics

Mike Renner, CBS Sports: A+

“Bain was the most dominant force in college football last season. He can set a hard edge in the run game and collapse pockets with ease. What I love most about his game is that he almost never came off the field for the runner-up Hurricanes last year. He fills what was easily the biggest need on the Bucs.

Rob Rang, Fox Sports: A-

GM Jason Licht has made a career out of stealing really good players on draft day (like Emeka Egbuka a year ago, for example) and that happened again here with Bain. The most physically violent player in this draft, Bain’s ability to bulldoze his way through contact translates well to the NFL. The Bucs needed to find someone to operate opposite YaYa Diaby and Bain’s ability to play all over the defensive line should make him an immediate hit.”

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: Round 1: A Round 2: A Round 3: B

Round 1: “The Buccaneers needed to upgrade their pass rush in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 and had to be surprised that Bain, a projected top-10 pick even behind Bailey and Reese, was available. Bain fills a big need and is well positioned to produce right away, building on his in-state physical star turn in leading the Hurricanes defense to the CFP national championship game.

Bucs edge Rueben Bain Jr., GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

Round 2: “The Buccaneers, in the wake of Lavonte David’s retirement inside, needed a physical presence vs. the run. Trotter also can be a bonus asset in coverage in time.

Round 3: “The Buccaneers needed to restore some of the vertical deep threat lost with Mike Evans. Hurst is worth that downfield shot to play well off Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin.

Check out all of Pewter Report’s coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft form our live draft show.