Did Bucs general manager Jason Licht tip his hand about the team’s draft plans and strategy this year? Or was Licht using the media as a tool to put the word out that Tampa Bay might be interested in trading down from the 15th overall pick to acquire more draft selections?

Either way, Licht said that this year he was more open to trading down when asked if he would consider trading up in the draft when addressing the media at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.

“We go through all those scenarios,” Licht said. “We look at all that (possibly trading up), but you know, [we] love picks. I’m not saying that there wouldn’t be a scenario where we moved up, but we have a lot of places where we want to add some depth, add some starters, add some help. But right now, it would be more attractive to collect more picks. But I’m not saying that we wouldn’t move up.”

Licht said the Bucs’ personnel staff is already game-planning scenarios where the team can trade down in preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins on April 23.

“You do it early – like now,” Licht said. “You start going through scenarios. ‘If these guys are gone, we would like to trade back.’ But it’s not always that simple. You have to have a trade partner. You have to have people who want to come up.

“You have to know that the next group of players that you might not want to lose. It’s a process that we go through from now until the draft and try to figure out what you would take, and what you would ask for, and what you would settle for and all those things. It comes down to making sure you don’t want to lose out on good players.”

Bucs general manager Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Licht and the Buccaneers have had better luck hitting on higher draft picks than lower ones in recent years. Since 2018, Tampa Bay has drafted inside the Top 15 three times and all three of those picks were hits who made the Pro Bowl and helped the team win Super Bowl LV.

Licht traded down from seventh overall to select defensive tackle Vita Vea, a two-time Pro Bowler, with the 12th overall selection and acquired extra draft capital in the process. In 2019, the Bucs had the fifth overall pick and used it on inside linebacker Devin White, who made the Pro Bowl in 2021 before his play declined in Tampa Bay. The next year, Licht traded up one spot to No. 13 to select Tristan Wirfs, who has become an All-Pro offensive tackle.

However, when selecting outside the top 15 since then, Licht and the Bucs haven’t been as fortunate. After winning Super Bowl LV, the team used the 32nd overall pick on outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who failed to develop into a good pass rusher.

The next year, the Bucs traded out of the first round in 2022 to select defensive tackle Logan Hall, who underwhelmed, with the No. 33 overall pick. In 2023, the Bucs used the 19th overall selection on defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who has been good when healthy, but has missed 21 games due to injury.

Tampa Bay drafted center Graham Barton with the 26th pick in 2024 and selected wide receiver Emeka Egbuka with the 19th pick last year. Both have showed some promise and potential, but it’s too early to tell if either can develop into a Pro Bowler.

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs and former Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

“Every draft is very unique with the amount of players that you feel are elite,” Licht said. “This draft, I’m very excited about the players we could get in not just the first round, but there’s a point in the first round where you have to take a step back and you think about collecting more picks because I think the players that you can get in the second through sixth round are really good.”

Part of the reason why the Bucs might want to trade down rather than trade up is because the team has a lot of needs at outside linebacker, inside linebacker, tight end, cornerback, defensive tackle and guard – whether it’s looking for a possible starter at one of those positions or depth at all of them. When teams have a lot of needs, they need a lot of picks to address them.

“We have a lot of needs,” Licht said. “It’s a good thing when you have – which I think is still a very good team – that has a lot of needs. So it keeps a lot of options.”

Bucs Won’t Rule Out Drafting An Offensive Player In The First Round

Just because the Bucs drafted a wide receiver like Emeka Egbuka last year in the first round doesn’t mean that the team won’t select one this year in the first round, either. While the team likes the current depth at wide receiver, it wouldn’t hurt to find a big X like Washington’s Denzel Boston to split end with Mike Evans’ departure.

“100%, yeah,” Licht said when asked if he would consider drafting another player on offense in the first round. “I think we still have a very good offense. I am very excited about our running back room, our receiver room, our offensive line, Baker – and to make something that I think is going to be very good – to make it even better is only going to help our team.”

Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Vincent Carchietta

Notice how Licht didn’t mention tight end. Just because the team signed Cade Otton to a three-year deal worth $30 million doesn’t mean that Tampa Bay isn’t interested in finding another starting-caliber tight end like Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq, who carries a first-round grade, for 12 personnel sets.