A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: Which Senior Bowl prospect are you most excited to watch this week in Mobile, Alabama?

Scott Reynolds: Can’t Wait To See Future Bucs ILB Jacob Rodriguez

Hey, I can speak it into existence, can’t I? I’ve had a gridiron crush on Texas Tech inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez dating back to 2024 when he led his team with 127 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown, and an interception.

Last year was an even better season for the All-American, as he notched 128 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, one sack, six passes defensed, four interceptions, seven forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown. I love Rodriquez’s consistency and I love his ballhawking ability.

Texas Tech ILB Jacob Rodriguez – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Giese

In his college career, Rodriquez recorded 13 forced fumbles, including seven last year to lead college football, five fumble recoveries and six interceptions. The Texas Tech star also won the Nagurski Award and the Bednarik Award last season and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.

Simply put, Rodriquez is a big play waiting to happen on defense, and Todd Bowles could certain use a big-play, turnover machine in Tampa Bay. He weighed in at 6-foot-1, 233 pounds, which is plenty big to play in the NFL. There are some questions about his arm length and I’ll be curious where those measurements land. That and his 40-time may be his lone question mark in the draft process.

But when it comes to effort, football I.Q. and instincts he makes up for a lack of blazing speed because he’s such a fast processor. With just two linebackers currently under contract – SirVocea Dennis, who is entering a contract year, and Nick Jackson – the Bucs could absolutely use a stud inside linebacker like Rodriguez, who could come in and start right away as a rookie and make an instant impact.

Matt Matera: Romello Height Can Prove He’s An Top Level Edge Rusher

Height is on the older side at 25 years old, but that makes him more established an developed than those in his class. With the Bucs in a win now mode, they don’t have a think about developing a player. They need him to make an impact right away, and he can. He’s like a younger version of Haason Reddick, and they may concern Bucs fans with how Reddick looked last season, but think of it as a Reddick in his prime.

Texas Tech edge rushers David Bailey and Romello Height – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Giese

Tampa Bay needs a pass rusher that already knows how to get to the quarteback and that’s where Height steps in. He’s got a fantastic first step on the snap, immediately giving him an advantage and is relentless on every single play. He can actually cover as well, which we know how Todd Bowles likes to use them frequently in his defensive calls.

The fact that Height has played for four different big time schools shows that moving to a new location in the NFL won’t be a problem for him. Height is as experienced as they come and would be a good fit in Tampa Bay.

Adam Slivon: T.J. Parker Could Rocket Up Bucs Draft Board At The Senior Bowl

I am excited to cover what is already my fourth Senior Bowl with Pewter Report this week, as it provides the chance to watch plenty of top college players from this past season. That includes Clemson’s 6-foot-3, 265-pound pass rusher T.J. Parker. Parker has a résumé that stacks up with some of the other premier edge talent in Mobile, Alabama, and practice sessions could prove valuable in rocketing his draft stock up to the Bucs radar at No. 15.

Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Jeff Blake

Parker had the kind of production you like to see over his past three seasons for the Tigers. The 21-year-old accumulated 21.5 sacks, 41.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries during that span. His sophomore season in 2024 was most noteworthy, as he recorded 11 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, and the aforementioned six forced fumbles in just a 14-game span. While 2025 was not as gaudy a stat line (9.5 TFLs, five sacks, and team-leading three fumble recoveries), he has garnered first-round chatter.

What gets me excited about Parker goes beyond the statistics. He gets to the quarterback in a variety of ways, displaying bull rush power, physical hands that club and shed, and the leverage to bend the pocket off the edge. Can he show off that kind of toolkit in one-on-one drills at the Senior Bowl? If Parker shines, his current late-first-round projection could turn into a mid-first-round discussion. He has a high ceiling at just 21, giving him plenty of time to develop and refine his pass rush repertoire as he unlocks his skill set at the next level.

If T.J. Parker brings energy, wins reps, and flashes that combo of strength and technique this week, his Senior Bowl performance could be a defining moment in his rise up draft boards. I am excited to watch every rep.

Bailey Adams: Gabe Jacas, The Next Great Pass Rusher Out Of Illinois?

The Bucs are in desperate need of pass rush help, and while some of the top names ultimately dropped out of the Senior Bowl, there are still several intriguing pass rushers to watch this week in Mobile. Of the bunch, I think I’m most excited to see Illinois’ Gabe Jacas, a Port. St. Lucie product who starred for the Fighting Illini to the tune of 27 sacks over the last four years.

Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Ron Johnson

Jacas made an immediate impact for Illinois as a freshman in 2022, finishing the year with 35 pressures, four sacks and five tackles for loss. He was Illinois’ rookie of the year, plus he was a FWAA Freshman All-American, the second in program history (behind Akeem Spence) and the first ever true freshman to earn the honor in the program’s history. Add ESPN True Freshman All-American, 247Sports True Freshman All-American and College Football News True Freshman All-American honors and you have a budding star.

As a sophomore in 2023, Jacas’ pressure numbers dipped to 22, but he held at four sacks. Then came a junior season that saw him break out with 44 pressures, eight sacks, 13 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. And then, as a senior team captain this past season, he put up 41 pressures and a career-high 11 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, along with another three forced fumbles.

Jacas has size, speed and athleticism, allowing him to win off the edge in a variety of ways. He’s the 39th-ranked player on PFF’s big board, putting him in the second-round range right now. I’m curious to see what he can do during Senior Bowl week and whether he pushes for first-round status or slides back toward the middle or bottom of the second round. Time will tell.

But wouldn’t it be something if five months after inducting former Illinois phenom Simeon Rice into their Ring of Honor, the Bucs went and drafted another stud Illinois pass rusher in Jacas? Jacas finished his career as the second-leading sacker in Fighting Illini history, trailing only Rice.

Josh Queipo: Lee Hunter – Heir Apparent to Vita Vea?

Hunter was a really fun watch to start draft prep. You don’t typically see guys his size move as quick as he does. That is unless you watch the Bucs on a regular basis. Hunter can with knock back power or pair a quick lateral step to cross face while stunning offensive linemen with a devastating club to create his own lane to the backfield.

He is a plus as a run defender who gives enough as a pass rusher to remain on the field all three downs. And the Bucs could use some help on the interior of their defensive line. Tampa Bay’s depth on the interior didn’t give Vea much help in the absence of Calijah Kancey for most of the year. Elijah Roberts had some moments early in the season. But he experienced a rookie wall that he struggled to push through. Logan Hall was probably the Bucs’ second-best interior defensive lineman. I think that sums up what the team got from that room. Now compare their struggles to this nugget.

The Broncos got the most pressures in the NFL from their starting defensive tackle duo. The Seahawks were second. The Rams were third. The Patriots were fourth. I think I just noticed a pattern. (via @NextGenStats).

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) January 22, 2026

Calijah Kancey could be special if he can stay healthy. But the Bucs can’t count on that. They need to look for a starter on the interior and be pleasantly surprised if Kancey stays on the field. Hunter finished in the 91st percentile in defensive stop rate, the 99th percentile in tackle for loss rate and the 89th percentile in pass rush win rate. He can provide the top-end depth the Bucs need in case Kancey drops again while also providing the long-term heir apparent to Vita Vea, who is now over 30 years old.