April is here and we’re a few weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft with the heavy lifting in free agency all but over. Now it’s time for Pewter Report’s 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft 4.0 – presented by Jorgensen Law P.A. Be sure to tune into Pewter Report’s Mock Draft Show to discuss the first Bucs mock draft live at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 2 on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel.

Head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht are back from the NFL Annual Meeting and looking to improve a team that slumped from a 6-2 start to finish 8-9 and lose the NFC South division to Carolina. Bowles made several changes to his coaching staff, including replacing offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard with former Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

The Bucs did not retain many of their free agents this offseason. Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans departed for San Francisco despite Tampa Bay making him a sizeable offer. The Bucs made little to no effort to retain defensive tackle Logan Hall, outside linebacker Haason Reddick, defensive tackle Greg Gaines or cornerback Jamel Dean, while running back Rachaad White made it clear he was not going to return even if the team wanted him back.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Scott Reynolds/PR

The Bucs did re-sign starting tight end Cade Otton, backup guard Dan Feeney and tight end Ko Kieft, while picking up the team option on punter Riley Dixon’s contract.

But legendary linebacker Lavonte David did retire after 14 fantastic years in Tampa Bay, which means that the franchise lost not just one icon, but two this offseason.

To fill the roles of some of those departing players, Tampa Bay has signed the following free agents: defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, running back Kenny Gainwell, inside linebackers Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom, outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad, backup quarterback Jake Browning and special teams ace Miles Killebrew.

Bucs Personnel Needs

Inside Linebacker

Despite the addition of Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom to the roster, the Bucs still need to build up their linebacker room with Lavonte David’s retirement. The Bucs have just three veterans on their roster including last year’s starting middle linebacker, SirVocea Dennis, who is entering a contract year. Behind those three is 2025 undrafted free agent Nick Jackson, who spent the majority of 2025 on the practice squad.

The Bucs need to continue to add to this room and draft a starting-caliber Mike linebacker to challenge Rozeboom and Dennis, and a young Mo’ linebacker to learn from Anzalone and eventually replace him on the weakside. With a draft that has real depth at linebacker, Tampa Bay needs to add at least one to this group – likely in the first three rounds – and another on Day 3.

Outside Linebacker

Letting Haason Reddick go, which was expected, left a hole at starting outside linebacker. David Walker, a 2025 fourth-round pick who the team is high on but missed all of last year with a torn ACL, is someone the team is hoping can help raise the floor of the group as a depth player who will log meaningful snaps. The same can be said for Al-Quadin Muhammad, who was a quality designated pass rusher for the Lions last year, notching 11 sacks and over 50 pressures at the age of 30.

Bucs OLB Al-Quadin Muhammad – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Lon Horwedel

Yaya Diaby is the undisputed head of this group. He has been near the top of the NFL edge rusher leaderboards in pressures over the past two years and has logged seven and 7.5 sacks in two of his first three seasons in the NFL. Other holdovers from the 2025 team include Anthony Nelson, who is a solid run defender with great length at 6-foot-7 but lacks upside as a pass rusher, as well as 2024 second-round draft pick Chris Braswell, who the team is quickly losing faith in.

The Bucs need to add another edge rusher to help round out a pass rushing group that suddenly looks better at the bottom but still lacks impact at the top.

Tight End

The Bucs brought back Cade Otton and Ko Kieft, keeping the 2025 tight end room intact. But if Otton were to go down for any significant amount of time, the position would be bereft of any real threat. Kieft is a blocker by trade, operating as a quasi-sixth lineman and as a special teams ace on coverage units.

Payne Durham has operated as the team’s de facto TE2 for a couple of seasons now but has failed to stand out in any facet of the game. Devin Culp, the 2024 seventh-round pick, has failed to translate his athleticism into a climb up the depth chart and earn any meaningful playing time.

The Bucs could use an ‘F’ tight end for 12 personnel who can act as an intermediate-to-vertical threat split off the line of scrimmage who can force Durham, Kieft and Culp to fight it out for the TE3 role. The Bucs had seven formal interviews with tight ends at the NFL Scouting Combine and have at least three known official 30 visits with tight ends this offseason.

Defensive Tackle

A’Shawn Robinson was a good first step in helping replace the snaps lost with the departures of Greg Gaines and Logan Hall. Theoretically, Robinson will split the duties of the two, taking Hall’s snaps on early base downs in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defensive front and then acting as a backup nose tackle to Vita Vea as Gaines has done for the last three years. And, again theoretically, a healthy Calijah Kancey gives the team a very good top three at defensive tackle.

Bucs DT A’Shawn Robinson – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Robert Deutch

But Kancey is entering his fourth season and can’t stay healthy, missing an average of seven games per season. Vea just turned 31 and is entering a contract year. Finding a future starter or two in this year’s draft class would be ideal for immediate depth and long-term planning purposes.

Elijah Roberts, the team’s 2025 fifth-round pick, was thrust into more snaps than the team expected last year and showed flashes as a pass rusher. But he needs a strong offseason where he builds strength to improve his ability to fit the run. Jayson Jones and Elijah Simmons are massive humans who the team picked up midseason last year and could provide strong run defense for a handful of snaps each game.

The Bucs could use some additional pass rush talent to challenge the back of the roster players for the sixth spot on the depth chart.

Cornerback

With Jamel Dean now gone, Zyon McCollum becomes the veteran presence in the room. But he is coming off of a down season after signing a three-year, $48 million contract extension. Behind McCollum, two second-year draft picks will battle it out for the other starter role opposite him. Those players, second-round pick Benjamin Morrison and third-round pick Jacob Parrish, both logged significant snaps as rookies to varying degrees of success.

Parrish will be the starting nickel regardless of if he wins the starting job on base personnel. But behind those three the quality drops quickly. J.J. Roberts, a 2025 undrafted free agent, was impressive in preseason last year before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. He should back up Parrish at nickel and can also play safety, but on the outside, the team only has Josh Hayes, who has been mostly a core special teamer since being drafted in 2023. Veteran Kindle Vildor wasn’t re-signed after several busted coverages last year.

Tampa Bay could use a veteran pickup and a draft pick between now and training camp in August to fill out the depth chart. Those players should be able to play on the perimeter and give the Bucs more depth at a position that takes a toll on a player’s body.

Bucs’ 2026 Draft Picks

Tampa Bay currently has all seven of its own draft picks in 2026. The team did not receive any compensatory draft picks this year.

Round 1: No. 15 overall
Round 2: No. 46 overall
Round 3: No. 77 overall
Round 4: No. 116 overall
Round 5: No. 155 overall
Round 6: No. 195 overall
Round 7: No. 229 overall

Pewter Report’s 2026 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft series is presented by Jorgensen Law P.A. Need a personal injury attorney or legal help with workers’ comp or social security? Turn to Jorgensen Law P.A. Attorneys Spencer and Grady Jorgensen are huge Tampa Bay fans and Pewter Report readers with a law office located in St. Petersburg, Fla. They are the champions of the injured and disabled.

Call them at (727) 347-7733 for a FREE consultation – and NO FEES until they win for you! Visit JorgensenLawOffice.com for more information.

Pewter Report’s 2026 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft 4.0

By Scott Reynolds and Josh Queipo

ROUND 1 – Miami OLB Akheem Mesidor
Senior • 6-3, 259

The Bucs go with a pass rusher in the first round, but it’s not Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell like we had in our second Pewter Report 2026 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft. This time it’s Akheem Mesidor, who recorded 12.5 sacks last year for Miami, including two in the National Championship loss to Indiana. Mesidor had more sacks than Rueben Bain Jr. (9.5) and some scouts and NFL talent evaluators believe he is better than Bain when it comes to rushing the passer.

Mesidor played two years at West Virginia and arrived on campus as a 6-foot-3, 200-pound safety/linebacker/defensive end from Ottawa, Ontario by way of Clearwater Academy International in Clearwater, Florida. He then went through a growth spurt and by his sophomore season was a 272-pound defensive end and defensive tackle. He notched 9.5 sacks in two seasons with the Mountaineers before transferring to Miami in 2022.

Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor – Photo by IMAGN Images – Jerome Miron

His first year with the Hurricanes was a success, as he registered 10.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks before suffering torn ligaments in his feet the next year that required surgery and ended his 2023 campaign early in the season. Mesidor came back the next season and didn’t miss a game in 2024, recording nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, mostly at defensive tackle.

In Mesidor’s final season, Hurricanes defensive ends/pass rush coach Jason Taylor, wanted him to play full-time as an edge rusher. So Mesidor shed over 20 pounds and increased his stamina. The result was recording a career-high 63 tackles and 17.5 sacks, in addition to 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles playing opposite Bain. Mesidor showed off his versatility as an interior rusher on occasion, using his initial quickness and get-off to beat guards to pressure and sack the quarterback.

Akheem Mesidor’s Defensive Stats
2020: 32 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 5 sacks
2021: 38 tackles, 8 TFLs, 4.5 sacks
2022: 38 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 7 sacks, 4 PBUs
2023: 5 tackles, TFL, sack
2024: 32 tackles, 9 TFLs, 5.5 sacks
2025: 63 tackles, 17.5 TFLs, 12.5 sacks, 4 FFs

Mesidor, who finished his collegiate career with 52.5 tackles for loss and 35.5 sacks, is a high I.Q. football player with a wide variety of pass rush moves. He can win with speedy, agility or power as a bendy outside rusher or with the lateral quickness to flash inside. Mesidor plays with toughness, physicality and a relentless motor. Taylor has commented that Mesidor is “all ball” and serious about his craft.

Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor – Photo by IMAGN Images – Sam Navarro

Mesidor did receive a clean bill of health at the NFL Scouting Combine medical check about his past foot injuries. He missed just one game (Stanford in 2025) due to a leg injury over the last two years and proved to be quite durable. At 259 pounds he’s nearly 20 pounds heavier than Haason Reddick last year, and Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has stated that he wants a bigger, stouter defense this year.

Bowles and general manager Jason Licht have also said they doesn’t care about drafting older players, and Mesidor turns 25 on April 5. They just want to draft a very good football player, and that’s what Mesidor is. The fact that Mesidor is already in his early prime physically and mentally should be viewed as a positive for a Bucs defense that needs an instant impact pass rusher.

ROUND 2 – Cincinnati ILB Jake Golday
Senior • 6-4, 239

After addressing outside linebacker in the first round, the Bucs address inside linebacker in the second round with the selection of Jake Golday. While Akheem Mesidor adds size at the edge rusher position, Golday brings more size to the middle of the Bucs defense. He began his career at Central Arkansas where he played two years with David Walker, Tampa Bay’s fourth-round pick last year.

Golday, who has 4.62 speed, moved from defensive end in 2022 to middle linebacker in 2023 where he led the Bears in tackles with 84, in addition to producing 4.5 sacks. He then transferred to Cincinnati for the final two years of his college career where he played all three linebacker positions – Sam (strongside), Mike (middle) and Will (weakside).

Cincinnati ILB Jake Golday – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Cam Fancher

Golday is an ideal middle linebacker in Tampa Bay as he has the size and physicality to stack and shed blocks between the tackles and stuff the running game. He’s athletic enough to drop in coverage in shallow zones across the middle or buzz out into the flats. Golday showed a tremendous amount of improvement during his senior year as he notched a career-high 105 tackles.

Jake Golday’s Defensive Stats
2021: 4 tackles
2022: 37 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, sack, FF
2023: 84 tackles, 7 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, FF
2024: 58 tackles, 7 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 2 PBUs, 2 FFs, FR
2025: 105 tackles, 6 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 3 PBUs, FF

Golday is a very hard-worker, smart player with the football I.Q. to wear the green dot and call the defense. His cerebral playing style should appeal to head coach Todd Bowles, who demands intelligence and communication from his linebackers. Golday, who is an effective blitzer, could start as a rookie or rotate in a platoon that featured veteran newcomer Christian Rozeboom or SirVocea Dennis getting the start until he picks up Bowles’ complex defense.

If he’s not an immediate starter, Golday could be a sure-fire impact player on special teams due to his size, speed, physicality and mental makeup.

ROUND 3 – Florida State DT Darrell Jackson Jr.
Senior • 6-5, 315

The Bucs stick with defense in the third round and continue to add more size on defense with Darrell Jackson Jr., who is a huge defensive tackle capable of playing multiple positions. Jackson is a physical force up front, who started his career at Maryland before transferring to Miami for two seasons and then spending his final two years at Florida State where he was voted the team MVP in 2025.

Jackson has a nasty demeanor on the field and plays like a bully. There is not much finesse to his game – just sheer raw power. He wins with a devastating bull rush that can drive interior offensive linemen back into the quarterback’s lap. Jackson had a sack against North Carolina’s mobile quarterback Drake Maye while he was at Miami and then had two sacks on Miami’s Cam Ward in his first full season at Florida State after playing in just a few games in 2023 before redshirting.

Florida State DT Darrell Jackson Jr. – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Robert Myers

Jackson has giant hands and long arms that produce a 7-foot-2 wingspan. While he has some pass rush ability and notched 7.5 sacks in college, Jackson is known to be more of a run stuffer with the strength and size to effectively two-gap.

Darrell Jackson Jr.’s Defensive Stats
2021: 22 tackles
2022: 27 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, PBU
2023: 3 tackles, 0.5 TFL
2024: 32 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, FF
2025: 45 tackles, 3 TFLs, sack

Jackson would serve as a backup nose tackle in Tampa Bay and potentially be Vita Vea’s eventual replacement. Vea turned 31 this offseason and is in a contract year. And he could also serve as a backup to A’Shawn Robinson, who replaced Logan Hall as a 4i defensive end in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defensive front.

The addition of Jackson would allow Elijah Roberts more time to develop and concentrate on being a three-technique defensive tackle behind Calijah Kancey as he enters his second season in Tampa Bay.

ROUND 4 – California CB Hezekiah Masses
Senior • 6-1, 179

The Bucs could use another cornerback as the team didn’t re-sign Jamel Dean, Kindle Vildor or practice squad cornerback Bryce Hall this offseason. Hezekiah Masses is another ball hawking cornerback in the mold of last year’s Day 2 selections, Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. While he’s undersized at 179 pounds, Masses has decent length at 6-foot-1, and he plays bigger than his size would indicate.

Masses is an aggressive defensive back with a knack for playing the ball. After four years at Florida International, Masses transferred to Cal where he blossomed into a ballhawk with 13 pass breakups and five interceptions. Although sometimes he can be a little too aggressive in coverage, which can lead to a few penalties.

Cal CB Hezekiah Masses – Photo courtesy of Cal Athletics

Hezekiah Masses’ Defensive Stats
2022: 25 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 4 PBUs, FR
2023: 42 tackles, 4 PBUs, INT, FR, TD
2024: 38 tackles, TFL, 4 PBUs, INT, FF
2025: 47 tackles, TFL, 13 PBUs, 5 INTs

Masses plays with great anticipation and is adept at playing zone defense where he can read a quarterback’s eyes without losing track of the receiver he’s covering. While he ran a solid 4.46 at the NFL Scouting Combine, he’s not an explosive athlete, which makes him a Day 3 selection.

However, Masses is physical for size and plays with a great deal of competitiveness. He has the chance to possibly develop into a starting-caliber cornerback in time, or at the very least be a high-quality reserve and depth piece in Todd Bowles’ defense.

ROUND 5 – Auburn OG Jeremiah Wright
Senior • 6-5, 331

Jeremiah Wright is a converted defensive lineman who switched to offensive line after entering college and playing defense for a season. He is large human who can bring size and power to the depth of the Bucs’ offensive line. Last year right guard Cody Mauch was lost early in the year for the entire season and Ben Bredeson dealt with some minor injuries as well. Dan Feeney, Mike Jordan and Luke Haggard filled in, and the interior of the offensive line became a big impediment to the team’s success.

The team drafted Elijah Klein two years ago, but as the Bucs continued to put other players in over him, it appears he isn’t developing to their liking, and Tampa Bay could use another young developmental talent on the inside. Wright has a fantastic anchor and a reputation as a strong pass blocker throughout his college career. His strong lower half makes him an ideal fit for a gap-based rushing attack, which the Bucs have been for the last year-and-a-half.

Auburn G Jeremiah Wright – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Jay Biggerstaff

Jeremiah Wright’s Offensive Stats
2022: 12 games, 234 snaps, 7 pressures allowed, 6.7% pressure rate allowed
2023: 11 games, 264 snaps, 5 pressures allowed, 4.5% pressure rate allowed
2024: 12 games, 731 snaps, 8 pressures allowed, 1.8% pressure rate allowed
2025: 12 games, 767 snaps, 22 pressures allowed, 4.9% pressure rate allowed

Wright has solid arm length to go with his impressive mass. He likes to leverage his strong lower half to drive defenders off their spot in the run game, especially on double teams. He can loop and pull with a solid targeting system that make him a nightmare for crashing second and third level defenders. Wright has a nasty demeanor and loves to finish. As a pass protector he is at his best when he can drop his anchor and take defenders on down the middle.

Wright is limited by his heavy feet, marginal athleticism and inconsistent hand placement. These can lead to ugly reps where he is left leaning, grasping or chasing. His slow footspeed is compounded when he has to face defenders attacking from non-linear angles as a part of complex rush games because his eyes can be late to the party.

Wright’s physical profile and mindset make him an intriguing Day 3 upside play.

ROUND 6 – Oklahoma ILB Kendal Daniels
Senior • 6-5, 242

After selecting Cincinnati’s Jake Golday in the second round to man the middle linebacker spot, the Bucs come back and Day 3 and land another linebacker to play the Moneybacker role on the weak side, which Lavonte David played. Alex Anzalone was signed as David’s replacement, but at age 31 he’s viewed as a short-term fix for Tampa Bay. Kendal Daniels is a player who started as a safety at Oklahoma State but continued to grow and fill out as he got older.

At 6-foot-5, 242 pounds with a safety background, Daniels has rather unique size and ability. The Bucs have interviewed a couple of overhang linebackers who operate in the slot, including Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis and Alabama’s Justin Jefferson. But both of those players are around 6-foot-1, 220 pounds and are not ideal candidates to play in the box as a linebacker due to their lack of size. Daniels started his career at Oklahoma State as a 6-foot-4, 205-pound safety, but kept growing and adding size and muscle.

As a safety, Daniels recorded 13 pass breakups and five interceptions in three seasons on the field for the Cowboys. He also forced a pair of fumbles, recovered two fumbles and notched a safety. Daniels began his transition to linebacker in his final season at Oklahoma State where he recorded 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

After four seasons at Oklahoma State, Daniel took a more lucrative NIL deal and transferred across the state to Oklahoma where he played middle linebacker and overhang linebacker in Brent Venables’ scheme. Daniels plays much faster than his 4.7 speed would indicate, and it’s his lack of great timed speed that will cause his draft stock to slip into Day 3. He earned respectable Pro Football Focus grades last year, including a 79.2 coverage grade and a 76.4 coverage mark.

Oklahoma ILB Kendal Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Bryan Terry

Kendal Daniels’ Defensive Stats
2022: 71 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3 INTs, 5 PBUs, FF, safety
2023: 105 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 INTs, PBU, FF, 2 FRs
2024: 64 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 7 PBUs
2025: 53 tackles, 9 TFLs, 3 PBUs, FR

With his frame and playing some middle linebacker as well as in the slot, Daniels has the ability to play the Mo’ ‘backer spot in Tampa Bay and learn from Anzalone, as well as cross-train at Mike linebacker to become more versatile. He prides himself on being a glue guy in the locker room and he has a team-first approach to football. With his high energy, hard-hitting ability and NFL frame, Daniels figures to make an immediate impact on special teams in Tampa Bay.

ROUND 7 – Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek
Senior • 6-6, 261

Even with the return of Cade Otton, the Bucs’ tight end room as a whole is a relatively weak one. Backup Payne Durham has failed to elevate into anything other than a replacement level player and is entering a contract year.

Ko Kieft, who missed almost all of last year is a perfect fit for a third tight end/sixth offensive lineman/fullback hybrid. But the Bucs could use someone who can develop into more. Devin Culp was supposed to be that player in 2024, but he has failed to ascend the depth chart and so the Bucs take a shot on another of his ilk.

Will Kacmarek in a bigger-bodied, in-line tight end who loves to run block. He would be a natural successor to Kieft, who was only retained on a one-year deal and is not a lock to win a roster spot. As the NFL moves to more 12 and 13 personnel and run-heavier attacks, Kacmarek is the ideal Day 3 pickup.

Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Adam Cairns

Will Kacmarek’s Offensive Stats
2022: 20 rec, 264 yards, 13.2 avg., 0 TDs
2023: 22 rec, 243 yards, 11.0 avg., 2 TDs
2024: 8 rec, 86 yards, 10.8 avg., 0 TDs
2025: 15 rec, 168 yards, 11.2 avg., 2 TDs

Kacmarek has the demeanor and size to make a career as a run blocking “Y” tight end. But he will need to improve his hand placement and pad level to survive in the NFL. He has a strong lower half that should aid him on double teams and let help him win at the second level. Kacmarek’s leg drive is impressive to down block and wash defenders. He can hold up occasionally one on one against edge defenders. He will strain fully at the point of attack.

He doesn’t offer much as a receiver but can be an unexpected threat in the low red zone due to his size and reliable hands.