The Bucs do not just sit at No. 15 in the 2026 NFL Draft – they are potentially sitting on leverage.

Tampa Bay is a team in need of serious star power, having a group that underwhelmed in 2025, especially defensively. While the team could bank on better injury luck and the free agent signings made so far, the draft is a completely different ballgame, and one they must navigate in less than a month.

Picking 15th overall, general manager Jason Licht and the front office are right in the middle of the board. They are unlikely to land a top-tier prospect, but they are in a range where another team might be willing to trade additional picks to move up and select the player they want. With the Bucs being in a position to go in a variety of directions, is making a move back in their best interest?

Bucs Would Acquire Additional Capital In Draft’s Sweet Spot

The narrative right now surrounding the upcoming NFL Draft is that while the class has a lot of good prospects entering the league, things get a lot murkier after the top 10 picks. With that in mind, the 50th-75th spots on the board are an area where the draft appears to be strongest, as the second round offers a range where plenty of quality players who can be immediate starters are available.

Texas Tech ILB Jacob Rodriguez – Photo by IMAGN Images – Michael C. Johnson

Given Jason Licht’s track record of finding talent further down the board, it makes sense to trade down from No. 15 into the early 20s. While the thought for a while was that it would not be an appealing position, it is just one spot ahead of the Jets, who could look into taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Regardless of what the opinion is of Simpson, all it takes is one team to make a move up.

Would the Steelers, picking 21st, want to jump ahead of New York and find a succession plan for Aaron Rodgers?

Would the Browns, picking 24th, want to move up for another offensive lineman or skill player to put around Shedeur Sanders?

These are just two teams who could be willing to move up, putting the Bucs in a favorable position to net a couple of extra draft picks. This scenario was something I mentioned in my Bucs Battle Plan earlier this month, and netting extra third- and fourth-round picks would really help round out the roster and deepen both the offense and defense.

Those picks might not seem incredibly valuable to most, but for Tampa Bay, those rounds have netted them players like outside linebacker Yaya Diaby, safety Tykee Smith, wide receiver Jalen McMillan, running back Bucky Irving, and cornerback Jacob Parrish since 2023, not to mention promising outside linebacker David Walker.

Bucs S Tykee Smith – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

In this scenario, they would still have a first-round pick, more in the range they have been comfortable selecting in prior years. Pairing that with even more capital to add talent, and this is something Licht will definitely be considering pulling the trigger on, especially as the players under consideration at No. 15 arguably do not carry that kind of value.

Inside linebackers like Georgia’s CJ Allen and Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez are potential options, but the positional value relative to that pick is not favorable.

For example, take Lavonte David, who just announced his retirement on Tuesday. He carved out an unforgettable legacy in Tampa Bay – despite being the 58th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Even though Licht did not draft him, he has gained a reputation for finding some of the best non-first round talent out there.

At outside linebacker, there are also appealing options. Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas and UCF’s Malachi Lawrence are just some of the top pass rushers who will be on the board. Do any of them really warrant a top 15 pick, though?

This is something Licht has to get right, but moving down does not mean they will not land a star.

Trading Down Doesn’t Mean They Won’t Land A Star(ter)

The Bucs have made several free agent moves to shore up the defense this offseason, but it is questionable just how much they move the needle. Tampa Bay has plenty of quality players, but it is time to identify stars.

In a way, 2026 represents a new era of Bucs football.

A symbolic fresh start after celebrating 50 seasons in Tampa Bay.

Former Bucs ILB Lavonte David and WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Two icons have left the building, and uncertainty looms regarding the future of head coach Todd Bowles and players like quarterback Baker Mayfield, defensive tackle Vita Vea, and wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr.

How next season unfolds will determine just how long each of them is with the franchise and whether things will require even more retooling or a complete rebuild. It very well could be a “last dance” with the current core, and the only way to lessen any potential blows is by adding franchise building blocks.

It was something the team pulled off in 2020, when the Bucs drafted left tackle Tristan Wirfs and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the first and second rounds. Each has entrenched themselves with the team, but it is time to do it again.

Trading down next month does not concede the lack of finding a star player. If the front office has identified the right target who is going overlooked, it would be considered a 4D chess move. One could understand taking someone like Jacob Rodriguez or R Mason Thomas later in the first round if it also meant landing extra assets. Those assets could then be used to add another inside or outside linebacker, a cornerback or safety, an X wide receiver, a backup tight end, an extra offensive lineman, etc.

There lies the chance to find even more star power.

With multiple areas of the roster needing young talent, it offers a true chance to kill two birds with one stone.

A chance that is starting to line up as too good to pass up.

Does Staying At No. 15 Make Sense?

Now, there is always the chance the Bucs stay at No. 15.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The team has been comfortable remaining where it sits in recent years, with the last trade involving the Bucs’ top draft pick being in 2022, when they traded down to 33rd overall to nab defensive tackle Logan Hall. If Tampa Bay feels extremely confident in any of the aforementioned players and does not want to risk them landing with another team, sticking and picking is a real possibility.

At the same time, the best player available approach could lead to another draft day surprise, such as selecting wide receiver Emeka Egbuka 19th overall last year. While surprising at the time, it sure looks good in hindsight.

Maybe that means taking Penn State’s Vega Ioane and nailing down the left guard spot for a decade.

Perhaps Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is too versatile of an offensive weapon to pass up adding.

There are a couple paths laid ahead of the Bucs, and soon it will be time to walk one or the other. Whether they stay put or move back, this pick and the path they chose will not just shape 2026 — it will begin to define the next era of Bucs football.