The Bucs have drafted over two dozen Senior Bowl stars since Jason Licht became general manager, including outside linebacker Chris Braswell and defensive back Tykee Smith in the second and third rounds last year. After spending the week in Mobile, Alabama scouting this year’s talent, here are 12 players that fit the Bucs’ systems that could – and should – be targeted by the team leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft.
UCLA edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo and Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo deserve honorable mention, especially Oladejo, who I’m excited to go back and watch more tape on leading up to this year’s draft.
Marshall Edge Mike Green
Green, who was Pewter Report’s first-round pick for the Bucs in our first mock draft, shined at the Senior Bowl and left Mobile after two dominant practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. His demolition of Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly during Wednesday’s practice was the exclamation point on a Senior Bowl that could see Green become a Top 15 pick, which would have him off the board when the Bucs select at No. 19.
The nation’s leading sacker had 17 sacks and 23 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles last year at Marshall. He can win so many ways at the line of scrimmage and has a vast array of pass rush moves for a player with just two years worth of starting experience. Green really wanted to work on his run defense in Mobile and showed a great deal of physicality in taking on tackles.
Boston College Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku
While Mike Green was the headliner at edge rusher in Mobile, Ezeiruaku was the opening act. The nation’s second-leading sacker with 16.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles practiced just two days and then left Mobile with a solid second-round draft grade. Like Green, Ezeiruaku wanted to show that he could be physical against the run and did just that in 11-on-11 periods where he would slam into tackles and crash into tight ends to prove he could set the edge effectively.
Ezeiruaku had 30 career sacks at Boston College and 47 career tackles for loss, showing he can absolutely live in the backfield. If the Bucs go with a defensive back or a defensive tackle in the first round, drafting Ezeiruaku in the second round makes an awful lot of sense if he’s still on the board at No. 54. He might even be the kind of pass rusher Jason Licht trades up for in the second round.
Oregon ILB Jeffrey Bassa
Oregon ILB Jeffrey Bassa – Photo by: USA Today
Bassa was the best linebacker in Mobile and his speed just made him stand out like he was glowing on the field. A four-year starter for the Ducks, Bassa totaled 236 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three interceptions four passes defensed and two forced fumbles. His pick-six at Texas Tech sealed Oregon’s road win during his junior season. Bassa isn’t the biggest linebacker at 6-foot-1, 226 pounds, but it’s all muscle and it’s clear that he isn’t allergic to the weight room.
A former safety, Bassa has worked hard to build up his physique and put on the necessary strength and size. Yet he’s been able to keep his agility, fluidity and speed during his weight gain process. Bassa is one of the best coverage linebackers in the 2025 NFL Draft and that was on display, as was his leadership ability in Mobile. I’d love to see Bassa in red and pewter on Day 2.
Toledo DT Darius Alexander
Alexander had nine sacks in three seasons as a starter at Toledo, including 3.5 last year and a 58-yard pick-six. He also had 13 career pass breakups, which shows he can affect the passer in other ways aside from sacks and pressures. The Toledo standout, who checked just under 6-foot-4, 304 pounds, has long, strong arms and quick, powerful hands.
Alexander does a great job of shedding blockers and penetrating the backfield, as well as having really good ball awareness in terms of quickly finding the ballcarrier. He was Pro Football Focus’ fourth-ranked defensive tackle in 2024 with a 90.2 overall grade. Alexander’s stock is on the rise after a dominant week at the Senior Bowl and he would be a great fit in Tampa Bay on Day 2.
South Carolina ILB Demetrius Knight II
Knight struggled to find the field after three seasons at Georgia Tech, so he transferred to Charlotte for the 2023 season where he notched 96 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and three interceptions, including a pick-six. Knight then transferred to South Carolina where he recorded 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, forced three fumbles and an interception last year.
After a rough day in coverage on Tuesday he bounced back and had a really solid week. Knight, who is the 32nd overall prospect on the Pro Football Focus big board and the top-rated inside linebacker, told Pewter Report that he had two interviews with the Bucs in Mobile, Ala. I like other linebackers better, but I can see why Tampa Bay would be interested in him as a Day 2 pick.
Ole Miss CB Trey Amos
Ole Miss CB Trey Amos – Photo by: USA Today
Amos didn’t dominate the way that Toldeo’s Quinyon Mitchell did last year en route to becoming a first-round pick by the Eagles. But he did display the talent that has him as a potential first-round selection in the two days he practiced before leaving Mobile with a minor leg injury. At just over 6-foot and weighing 195 pounds he has enough size to play outside in Todd Bowles’ defense, which is where he played almost exclusively in college, as a late first-round or early second-round pick.
Amos began his career at Louisiana where he was a three-year starter before transferring to Alabama. But he struggled to see the field due to the talent there and transferred to Ole Miss for the chance to start in 2024. There he had his best season with 50 tackles, three interceptions, 13 pass breakups and a forced fumble for a very talented Rebels defense. Amos earned an 85.7 Pro Football Focus grade last year, which ranked 20th among all college cornerbacks.
Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas
Thomas performed well on a really bad Florida State defense last year, and at times was the lone bright spot. I didn’t like the fact that he only had two career interceptions in three years in Tallahassee, including just one last season, but he was a pass breakup machine and had a career-high 10 in 2023. Last year he wasn’t challenged much because he was such a shutdown cornerback and had four pass breakups.
All he did in Mobile was breakup passes it seemed. He didn’t have a perfect week of practice at the Senior Bowl, but at 6-foot-1 ½, 194 pounds and the third-longest arm length among cornerbacks (32.5 inches), Thomas was one of the standouts in practice. He’s already considered a Top 50 pick and could sneak into the bottom of the first round with a fast 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine. If he’s there in the second round I could see the Bucs being interested.
Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel
Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel – Photo by: USA Today
Oregon’s Tez Johnson was the most uncoverable receiver in Mobile, but at 5-foot-9, 156 pounds, he’s just too small to play anywhere but the slot at the next level. And I don’t think he would be a fit in Tampa Bay, which already has a couple of smallish receivers on their roster. I liked the play of TCU’s Jack Bech, Illinois’ Pat Bryant and Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins, who are three bigger, possession receivers, but Noel really stood out to me during the Senior Bowl practices. I wish he was bigger than his 5-foot-9 3/4, 196-pound frame, but Noel plays like he’s much bigger in the slot.
Noel, who won the National Team wide receiver of the week honors, knows how to get open and create in space. He has a mental and physical toughness about him and plays hungry. Noel shows tremendous concentration in tight coverage and knows how to bring down the ball in contested catch situations despite being under 6-foot. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in red and pewter in the middle rounds. Tampa Bay could use an upgrade at WR4 on the depth chart behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan.
North Dakota State G Grey Zabel
The Bucs can address the left guard position in free agency by re-signing Ben Bredeson and allowing last year’s sixth-round pick, Elijah Klein, to compete there as well. But can noted offensive lineman aficionado Jason Licht resist temptation to draft Zabel in the second round if he’s still on the board? Licht has drafted plenty of small school Senior Bowl standouts, including Ali Marpet (second round, 2015), Alex Cappa (third round, 2018) and Cody Mauch (second round, 2023) before.
Zabel, who like Mauch was a left tackle at North Dakota State, made a seamless transition to guard in Mobile and looked dominant in pass protection and in the run game. He had a Day 2 grade coming into the Senior Bowl and leveled up a sure-fire second-round pick. Left guard isn’t a pressing need like several spots on defense are, but Zabel could be the next Mauch and could solidify Tampa Bay’s offensive line for years to come.
USC IOL Jonah Monheim
Monheim has experience all over the offensive line, playing 716 snaps at right tackle and 286 snaps at right guard in 2022, then 762 snaps at left tackle and 53 snaps at right guard in 2023. In 2024, Monheim was moved to center where he played all 807 snaps. He excelled in pass protection with just two sacks allowed in college, which came in 2023, and only four quarterback hits over the last three seasons.
There’s nothing spectacular about Monheim’s game. He’s just an incredibly solid and versatile player and that was on display in Mobile as he was taking snaps at both center and guard in practice. The Bucs are expected to lose Robert Hainsey in free agency, but Monheim, who is 6-foot-4, 307 pounds, would make an excellent replacement on Day 3.
SMU RB Brashard Smith
SMU RB Brashard Smith – Photo by: USA Today
I wasn’t watching running backs in Mobile, as I was focusing mostly on defensive players. But every time I saw a running back flash in practice it was the kid with the SMU helmet. At 5-foot-9, 195 pounds, Smith is built like Bucky Irving and plays in traffic like Irving does, too. Smith has an uncanny vision to be able to see holes develop at the line of scrimmage and escape routes materialize at the second level. And like Irving, Smith is tough for his size and has a surprising knack for breaking tackles and running over linebackers.
Smith was a transfer from Miami where he was underutilized as a wide receiver, catching 69 passes for 770 yards and four touchdowns. But SMU made him a feature back and he turned in a monster year with 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Smith has fantastic hands and had 39 catches for 327 yards and four more scores. He doesn’t make as many defenders miss as Irving does, but he has more speed and can also return kicks. Smith could be a Day 3 steal.
Oklahoma State ILB Nickolas Martin
Martin had a monster 2023 season, leading the nation with 83 solo tackles and 140 total stops with 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also had two interceptions that season. Martin had a knee injury that limited him to just five games in 2024, and he had just 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, in addition to two pass breakups.
It seems like Martin plays 100 miles per hour when he flows downhill to make tackles in the backfield. He’s an incredibly instinctive and decisive linebacker who would be rated higher if not for his really short arms. Martin was the smallest linebacker in Mobile at 6-foot, 222 pounds, but didn’t play like it. Yet his 30 5/8 arms and 62-inch wingspan were noticeable and will cause him to be drafted late on Day 3.
LIVE Bucs Mock Draft Pewter Report Podcast Sunday 9:00am ET
Pewter Report has a special Sunday episode of the Pewter Report Podcast as Josh Queipo and Adam Slivon host a LIVE Mock Draft on February 2 at 9:00 a.m. ET. Upon returning from Mobile, Ala. during Senior Bowl week, Queipo and Slivon will conduct a Senior Bowl-only seven-round Bucs mock draft with players that participated in the practices for the college all-star game.
Remember, the Bucs have drafted a slew of players from the Senior Bowl under general manager Jason Licht, including last year’s second- and third-round picks, Chris Braswell and Tykee Smith.
Queipo and Slivon will offer up Pewter Report’s insight and analysis and answer Bucs fans’ questions during the special Sunday edition of the Pewter Report Podcast – energized by CELSIUS, the official energy drink of Pewter Report.
