The Bucs have gone 1-1 since the last Mock Draft Roundup a little over two weeks ago. Now sitting at 8-7 with two regular-season games left to play, Tampa Bay sits near the middle of the 2025 NFL Draft order at No. 17 with two games left to play.
Through 15 games, the team’s needs have been well-outlined heading into the offseason.
There is always a need to add talent to both sides of the football, but as the mock drafts predict, the Bucs’ premium draft picks should be spent on addressing the defense as there is a need for more talent on each level.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today
The outside pass rush badly needs another player who can bring juice and add to the sack totals. Yaya Diaby is coming along and could be destined for a third-year breakout, but with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson free agents, Diaby could use some help and someone who could pair with him long-term.
The middle of the field has been the weakness of head coach Todd Bowles’ defense this season, and that starts with the play of the inside linebackers. Next to Lavonte David, four other linebackers have gotten run (SirVocea Dennis, K.J. Britt, J.J. Russell, and Vi Jones).
Dennis and Jones are the only ones under contract going into next year, and the next two games may be the last of David’s illustrious playing career. Adding one of the top prospects in this year’s class should be something at the top of general manager Jason Licht and the front office’s mind.
Lastly, the secondary.
The team could go in a few different directions, and who they target depends on the futures of cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jordan Whitehead in Tampa Bay. Both could be back next season, but each could also be let go. Dean has not lived up to his four-year, $52 million contract, but he still provides quality depth. The team could select another young cornerback and allow him to develop behind him.
Whitehead has had a disappointing return to the team and has been injured with a pectoral injury since Week 12. Even when he was healthy, he struggled and could be replaced by someone younger.
With the Bucs’ current draft standing and biggest roster needs documented, PewterReport.com looks at the latest mock drafts this month and what they have in store.
No. 17 – Tampa Bay Bucs: Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart
It makes sense that Stewart was a former big-time recruit with how easy of a mover he is. Stewart can line up across the defensive line and his size, athleticism and do-everything style fits with what head coach Todd Bowles likes to do up front that changes based on the situation. It might be a bit of a hat-on-a-hat situation with what the Buccaneers have currently on their roster, but the other position that I looked at, inside linebacker, might be a reach here.
No. 18 – Tampa Bay Bucs: Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr.
Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. – Photo by: USA Today
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ sack leaders this season are DT Calijah Kancey (6.5), DT Vita Vea (6.0), and Lavonte David (5.5). None of those players are edge rushers, which is why this position is arguably the biggest need for Tampa Bay (along with inside linebacker since David and K.J. Britt are pending free agents).
James Pearce Jr.‘s 10-sack, 14.5-TFL season in 2023 put him on the radar as a first-round talent, and he’s continuing to climb up draft boards. He started the year slow but picked up the pace tremendously down the stretch. His speed off the edge, flexibility turning the corner, and arsenal as a pass rusher give him double-digit sack potential.
At 6-5, 242 pounds, Pearce is a bit underweight, but he has room to keep adding mass to his frame. Pearce’s first step is hyper-elite, which not only allows him to channel power with his length but also stress angles immediately off the snap.
No. 17 – Tampa Bay Bucs: East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr.
Georgia OLB Jalon Walker and Texas QB Quinn Ewers – Photo by: USA Today
No. 18 – Tampa Bay Bucs: Georgia EDGE Jalon Walker
The Buccaneers get a do-everything front-seven player who can boost the pass rush and help the off-ball linebacker group play with more speed to the football.
No. 18 – Tampa Bay Bucs: Alabama ILB Jihaad Campbell
The Bucs could use help at linebacker and also more edge rush. Here’s a player that helps them with both issues.
The 6-foot-3, 244-pound Campbell is a big linebacker with speed and athleticism to go with his size. Campbell has showed versatility by dropping into coverage, defending the run well, and rushing the passer. In 2024, he has 108 tackles with five sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, and two passes broken up. Campbell looks like a first-round talent for the 2025 NFL Draft.
No. 50 – Tampa Bay Bucs: Minnesota CB Justin Walley
The Bucs could use more cornerback talent.
In 2024, Walley has 42 tackles, two interceptions, and nine passes broken up. Team sources say Walley impressed them during the 2023 season and was a steady defender for Minnesota. In 2023, he had 45 tackles, eight passes broken up, a forced fumble, and an interception. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder might be a better fit as a slot corner as a pro, but he is a smooth nickel corner who can run the route and prevent separation. Walley could end up being a second-day prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
No. 17 – Tampa Bay Bucs: Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart
Florida QB DJ Lagway and Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart – Photo by: USA Today
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a tumultuous season. Still, you can fully expect general manager Jason Licht to look to attack the defensive depth chart with prototypical builds — as they’ve done several times on the edge and at cornerback for this defense. You don’t get more “prototype” than Shemar Stewart, a long and explosive talent who can wreck shop in the run game and flash tremendous potential in rushing the passer.
Stewart’s length and explosive hands protect him from being a boom-or-bust type of prospect; he should be expected to, at the very least, be a sturdy edge presence against the run. Give him to Todd Bowles, though. This is a good fit for a player who has an immeasurable ceiling.
No. 18 – Tampa Bay Bucs: Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart
For an edge rusher, Shemar Stewart is enormous. He’ll play too high at times, but can collapse the pocket with his size/power/strength. He has a quick first step, even for his size, and the power to shoot gaps. And when the bull rush doesn’t get home, his huge frame allows him to knock down passes. He has a hair-on-fire motor and consistently plays with power and athleticism.
