Pewter Report 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft – FINAL fasterkora.xyz

Newly signed Haason Reddick represents a buy-low play with a ton of upside. He was one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the NFL from 2020-2023 and still showed plenty of burst and bend to win the high side last year in limited action for the Jets. That’s a quality the team has not had since before Shaq Barrett suffered a torn Achilles in 2022. But the deal is still for just one year and carries a fair amount of uncertainty. Jason Licht has shown an ability to both build for the present and the future and could look to double down on the position.

That could mean there is still a good chance that the Bucs spend another premium pick on an outside linebacker. Licht has hit on several defensive tackles in the NFL Draft over the years but has struggled to find a stud edge rusher capable of becoming a double-digit sacker. Noah Spence, a 2016 second-round pick, flamed out quickly, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, a first-round pick in 2021, did not live up to expectations. Diaby, a third-round pick in 2023, has been a good player, but the jury is still out on 2024 second-rounder Chris Braswell, who has been slow to develop.

The contracts of Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson were up, and the team opted to have Nelson return as a reserve outside linebacker once again while letting JTS walk in free agency. The Bucs also have Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez under contract, but both are considered reserves and are not locks to make the team in 2025.

Wide Receiver

The Bucs’ plans to re-sign Chris Godwin this offseason became a reality. Godwin turned 29 in February but proved to be an ideal fit in Liam Coen’s new offense before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 7. His return gives new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard the team’s three top three receivers again in 2025 with Godwin, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan. But the Bucs need another starting-caliber receiver for the No. 4 spot in case injuries strike the receiver position again, as well as for the future as Evans is entering a contract year and turns 32 in August.

Trey Palmer could be on the outs with the organization after underwhelming in 2024 and losing the WR3 role to McMillan during his rookie season. He played no better than practice squad receivers Ryan Miller and Rakim Jarrett. Veteran Sterling Shepard was elevated to the role of a starter for a while with Evans and Godwin out, but he turns 31 this year and had too many costly drops to count on as WR4.

Look for the Bucs to draft a bigger body at wide receiver to join the mix in 2025. Tampa Bay has too many 190-pound receivers, and Grizzard’s offense would thrive with bigger receivers like the 220-pound Evans and the 205-pound Godwin.

Safety

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. and DB Tykee Smith – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay has one of the most talented safeties in Antoine Winfield Jr., who was a bona fide playmaker during his first four years in Tampa Bay until this past year when injuries cost him eight games during the regular season. Winfield should return with a vengeance in 2025 and be back to his regular playmaking self.

But the Bucs need another playmaker at the other safety position. Jordan Whitehead was a huge disappointment in his return to Tampa Bay on a two-year deal after a two-year absence and the team declined his 2025 option, making him a free agent.

The Bucs spent a third-round pick on Tykee Smith last year and he started 14 games at nickelback but can also play strong safety if Todd Bowles wants to go that route. Christian Izien and Kaevon Merriweather don’t make enough plays to ideally crack the starting lineup, although both are quality reserves with Izien offering a lot of flexibility.

The Bucs could very well draft a safety in the middle rounds, or double up on the cornerback position with one of them playing in the slot and moving Smith to strong safety. Smith and Mike Edwards, who just went back to Kansas City, were third-rounders, and Whitehead was a fourth-rounder.

Defensive Tackle

The Bucs have two of the best defensive tackles in football in Pro Bowler Vita Vea, who recorded a career-high seven sacks in 2024, and Calijah Kancey, who led the team with 7.5 sacks in his second year in Tampa Bay. Logan Hall, the team’s top pick in 2022, had a breakout year with 5.5 sacks as a reserve and enters a contract year in 2025.

Despite having three quality defensive tackles, the Bucs would have drafted Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton with the No. 26 pick last year if offensive lineman Graham Barton was off the board. G.M. Jason Licht believes in having quality depth at defensive tackle, and Vea turns 30 in 2025. Tampa Bay re-signed Greg Gaines for another year for depth, but the team might move on from Will Gholston, who turns 34 in July.

If the right defensive tackle is there in the right round and he’s the best player available, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Licht and head coach Todd Bowles the pull trigger and draft another one this year. This year’s draft class is loaded at defensive tackle and Tampa Bay might lean into that position and take advantage of the depth there.

Bucs’ 2025 NFL Draft Picks

The Bucs currently have six picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. They traded their sixth-round pick and cornerback Carlton Davis III to the Lions last year in exchange for Detroit’s third-round pick, which was used on wide receiver Jalen McMillan. The Bucs did not receive any compensatory draft picks this offseason.

Pewter Report’s 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft series is presented by Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux – with three locations in the Tampa Bay area in Wesley Chapel off I-75, Midtown Tampa down the street from Raymond James Stadium and Lakeland. Download the FREE Walk-On’s Rewards app and get a FREE order of mozzarella logs.

2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft FINAL By Scott Reynolds and Josh Queipo

Round 1 – Boston College OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku
Senior • 6-3, 248

After addressing the team’s short-term pass rush needs in free agency by signing Haason reddick, the Bucs invest in the long-term outlook by drafting the highly productive Ezeiruaku. With elite agility and a deep and varied pass rush arsenal, Ezeiruaku compliments Tampa Bay’s current outside linebacker room by providing the group with their second high-side arc winner.

Despite a shorter frame at just 6-foot-3 when rounding up, Ezeiruaku’s 34-inch arms are in the 70th percentile for his position and help him keep tackles off his frame. They also aid him in setting the edge in the run game where he is a much better player than he is given credit for. The Boston College pass rusher features a long arm, cross chop, rip, swim and inside spin. He puts these together to create an advanced win-plan that keep tackles guessing throughout the game.

He notched 80 tackles last year, showing how well he can stuff the run in addition to rushing the passer. Ezeiruaku was second in the nation with 16.5 sacks and added 20 QB hits. He also has been a turnover machine with eight forced fumbles in his Boston College career.

Donovan Ezeiruaku’s Defensive Statistics
2021: 21 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 sacks,  
2022: 61 tackles, 15 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 2 PBUs, 3 FFs
2023: 53 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FFs
2024: 80 tackles, 21 TFLs, 16.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 3 FFs

In drafting Ezeiruaku, the Bucs set up their outside pass rush with complimentary skill sets on both the first and second line with Reddick and Yaya Diaby working blending skillsets at the top of the depth chart and Ezeiruaku and Chris Braswell providing a similar blend on the second line.

Ezeiruaku comes in without the pressure of having to be a Day 1 starter and produce right away. He also serves as a safety net and insurance policy in case Reddick can’t get back to his double-digit sack days at age 31, or in case Braswell doesn’t develop in his second season in Tampa Bay.

Round 2 – East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr.
Senior • 6-2, 202

The Bucs have been successful in the past drafting big, fast and athletic corners. They opt to follow that path once again with Revel, hoping they can develop him just as they did with Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum before.

Revel dominated opponents when he was at ECU. He was easily the best athlete on the field week-in and week-out. His recovery speed is special, helping him make up for mistakes he made at the line of scrimmage when he missed with a punch or bit on a foot fake. And it’s that incredible speed and length that will help him cover up mistakes he makes as he continues to learn the position. We don’t have official testing for Revel as he work’s back from an ACL tear, but most analysts agree he would be at least a 4.4-second 40-yard dash runner.

Shavon Ravel’s Defensive Statistics
2022: 8 tackles 
2023: 29 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT, 12 PBUs, 1 FR, 1 TD
2024: 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INTs, 4 PBUs, 1 TD

Revel’s athleticism gives the Bucs improved depth in the secondary to help hedge against injuries that ravished Tampa Bay’s defense last year. If current starting cornerback Jamel Dean succumbs to another injury, the team can feel confident they have a player to step in that can hold up against NFL caliber athletes.

Revel has the ball skills Todd Bowles is looking for with three interceptions in just 15 games, including a pick-six. He added another defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery during his junior season. Revel has been medically cleared to resume workouts and should be ready to take the field in training camp – if not sooner.

Round 3 – California CB Nohl Williams
Senior • 6-0, 199

In a throwback to 2018, when the Bucs doubled up on corner on day two by drafting both M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis in the second round, Tampa Bay goes out and gets another cornerback, drafting Cal corner Nohl Williams. Williams is a physical, playmaking corner who can help the Bucs as they focus on finding ballhawks who can create turnovers.

Williams had 14 interceptions over five seasons in college – the first three were at UNLV before transferring to Cal. Williams led college football with seven interceptions, including a pick-six against Miami’s Cam Ward, last year, in addition to nine pass breakups. He showed a nose for the ball in also breaking up a career-high nine passes last year and totaling 38 pass breakups in his college career for the Rebels and Golden Bears.

Nohl Williams’ Defensive Statistics
2020: 25 tackles, FR, 2 PBUs, INT
2021: 33 tackles, 5 PBUs, INT
2022: 40 tackles, TFL, FF, FR, 8 PBUs, 3 INTs
2023: 53 tackles, 2 TFLs, FF, 2 FRs, 8 PBUs, 2 INTs, 2 TDs
2024: 52 tackles, TFL, FF, 15 PBUs, 7 INTs, TD

At 6-foot, 199 pounds, Williams has good size and is a very good tackler and a willing defender in run support. He made big strides in coverage last year, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 48.5% of their passes. Williams went up against some quality opponents last year, including Miami, SMU, Pittsburgh, Auburn and Stanford and fared incredibly well during his senior season.

Round 4 – Oregon LB Jeffrey Bassa
Senior • 6-1, 228

The Bucs could use some fluidity and athleticism in the middle of their defense. Jeffrey Bassa, a former safety can bring those skills to the table. Of all of the linebackers in this draft Bassa is one of the best at covering running backs out of the backfield. That’s one of the best indicators for ability to develop coverage skills at the second level. He showed his potential as a coverage ‘backer at the Senior Bowl when he picked up a crosser developing off of play-action behind him and covered him up the far sideline and finishing by breaking up the pass.

He’s an aggressive player who can be weaponized downhill. In 2023 Bassa was used as a pass rusher over 100 times, generating 27 pressures and he is a quick closer on plays to the flat and on toss/sweep/outside zone runs to the perimeter. He can sift through traffic to get to the ball carrier. And when he gets covered up by blockers, he can keep guys off of his frame and make tackles while engaged.

Bassa is a sure tackler with good form and consistently drags ball carriers down. But his processor is a bit slower than you would like as he has to see run plays develop before he triggers. And he does lack the ball production one might expect for a former safety. Still his fluid hips and seamless transitions across multiple planes make for an intriguing athlete who can contribute on late downs immediately while he develops his run defending instincts.

Jeffrey Bassa’s Defensive Statistics

2021: 48 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 PBU  
2022: 62 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 INTs 
2023: 72 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 PBU
2024: 54 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 2 PBUs, 2 FF

The Bucs could use Bassa in a specialized role during his rookie season as he develops into a full-time starter down the line. He would provide an injection of athleticism into the linebacker room and probably projects best at Mo (Moneybacker) linebacker spot as Lavonte David’s eventual replacement.

Round 5 – Virginia Tech WR Jaylin Lane
Senior • 5-10, 191

While the Bucs set a variety of records last year in yards after catch due to former offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s system, the team does not have a truly special yards-after-catch weapon in their receiver room. Lane could bring that natural skillset, which would amplify the system creativity to a new level. Tampa Bay used a variety of players last year as returners, including running backs Sean Tucker and Rachaad White, who replaced Bucky Irving when he became the starting running back. Lane could move into that role, effectively giving general manager Jason Licht a starter in the fifth round.

Lane is an after-catch creator in the same vein as Oregon’s Tez Johnson, with considerably less production. He is more of a slot-only option, as he lacks strength and size necessary to win against big and strong corners on the perimeter. Lane is a quick-twitch athlete with impressive speed that spins him up quickly.

He works best when he is getting quick touches that let him accelerate quickly to create yards after the catch. But Lane’s YAC-ability is more concentrated on his impressive wind up and less due to his lateral cuts/moves. Lane is a limited route runner who exaggerates his false moves. But one area where he can fit into the Bucs offense well is as a defense-stretcher who can get on top of safeties quickly. That was a quality lacking from Tampa Bay’s offense last year.

Jaylin Lane’s Receiving Statistics
2020: 13 catches, 122 yards, 9.4 avg, 1 TD
2021: 42 catches, 466 yards, 11.1 avg, 4 TDs
2022: 69 catches, 940 yards, 13.6 avg, 5 TDs
2023: 41 catches, 538 yards, 13.1 avg, 6 TDs
2024: 38 catches, 466 yards, 12.3 avg, 2 TDs

Lane, who had a formal meeting with the Bucs at the NFL Scouting Combine, also provides special teams value as a returner. He has a career 10.6 yards per punt return average along with two career punt return touchdowns and could wrest that job away from the unspectacular Trey Palmer in 2025.

New Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard wants more speed on offense at wide receiver and Lane can deliver. With his ability to get vertical and win downfield or his instant acceleration on screens and underneath passes, Lane can step in immediately at WR4 on the depth chart.

Round 7 – South Carolina DT Tonka Hemingway
Senior • 6-3, 284

Tonka Hemingway is a compact, gap-slipping defensive tackle. He has enough lateral mobility that he can play a versatile role across the line as a heavy end or three-technique. His length gives him the ability to keep offensive linemen off his frame as a one-gapper and he has the presence of mind to keep his eyes in the backfield, so he is constantly moving towards the ball.

Hemingway’s eyes also help him increase his ball production as he constantly gets his hands in the air to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage. Between that and his initial burst, the Gamecocks star is a true gap penetrator, but he lacks refinement. He typically relies on his get-off and playing half man to get vertical into the pocket and when he gets squared up and locked down, he gets his hands up to try and still affect the play.