Sportsvival is already grinding through the 2026 NFL Draft class, and this is the time of year when team needs, free agency losses, and draft value all start colliding. Tampa Bay sits at No. 15 overall in the first round, and after an 8-9 season, the Buccaneers head into this draft needing more juice on defense, especially in the front seven and secondary.
Buccaneers offseason additions
Tampa Bay has been active trying to patch roster holes before the draft. The Buccaneers signed linebacker Alex Anzalone, linebacker Christian Rozeboom, outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad, defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson, running back Kenneth Gainwell, safety Miles Killebrew, and quarterback Jake Browning. They also re-signed tight end Cade Otton, guard Dan Feeney, and tight end Ko Kieft. That tells you the Bucs clearly wanted more depth, more toughness, and more experience, especially on defense.
Buccaneers offseason departures
The bigger story is who Tampa Bay lost. Mike Evans left for San Francisco, Jamel Dean signed with Pittsburgh, Logan Hall signed with Houston, Rachaad White signed with Washington, Charlie Heck went to Miami, and Christian Izien signed with Detroit. On top of that, franchise cornerstone Lavonte David officially retired, which only increases the urgency at linebacker and further changes the identity of this defense.
Top 3 Buccaneers needs
1. EDGE
This is the clearest need. Tampa Bay added Al-Quadin Muhammad, but the Bucs still need more long-term pass-rush juice off the edge. The official league needs rundown lists edge as Tampa Bay’s top issue, and that tracks with how this roster looks today.
2. Cornerback
Losing Jamel Dean hurts. Tampa Bay has young pieces, but Dean’s exit leaves a real hole at corner, and in Todd Bowles’ defense that spot matters too much to ignore. If the Bucs want to get more disruptive, they need better coverage on the back end as well.
3. Linebacker
The league’s broader needs list had linebacker behind edge, defensive line, and cornerback, but with Lavonte David now retired and despite the additions of Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom, Sportsvival can make a strong case that linebacker belongs in the top three. Tampa Bay added experience, but it still needs another impact player and more long-term stability there.
The pick at No. 15: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Sportsvival’s pick for Tampa Bay at No. 15 is Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn. Faulk was granted special eligibility for the 2026 NFL Draft, and Auburn lists him at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds. He brings the kind of size and front-line versatility that makes sense for a Buccaneers defense looking for more power and more disruption.
Faulk fits because Tampa Bay does not just need another body at edge. The Bucs need someone who can help reshape the front, set a tougher tone, and grow into a major role. With the losses Tampa Bay has taken and the clear need for more impact defenders, this feels like a strong value spot to attack the edge. Faulk gives the Buccaneers a young defender with the frame and upside to become a big piece of the next wave on that side of the ball.
Final thought
Tampa Bay has done solid work in free agency, but this roster still feels like it needs more difference-makers on defense. The departures of Mike Evans, Jamel Dean, and Lavonte David changed the shape of this team, and that makes this draft especially important. At No. 15, Keldric Faulk would give the Buccaneers a premium-position defender and a player who fits exactly where this roster feels thinnest right now.