Bucs snag Notre Dame's powerhouse lineman Billy Schrauth in round five. Expect a dominant pass protector and run-game force to bolster Tampa Bay's offensive front.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have drafted former Notre Dame offensive lineman Billy Schrauth in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Schrauth was taken with the No. 160 overall pick. It's the second straight year the Bucs have drafted an Irish player after they took cornerback Benjamin Morrison a season ago.
Schrauth started parts of three seasons with Notre Dame, making 22 total starts during his career at both left guard and right guard. Notre Dame went 19-3 in games that Schrauth started.
He stepped into the lineup for the first time in 2023 after Rocco Spindler with down with an injury. Schrauth emerged as the starting right guard in 2024 and got off to a strong start before a leg injury cost him the next four games. Schrauth returned in late October, stepping into the lineup at left guard. The Wisconsin native started all four playoff games or the Irish in 2024. He started the first seven games of the 2025 season but was lost for the final five after suffering a knee injury.
Schrauth ended his career on a strong note. A case could be made that the win over USC was the best we've seen from Schrauth. He was his usual dominant pass protector, but Schrauth was also outstanding in the run game. Notre Dame rushed for 306 yards in the 34-24 win over the Trojans in what turned out to be the last game of his career.
Notre Dame averaged 205.8 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry in the 22 games that Schrauth started. As good as he was in the run game, there's no doubt that pass protection was the primary strength of Schrauth's game. In 19 starts in both 2024 and 2025, Schrauth allowed just 10 total pressures and one sack with no hits on the quarterback on 603 pass snaps (PFF).
Schrauth emerged as a key leader for Notre Dame during his career. As a senior, Schrauth was named as a team captain by his teammates.
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