A new mock draft suggests the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could secure a future first-round pick by trading down, potentially targeting a different position or a later-round gem.
As the NFL draft approaches, many mock drafts have guessed at all sorts of routes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take this April. However, trading the pick has not been a common one.
That is until Friday, when Buccaneers.com contributor Gabriel Kahaian released his latest mock-draft prognostications.
Kahaian has the Bucs trading back to No. 31, allowing the New England Patriots to maybe select USC receiver Makai Lemon with the 15th pick.
Kahaian predicted a significant return for Tampa Bay if the team decides to go this route, asserting that the Bucs might receive a mid-round selection in 2026 and a first-round pick in 2027 in return.
Most projections show the Bucs selecting an edge rusher with their first-round selection, but Kahaian believes that if a group of similarly-graded edges are still available beyond the 15th pick, the return haul could be worth moving back to the end of the first round.
"Licht can gain a king's ransom of capital while still selecting a quality defensive player at the bottom of the round," Kahaian wrote. "If none of the mocked first-round defensive ends are available when the Buccaneers are on the clock, it is an outcome they can live with, given the depth of talent still available to address the position in Round Two."
Roundtable's Geoffrey Knox also highlighted some of the top edge rushers the Bucs can target at No. 15, showcasing standout players like Texas Tech's David Bailey and Miami's Reuben Bain Jr.
However, should Bain and Bailey be taken before the 15th pick, moving down could be a good option as the Bucs allow a talented edge rusher to fall later into the round. In Kahaian's mock, both edges were taken in the first seven picks.
Prospects like Texas A&M's Cashius Howell and Missouri's Zion Young are two players that will may be available at No. 31, but Kahaian has Tampa going a different route and selecting Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
Last season, Rodriguez finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting and he won the Nagurski Award, which is said to honor the nation's best college defensive player. The first-team All-American also ranked as Pro Football Focus' best coverage linebacker of 2025.
This prediction may be a reach, as most draft models show Rodriguez being taken midway through the second round. But, with the uncertainty surrounding longtime Bucs linebacker Lavonte David, Rodriguez would provide Tampa with a viable replacement alongside recently signed Alex Anzalone.
The Bucs trading their pick seems unlikely, but if Tampa can acquire an additional first-rounder and a mid-level selection, the return may be too much to turn down.
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