BSPN: Bucs Doing Homework On Pass Rushers, Tight Ends
April 11th, 2026
Bucs target?
One thing Joe likes about ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid is that he professionally grew up in football.
A college quarterback (he played with former Bucs cornerback Ryan Smith at North Carolina Central), Reid got into coaching at his alma mater and then turned into a college football recruiter before joining the Fourth Estate. So Reid has a ton of contacts in college football. Add to that the guy travels across the country for games, for everything draft related (all-star bowls, workouts, combine, pro days, etc.) and Reid is as plugged in as they get.
It seems, per a report he filed this week, the Bucs are doing a lot of homework on pass rushers (duh) and tight ends (hhmmm?).
And Reid typed it would not shock him at all if Cade Otton has a high-end partner at tight end in two weeks.
What we’re hearing about the Buccaneers’ draft: Defensive end and tight end are two positions that the Bucs have keyed in on as Round 1 options, with tight end Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon) being a real possibility at No. 15.
Joe has written about seeing a lot of references to Kenyon Sadiq to the Bucs. And Joe’s on board.
But why, Joe? The Bucs need defense!
Simple: The Bucs are maybe one field-stretcher (Sadiq) at tight end from a dynamic and explosive offense. The Bucs are maybe four players away from having a good defense. It’s unlikely the defense is fully repaired by just one draft.
(Remember: The Bucs added a No. 5 overall pick at inside linebacker in 2019 to a team that already had Ndamukong Suh, Lavonte David, Jason Pierre-Paul and Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett and it still was a bottom-five scoring defense. JPP, David and Shaq are not on the Bucs’ roster last time Joe checked.)
With a powerful offense, the Bucs could outscore people regularly and get back to the playoffs.
Think about it: Will Bucs coach Todd Bowles will be granted amnesty after the 2026 season if the Bucs don’t get back to the playoffs? Joe doesn’t think Bowles has the luxury of time to get the defense right for 2027.
The Bucs ranked No. 26 in the NFL last year in average points scored in wins. So don’t try to tell Joe this offense doesn’t need more.
April 11th, 2026 at 8:20 am
Meh!! Meh!! Meh!!!
There is nothing wrong with Cade Otton!
I don’t really like any of the Rass Rushers in the draft
However …. I am 100% behind the moving up in the draft and picking Jeremiyah Love…. he would be a difference make and when was the last time the Bucs drafted a running back in the first round and to have a chance at being a difference maker!!!???!!!
Probably Ricky Bell!!!
April 11th, 2026 at 8:24 am
Hope they stopped sniffing the Tight Ends.
April 11th, 2026 at 8:28 am
That same year our offense was tied for 4th in scoring.
I get where your coming from. If healthy, especially O line, offense could be top ten IMO.
That defense was missing Vita, though, for most of the season and hit a new level when he came back.
April 11th, 2026 at 8:30 am
Would rather have Styles than Bell.
Dude’s a freak of nature and we’re more than set at RB.
April 11th, 2026 at 8:41 am
I will be REALLY upset if the Bucs go TE (or any O player at #15.
You can win a lot of games with a very good offense.
You won’t win hardly any games with a well below average defense.
April 11th, 2026 at 8:47 am
In 1st round you go BPA. If its Sadiq then you take him..
This year it will be a strange 1st with few QB prospects. Noone can predict at ths point how the board will fall.
April 11th, 2026 at 8:56 am
This year you need to draft by position and get the best DT,DE, or ILB. Wish the Bucs would play Durham and Culp more and work on developing them.
April 11th, 2026 at 9:03 am
Culp and Durham are still on their rookie deals, Ko COUNTS as a TE but it’s more a fullback (whom they REALLY need)…. We would carry 5 people with the TE designation?
April 11th, 2026 at 9:16 am
Where the Bucs are drafting at 15, one of the top receivers will be there. The top TE will be there if the Ravens don’t take him one pick ahead. The top guard will be there if the Ravens don’t draft him. I can see a team like the chargers or the chiefs (2nd 1st) trading up to get Sadiq or Lemon or Vega.
April 11th, 2026 at 9:45 am
All this TE talk is laughable. Im sure JL is loving this talk. Maybe this gets another team who loves the combine hero TE to trade up for him.
The Bucs are gonna draft a defensive player either at 15 or trade down and draft a defensive player. Either Edge, Lber or CB. Book it.
The only chance they go offense is if a stud OL that they love falls to them.
TE..LMFAO..ain’t happening
April 11th, 2026 at 9:47 am
Production with 1st round pick please, no more projects….need a day 1 starter
April 11th, 2026 at 9:48 am
It would be hard to cover someone as fast and explosive as him. A true matchup nightmare. Yac on TE screens. I would be happy with an impact player in the first round matter what position it is.
April 11th, 2026 at 9:49 am
Hi Joe I am with you. I am convinced the Bucs plan is to outscore opponents this year. I say this like you becuase they need way to many players on defense and did little in FA. They are not going to get all the impact players they need on defense and reaching for needs in the draft never works out. So actually if that is the plan , I am for it. They can take the best edge guy in the draft . However, the Bucs don’t draft that position well that is proven. Adding one edge guy will not do much when currently they have no starting corners, and only one MLB in FA. They need 2 more of those and another DT sure would not hurt. Yes they just need to much on defense right now. Face it if the defense is average next year that would be a huge improvement.
April 11th, 2026 at 9:57 am
I’m really hoping for a move back and pick up draft pick up another pick or two. If Sidiq falls to the Bucs around say 20ish – go for it.
April 11th, 2026 at 10:05 am
What Football 1 said: We’re a LOT closer to an all-world offense than an all-world defense
April 11th, 2026 at 10:21 am
But when does axte do much in his rookie year as Joe taught us years ago?
Baffling
April 11th, 2026 at 10:22 am
A tight end nit axte
April 11th, 2026 at 10:34 am
haha – Tom-Brady-hand-puppet Jason Licht has been instructed by the Glazers to protect Baker the 200MM+ Man – Licht will trade DOWN for a G/C and a couple extra 6th-rounders – the 6-th rounders will as usual have no impact and the interior lineman will be another Hainsey – of course everyone thinks Licht is brilliant but average barfly could do a better job drafting
April 11th, 2026 at 10:41 am
The problem with trading down is finding someone willing to trade up. WIth few QB’s this year thst probably won’t happen.
And Sadiq may not even be there at #15 let alone #20. The Ravens are the most likely competition, but with losing their starting center they may prefer Ioane instead at RG.
People were ready to storm OBP after Evans left. Well, Sadiq is a replacement for that. He is a move tight end, which means just that – he moves around formations instead of lining up inlne every time.
Think how Atlanta uses Kyle Pits. The top TE in the NFL last year was Trey McBride. He had 126 receptions, 1,239 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Sadiq is capable of approaching those figures. and would make all of us stop worrying about losing Evans.
BUT – he has to be there at #15, and there is no guarentee he will be.
You always want to pick BPA in the 1st. Yeah, we need pass rushers, but reaching for one in the 1st when there are better players availlable is just not the way to go.
April 11th, 2026 at 10:42 am
I’m thinking the Bucs aren’t looking for an edge at this point. I think they drafted Muhammad, so to say, and banking on Walker doing something other than getting hurt, we already have one of them 94, So where do we really stand? I read something about him being traded maybe 2 weeks ago. So this is looking a little, up in the air.
April 11th, 2026 at 10:43 am
This dumpster fire roster doesn’t have the luxury of taking a chance on a feak TE in round 1. But it is something I could see them doing. Probably figured they dont know how to evaluate the right edge rushers or develop them.
April 11th, 2026 at 10:43 am
What egos! Why should the Buccaneers care what we think of their first round draft pick?. Licht and his staff have been preparing for this for six+ months every day all day. Their jobs are on the line. Licht built an awesome offensive line through the draft. The off-season has been spent largely on defensive veterans and backups to correct the weak bench problem.