Pete Prisco: What The Bucs Should Do
April 23rd, 2026
“Pete, you’ve got nothing to lose if you’re wrong. Me? I’ve got to deal with potshots from Ira.”
Folks may call prickly Pete Prisco from CBS all kinds of things. But one word that can never be used on Prisco is “bashful.”
Prisco appears to be coming out with his last mock draft sometime today. He was noting on Twitter yesterday how he was mocked out but still had to put out one last mock.
However, Prisco did put out a column yesterday on CBS that was a tutorial of sorts of what every NFL general manager should do tonight when the draft kicks off. And yes, that includes Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
Prisco knows the Bucs well. He’s based in South Florida but he is a common sight at One Buc Palace. He knows the Bucs need an edge rusher. But he’s not going there with the Bucs.
Prisco thinks the Bucs need to look to their secondary first. Prisco believes Licht needs to target LSU corner Mansoor Delane.
The way this played out — and it won’t — they end up with the best corner in the class. They had trouble outside at corner last year, so it helps fill a major need.
Joe doesn’t expect that but Joe wouldn’t be upset.
Now Joe gets it: Folks will ask, “But Joe, the Bucs drafted two corners last year.” They sure did. And the Bucs still need another.
The Bucs decided to let their best corner Jamel Dean walk away. You figure Jacob Parrish will move to outside corner. Joe’s a big fan of Parrish and he will do fine.
Last year, it sure looked like Zyon McCollum was trying to play his way out of a starting gig. On many teams he would have been benched. But Benjamin Morrison simply was not ready to start.
Therefore, McCollum kept his gig by default, not that he earned it. So Joe could see the Bucs drafting another corner to start opposite of Parrish.
Maybe Morrison could grow into a starting role? The trick is, does Bucs coach Todd Bowles have the luxury to let Morrison make mistakes as he gains experience? To Joe, it looks like Bowles needs as many wins as he can get and can’t afford to roll the dice with on-the-job training.
You figure a first-round pick of a corner ought to be good enough to start right away.
Mansoor Delane 1 INT, 3 PD, 3 TKL vs Arkansas, 2025.
Who's going to draft Delane?pic.twitter.com/Sg39Ckl92H
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) March 21, 2026
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:09 am
I’d take this over a TE, just saying.
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:19 am
Prefer Mesidor if he’s still there so on 3rd and 28s, you can kick him inside and play Muhammad on his 8 standing up.
But the #1 corner at 15 should be significantly better than the #12 corner in the third. The drop-off from Mesidor to OU’s Thomas in the middle second may not be as significant.
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:20 am
Can make a pretty good case for taking CB, but that’s assuming Delanie will even gets passed on by the Giants, Commanders, Dolphins, and Chiefs who all pick before us.
There’s about 10 CBs I wouldn’t mind coming away with in this draft, but idk about taking one in the first round. No knock on Delanie, but I think we’ll get someone in 2nd or later so now they can compete for a job.
Sort of like how we drafting Carlton Davis, then brought in Dean & SMB a year later. They all eventually played, but they also had to compete to figure out the pecking order in that room.
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:34 am
They have done their homework on some CBs it appears. Definitely thin at that position like many others.
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:37 am
Draft all the corners you want, without a pass rush they’re useless.
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:38 am
The Bucs are thin at coaching.
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:43 am
That’s a lot better then a tweener Tight End. There’s taller, bigger, longer tight ends available in the third and fourth round.
My 1st choice Is a trade package the second rounder that you will waste on a 2nd rate defensive lineman. I can make a case for the jets taking our 1st second and next year’s 1st For this year’s second overall pick. OR
Trade pick 15 to Vegas for their 1st round next year, and second round this year if there’s a player who can protect Mendoza.
I wouldn’t be opposed to taking the big guard out of Penn State. OR
Trading down and picking up a linebacker and a big D tackle.
The real question is when can we find a defensive coordinator can make his scheme fit the existing players we have rather than trying to find the perfect player for every position so he can run his scheme.
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:47 am
Anything but another edge bust
April 23rd, 2026 at 7:53 am
If Parrish moves to outside corner do the Bucs go after D’Angelo ponds in the 3rd to play the nickel spot?
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:18 am
Morrison has no dog in him whatsoever.
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:22 am
Myopic concerns about getting a good player at 15 would be vastly improved with a trade up seven or more spots.
Yes, the draft has been likened to a crap shoot, but in this version the odds of rolling a winner improve the sooner it becomes your turn to roll.
Do it, Jason! Take chance, trade up and roll us a winner!
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:23 am
If Licht gets a TE in the 1st round he should be fired on the spot…along with the HC
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:30 am
Hodad … ‘Draft all the corners you want, without a pass rush they’re useless.’
BINGO! Without inside pass rush pressure, even rookie QBs can evade our OLBs; we’ve seen that happen time & time again. But collapse the pocket from inside pressure, and everything changes.
We replaced 29-year-old NT/DT Greg Gaines (17 games … 369 deg snaps) with 33-year-old Rakeem Nunez-Roches who gave the Giants 9 games & 241 def snaps last year. RNR had foot/ankle issues in 8 games last season that kept him out of games. I love what RNR contributed to our SB team 6 years ago in taking over for Vea while he was injured, BUT … that was SIX years ago. And Father Time is still undefeated.
Would love for the Bucs to replicate what we accomplished in 1995 when we drafted DT Warren Sapp #1 then LB Derrick Brooks #2. THAT draft set the tone for our 2002 Super Bowl victory and an overall 80-64 record in 1995-2003 while Sapp was here. We all know what a huge difference Warren made as both a HOF DT & ‘voice of our defense’.
Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald can play that same role. He’s got the size we need in the middle (6’2″ & 326 lbs), but more important the talent & the nastiness to set the tone for our defense. I get that no one wants to spend a 1st Rnd pick on a DT, but in reality he’s Vea’s replacement in probably 1-3 years. And I shudder to think of what our defense would’ve looked like WITHOUT Vita Vea these past 9 years.
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:31 am
I’m debating within myself
Is it Mansoor Delane or Chris Johnson
Delane faced the tougher competition.
But Chris Johnson allowed a 16.1 passing rate
That’s unheard of , even if Johnson did face lesser competition at San Diego State.
But either one of them will do