Todd Bowles Confidante Projects Bucs Will Choose Between Two Linemen In Round 1
April 8th, 2026
Joe had a long, private chat with Todd Bowles’ friend and supporter Pat Kirwan last week at the NFL annual meeting in Phoenix.
Bowles is a regular guest on Kirwan’s show on SiriusXM NFL Radio, and Joe talked to Kirwan one day after Kirwan spent time on and off the air with Bowles.
So of course Joe had a little extra interest in what Kirwan had to say yesterday about the Bucs’ potential 2026 first-round draft pick.
Kirwan went through an on-air mock draft exercise and reached Tampa Bay at No. 15., where Kirwan projected the Bucs to be deciding between edge rusher/defensive tackle prospect Keldric Faulk out of Auburn and DT Peter Woods from Clemson.
Kirwan went with Woods, who is more of a Calijah Kancey type than a mauling manbeast nose tackle. But Woods also is a guy who just turned 21 and is sure to add to his body. He measured 6-2 1/2 and 298 pounds at the NFL Scouting combine.
JoeBucsFan.com draft guru Sean Sullivan has Woods as the top defensive tackle on his board and calls him a Chris Jones clone. “He just collapses the pockets over and over and over again.” (You can hear Sean’s full breakdown on the Best In Class podcast.)
Faulk is a tweener at this point in his development, and another very young guy. He turns 21 this summer. Faulk measures 6-6, 276 pounds and seems like a guy who would have benefited from another year in college. But he is a freakishly athletic prospect and one that’s more of a project.
Joe probably wouldn’t draft either guy as high as No. 15, but why is Kirwan feeling the Bucs go that route?
April 8th, 2026 at 8:36 am
No more first round projects ! Give me production!! I know we have a new coaching staff but still don’t trust Bowles to coach em up. Production not hope.
April 8th, 2026 at 8:37 am
Won’t matter who they draft, we will still have Todd Bowles as out head coach!
April 8th, 2026 at 8:41 am
Two awful 1st RD choices. Hopefully Licht has enough sense to draft someone who has some decent college production.
April 8th, 2026 at 8:42 am
Woods would make Kancy a luxury. Great if he can somehow play.
April 8th, 2026 at 8:42 am
Hard pass on Faulk. Logan Hall vibes. Woods however is a player. I would take McDonald over him, but wouldn’t cry if we picked him.
April 8th, 2026 at 9:03 am
I’m not arguing that DL isn’t a need—it is—but some of this feels like an indictment on 94s durability and 50s age and snap count.
April 8th, 2026 at 9:05 am
Faulk is a college low production, below average film tweener project. NO WAY we draft this guy. First pick has to be day one starter and that ain’t Faulk. Trade back
And get Rodriguez then R. Mason. Two guys with years of college production and high motors who love the game. Who ever takes Faulk will seriously regret it
April 8th, 2026 at 9:06 am
Woods over Faulk, Kancey is in a contract year if we don’t pick up his option, and he would probably play a lot with Kanceys injury history, in a weak DT draft getting the top DT is a value
April 8th, 2026 at 9:06 am
Coaches don’t reveal draft picks to media personnel. So, he does not have any insider information.
April 8th, 2026 at 9:14 am
Such a bucs thing to do lol. Literally. Messidir is there and u pick the guy who didnt do dhit.
Thats why this franchise continues to suck on defense. Thats just about as stupid as u get
April 8th, 2026 at 9:15 am
Both sound like future BUST
So it’s likely Licht will draft one to placate his mediocre head coach
April 8th, 2026 at 9:21 am
Yeah, can’t see Bowles or Licht revealing anything about a first round pick other than to throw a smoke screen. Doing that makes sense . As much as the Bucs need talent on defense and they need a ton, don’t be surprized if they take the TE everyone is talking about. I am becoming convinced by their actions that the plan is to outscore oponets this year, because they can’t fix the defense this year. That is a major fix and they are slow in addressing it. I mean take a look yes the need a D tackle Vea is getting up there Kancy can’t stay healthy. They need 2 cornerbacks. The current starters are just plain awful. Maybe Morrison develops, but right now he can’t stay on the field and when he is it is not good. McColumn no hope.
Then they need 2 starting LBs and an Edge Rusher. to date they have shored up the defense a little, but look above that is a whole lot to add , that can’t even come close to fixing this year.
April 8th, 2026 at 9:21 am
Why is Jerwin’s Buccaneer first round pick a guessong game? He has to pick someone to write about. And Jason Licht is unpredictable…Will it be out of need or best available. The media is s at a disadvantage.while Jason Licht has a plan. Let the games begin.
April 8th, 2026 at 9:28 am
Also, a lot of what the Bucs will do will depend on what happens in front of them. Will they trade back? Will something freakish happen and somebody will be available that normally wouldn’t be because couple teams (and there are some poorly managed teams drafting early like they do every year) did something crazy earlier in the draft?
Anything is possible and I doubt it will be obvious like it was when we drafted Barton.
That year, everybody wanted Barton and he fell to us and we drafted him.
Will be a lot more intrigue this draft because we have so many needs.
Should be fun, unless we suck it up and take a bunch of offensive players. LOL
OG and TE I can live with.
April 8th, 2026 at 9:34 am
Don’t be fooled by the glamour guys. NFL games are won in the trenches, number one priority is offensive and defensive line. Our offensive line when healthy is top 5 in the NFL. We need defensive line talent. Would be nice if Kancey could play a full season. Vea has one or two good years left
April 8th, 2026 at 9:43 am
Bring on woods or McCoy
April 8th, 2026 at 9:48 am
Frank Pillow – Yes. 100%. Vita is too up/down for me, not much of a leader, getting up there in age and Kancey cant stay healthy. Further, do we even know for sure Kancey is that dude anyway? DL is most certainly a need. UNFORTUNATELY, linebacker is a far bigger need, we have needs all over lmao. Its great!
April 8th, 2026 at 10:04 am
An edge rusher/defensive tackle tweeter just sounds like a “Front 7” oxymoron
While I do prefer to add to our ILB or Edge Rusher rooms with our higher round Draft picks, I would not be disappointed in Peter Woods. We need to get back to controlling the LOS and this certainly helps that. We’ve played our best D under Bowles when we control the line of scrimmage.
Jason Licht loves to win and invest in the trenches on both sides of the ball as well, so I could see the Bucs taking Woods for sure if he’s there.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:10 am
NO to a TE and NO to any projects in the first and 2nd rounds. The Bucs has Braswell as a project and he still is not panning out.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:15 am
bakerfan Says:
April 8th, 2026 at 10:10 am
NO to a TE and NO to any projects in the first and 2nd rounds. The Bucs has Braswell as a project and he still is not panning out.
^^^^^^^^
I agree.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:23 am
Hard pass on Faulk – no more freakish athletes with no production.
Yes on Big DT – McDonald in first, other options in second and third. Not sure aout the guy from Clemson. Need size and attitude to pair with Vita. No expectations for Kancey. Just can’t count on him.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:26 am
Hopefully Bucs and JL find a trade partner and trade down… so many holes on this defense. To me, whether you draft 15th or 25th, you are getting the same type of guy… unless someone who you truly feel is a legit No. 1 falls to you at 15. Regardless of where they select their first pick I would HAVE to imagine it’s DL/Edge. So i kind of agree with Kirwan in that sense.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:35 am
Take it easy, Ufcguy. They haven’t done it yet.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:36 am
The Faulk pick is Hall 2.0. Stop drafting to fix, change or modify a rook. Draft them for what they are. Faulk pick will make me puke. Sadiq haters will wish he was the pick instead. Faulk has zero pass rush. Not even close to the 15th pick worthy.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:50 am
In order to have a legitimately solid defense you have to have a lineman that can rush the passer. Push the pocket, rip, swim and get to the qb. Kancey has that talent but obviously can’t stay healthy.
I have no issues taking a guy that can do that at 15.
April 8th, 2026 at 11:03 am
DT is a major need…both of the named DTs are terrible picks
April 8th, 2026 at 11:03 am
Kirwin went that way because they are not doing trades in his draft. I would hope the Bucs trade down instead of reaching. The only players available when the Bucs pick at 15 are either non-essential good values or reaches for needs.
April 8th, 2026 at 11:03 am
Kirwan being Todd’s pal would also assist with misleading other teams with his mock choice.
April 8th, 2026 at 11:39 am
I like Keldric Faulk
But he’s a 4-3 DE, can play 4-3 , 3Tech
If l had to choose, it would be Peter Woods
April 8th, 2026 at 11:45 am
There are better options than both of them. Woods is just OK. Stay away from Faulk.
Still prefer trade back if possible since Bailey, Bain, Styles won’t be available. Bucs could use extra picks in rounds 2-4. The best value in this draft will be in round 2.
April 8th, 2026 at 11:45 am
Guzzie55 … ‘Woods over Faulk, Kancey is in a contract year if we don’t pick up his option, and he would probably play a lot with Kanceys injury history’
Hard pass on both. We can’t properly use the 6 OLBs we have on the roster right now; why add another? And Woods is NOT the manbeast that we need for our interior DLine. We tried that with Kancey & he’s taken a beating. Put a beast in there like McDonald or Hunter or Banks and our interior will perform much better.
To his credit though, Peter Woods (6’3″ & 298 lbs) has a lot going for him. He has elite strength apparently (they say that he can lift 225 lbs at 34 reps (wow) & has a reported max bench lift of a tad over 500 lbs (wow again). At the Combine he did a 4.54 sec short shuttle & a 7.70 sec 3-cone drill (impressive for a 300 lber).
Personally though, I still want Kayden McDonald. Vea’s getting older, and McDonald could provide him some relief this season & be a NT replacement when Vea retires.
April 8th, 2026 at 11:46 am
Guzzie55 … ‘Woods over Faulk, Kancey is in a contract year if we don’t pick up his option, and he would probably play a lot with Kanceys injury history’
Hard pass on both. We can’t properly use the 6 OLBs we have on the roster right now; why add another? And Woods is NOT the manbeast that we need for our interior DLine. We tried that with Kancey & he’s taken a beating. Put a beast in there like McDonald or Hunter or Banks and our interior will perform much better.
April 8th, 2026 at 11:46 am
To his credit though, Peter Woods (6’3″ & 298 lbs) has a lot going for him. He has elite strength apparently (they say that he can lift 225 lbs at 34 reps (wow) & has a reported max bench lift of a tad over 500 lbs (wow again). At the Combine he did a 4.54 sec short shuttle & a 7.70 sec 3-cone drill (impressive for a 300 lber).
April 8th, 2026 at 12:04 pm
Woods is solid pick. He’s a dude. Something was in the water in Clemson last year – they had a new DC come in and set back the entire program. Me thinks we here in Tampa appreciate how much an awful coordinator can impact player performance.
Faulk is an enigma to me. High floor as run stopper, raw talent, and measurements at 20YO are enticing – will he continue to put it together? If he does – and everyone believes he will due to high character/love of football – then potential is through the roof. Potential requires patience, which is not in abundance amongst fan base/Glazers. Risk v reward tracks to Woods/McDonald IMHO.
McCoy (CB), Vega (OG), & Sadiq (TE) would also be welcome [to me]. Quality starters is what we need out of first round – no matter if it is #15 or later in round. There is no reach in the middle. Just find the best player for us.
April 8th, 2026 at 12:14 pm
Yeah lets beef up the defense lol
When we lose an OL and have MJ, freeney, Haggard, klein & Keyon Green protecting baker, dont say jack sh!t!!!!!
let baker “work his magic” behind those guys just as he did in the 2nd half of the season lol
i can see it now…bowles shocks everyone and the defense turns into a top 5 defense while the offense cant run the ball, pass the ball or score points because we lack quality OL depth!!
GO BUCS!!!!
April 8th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
From what I’ve seen and read about Faulk, he seems too small to be a DE in a 3-4, and too big to be a OLB – meaning he’s too slow (although surely much faster than Nelson, just for a frame of reference). He’s also coming off a down year production wise. The Bucs history with guys like that isn’t very good.
April 8th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Woods probably wont be there when we pick at 15.
April 8th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Both players make this team better.
April 8th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
Defense Rules Says:
April 8th, 2026 at 11:46 am
Didn’t know those measurable.
I don’t know his attitude or his intensity.
Hate @ 15 but damn that’s good size
April 8th, 2026 at 1:37 pm
What about big Jayson Jones
He might surprise folks in training camp
April 8th, 2026 at 1:50 pm
It’s baffling to read/listen to fans and the writers continue to bash TB on his ineptitude as a head coach to develop players, make correct calls at critical points in close games. Anyone who’s affiliated with professional sports will tell you it’s hard to win games in the respective sport. The writers and fans continue to overlook JL’s draft mediocrity when it comes to drafting legit pass rushers/ILb. Ownership isn’t free with the money when comes to free agents. On one hand the writers will say injuries aren’t an excuse but you guys don’t have a problem with making them for Baker. Baker lost games last year with terrible game play but you all seem to gloss over that.
April 8th, 2026 at 2:13 pm
Faulk is a tweener yet still looks slow and not explosive at all. That dude is a bust waiting to happen.
April 8th, 2026 at 3:45 pm
Woods over Faulk if those are the narrow minded options. Woods is not like Kancey, he’s significantly heavier naturally and a much more stout build. His build is closer to Warren Sapps. Unfortunately, his production isn’t anywhere close to Sapp. Trade up for Styles, or trade down and get some extra picks.
April 8th, 2026 at 4:37 pm
Gotta love this time of year where people who have never watched actual games some of these players played in, start whining about them before a single pick was made just because some yahoo “thinks” that’s what the Bucs will do.
Every year..wash rinse repeat. Love it! Pure comedy
April 8th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
I watch a ton of college football and kinda nerd out of the combine and draft. Im as big a Buc’s fan as anyone and yet, I have no clue who they will draft or should draft.
IMHO, I think the value will be at CB, DT and G at 15. While LBer and Edge are the biggest needs. Knowing how JL drafts, he will either trade down or draft the BPA at 15, which could be CB, DT or OL.
The Bucs dont even know right now who they will take, depends a lot of how the board falls. So even Kierwan with ties to Bowles is just guessing as best he can.
April 8th, 2026 at 4:49 pm
I’m out on Faulk. He gives me JTS vibes. He’s all traits/potential with limited production. I haven’t done as much study on Woods. But we probably need more of a space eater in the middle rather than a penetrator. My two cents.
April 8th, 2026 at 5:06 pm
Most of these tweeners don’t work out in the NFL…
We should know, we’ve drafted tons of them.
April 8th, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Faulk had 1600 snaps in college and produced a whopping 10 sacks.
Zero production. What makes this guy a first rounder??
Also, where does he fit in Bowles defense? Hes not a DT and he’s not an Olber. He’s Logan Hall with less size and college production.
Ive been a big supporter of JL, but if they drafted this guy in the first round, even after a trade down I would jump in the dump JL bandwagon.
But it’s not happening..ZERO chance.
April 8th, 2026 at 6:03 pm
Lakeland Says:
April 8th, 2026 at 11:39 am
I like Keldric Faulk
But he’s a 4-3 DE, can play 4-3 , 3Tech
————-
I’m not as high on him, but he does seem like a natural 4-3 DE as you said.
Although, I was reading up more on him again today, and he actually ran a 4.67 40 on his pro-day. He didn’t run at the combine and I had read he was more like a mid-4.8 type of player – and from what I watched of him, I thought he looked more like a 4.8 type of runner. That 4.67 is much faster than I thought he’d be. Maybe it could work out – but man do the Bucs have a history of swinging and missing on guys like this. To me, I’d much rather take someone like Akheem Mesidor – who has a lower ceiling but a much higher floor – and who doesn’t need to develop, he should be able to play right away.
Not that 40 time is everything, but if someone is above a certain number, it’s hard to see them doing much in the NFL – but that 40 time would make me feel a lot better about Faulk if we did take him.
April 8th, 2026 at 6:36 pm
I disagree with needing more of a space eater at DT than a penetrator. We have Vita, Robinson, Roberts and Nacho. All more space eaters than penetrators. The only real penetrating DT we have is Kancey. When ge goes down (unfortunately often) the entire pass rush suffers. They need a guy who can knife through and create pressure from the interior.
April 8th, 2026 at 6:46 pm
Lakeland,
I forgot about the NT from the Ravens we brought in. I was disappointed when he landed on IR too because I’ve been hoping we procure some Vita Vea insurance and have an eye on the future at the NT position. I want to see him play.
Having Kancey and/or Vea insurance and for rotation purposes I think is super important this season and beyond. It’s why I’m cool with either P. Woods (Kancey) or K. McDonald (Vea)
I’d love an ILB or Edge guy, but if Draft falls a certain way and that’s BPA, I ain’t mad at all
We need a CB too and I’d love some interior line depth as well!
April 8th, 2026 at 6:48 pm
interior O-line ** depth as well
April 8th, 2026 at 6:57 pm
The Bucs should take Mesidor out of Miami if sitting at 15.
April 8th, 2026 at 6:59 pm
Kirwan said that because he knows Buc fans will get rattled.
April 8th, 2026 at 7:16 pm
OMG people stop with the Kancey cant stay healthy garbage. Its flukey what happened to him after injury free college years. If I remember Sapp was injured early also and he turned out just fine. The Bucs will trade back get some draft picks and take J Rodriguez. Unless somebody slides they cant pass up. There are plenty of edge guys in round 2. Maybe with the trade we get another 3rd rounder or better
April 8th, 2026 at 8:31 pm
Either pick would not be the wisest
April 8th, 2026 at 8:32 pm
This franchise has become hellbent on not maxing out the most important position on defense with talent if we dont take Mesidor over Faulk or Howell
April 8th, 2026 at 8:34 pm
Faulk will not make an impact next year, and how do we take the top DT after signing one unless we’ve given up on Kancey
April 8th, 2026 at 8:35 pm
Its a Bucs life if we do this or take the TE
April 8th, 2026 at 9:23 pm
Move clancey to de. Then this might make sense
April 8th, 2026 at 11:05 pm
Donald G Says:
April 8th, 2026 at 7:16 pm
OMG people stop with the Kancey cant stay healthy garbage. Its flukey what happened to him after injury free college years.
————
Yeah, the idea the Bucs aren’t going to pick up Kancey’s option, when he’s literally the best pass rusher on the team, is just beyond stupid.
But I don’t recall Sapp being injured early on. McCoy was – and he turned into a 6-time pro bowler and an ALL-PRO.
Kancey being healthy for a full year would be the biggest boost this defense could get since it would make everyone else on the defense better.
April 9th, 2026 at 8:31 am
I think they go DT at some point early, maybe not Round 1 but time will tell. When Kancey went down last year, many players and coaches have come out to say that it significantly changed the defense. We can’t rely on Kancey anymore since he cant stay on the field. If they do draft a DT early, wonder if Crosby could be had for Vea and a pick now that they have signed Nacho and that beast from Carolina, still have Moore and Simmons as well.