Albert Breer: Bucs Are A Possible Trade-Up Target
April 22nd, 2026
“Todd, will you be OK with me drafting two linebackers Friday night?”
When the 2026 NFL draft kicks off tomorrow night — tomorrow night! — Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has made it clear: He wants to trade down.
Seeing/reading/hearing so many other teams say they want to trade down as well gave Joe the impression this won’t be an easy task.
Albert Breer thinks the opposite. In fact, Breer, the long-time NFL columnist for SI.com, put fingers to keyboard to explain the Bucs might be a prime trade-up target and since there may be more than one suitor for the Bucs to dance with, Licht just may be able to pull off a sweet deal.
It seems, per Breer, several teams picking right behind the Bucs are hunting for a tackle. And the Bucs, of course, have zero need to draft a tackle at No. 15, or draft a tackle at all this weekend.
Mark the Buccaneers down as another team looking to move down on Thursday night, from their perch at No. 15. And I think they’re positioned to pull it off.
Behind them, you have the Lions at 17, Panthers at 19, Steelers at 21, Eagles at 23, Browns at 24 and Bears at 25 as teams that might need tackle help. And with a run on the position potentially looming over that alley of picks, the Bucs could give someone the opportunity to jump the line. Which, I think, is something to keep an eye on as we draw closer.
Now this is some really good research of the chessboard. Joe never thought of that (or gave it a whole lot of thought either). But if there are more than one team that talks turkey with Licht tomorrow night, wouldn’t it be awesome if Licht could also squeeze a second-round pick out of another team?
That way Licht could trade down, draft Kayden McDonald in the first, Jacob Rodriguez in the second and maybe Jake Golday or Kyle Louis, too?
That would be a helluva haul to start the draft.
Jake Golday (6’4 237) Cincinnati
+ Ideal size for the position
+ Effective shedding blockers
+ Coverage upside with his length and athleticism (77.5 grade)
+ Blitz timing and pursuit speed
+ Open field tackling
+ 90.6 run defense grade in 2025
+ Work ethic to go from a 190… pic.twitter.com/oBXq8kyfCN— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) January 24, 2026
April 22nd, 2026 at 4:35 am
Trading down down is recommended. Your guy Golday looks good but he tackles kinda high. That’s coachable.
April 22nd, 2026 at 4:45 am
Wow compared to Dennis. Very fluid the way he moves, sheds blocks with those long arms that should help in coverage. You have to like his size. At 6’4″ he’s eye to eye with most TEs. Compare that to Allen at 6’1″. I would not mind him in the second, McDonald in the first trading down.
April 22nd, 2026 at 5:41 am
Anything that improves the Putrid Pass -defense I am all for it.
April 22nd, 2026 at 6:00 am
Picture shows this may be worst draft ever for Bucs.
April 22nd, 2026 at 6:04 am
Not interested in Golday or Louis. Neither would be more than a short term replacement for Dennis in the box. Need an Edge. Even though Mesidor will be gone and I wouldn’t touch Faulk, but there’s probably at least 5 or 6 DE/Edge still available in the 2nd round:
Thomas OU
Howell TX A&M
Parker Clemson
Jacas Illinois
Lawrence UCF
Young Mizz
Moore Mich
April 22nd, 2026 at 6:41 am
Rodriguez and small and slow.
He missed a ton of tackles too.
He’s way overrated.
Do not draft Rodriguez!
April 22nd, 2026 at 6:41 am
Rodriguez won’t be there in rd 2… unless its pick 33 or 34 – then maybe.
More likely JRod and Allen both get selected somewhere between 20 and 32.
If Licht wants a good ILB this year at the right value – he needs to trade down 8-10 spots and then draft Allen or JRod in Rd 1.
Either that or select BPA at 15 and then jump way up from 46 to the top of rd 2 and get whoever is still on the board among Allen, JRod and Hill.
I prefer option 1 because we likely get our choice of MLB and also an extra day 2 pick.
Golday is not the consolation prize we want I don’t think….
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:00 am
Cleveland would be nice, give them our 1st & 4th for their 1st & 2nd. Not sure if that’s a realistic trade package but getting 4 picks in the first 3 rds would be nice, especially with two second rounders.
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:05 am
Trade down for extra 2nd. Please, please, please. 🙏🏼
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:13 am
Only problem with getting an extra 2nd is Lichts record picking in the 2nd, other than lineman it’s pretty bad
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:32 am
Teacherman. Your earlier post said Tykee was the same size as Lavonte. That was inaccurate to say the least. It made me wonder about you. But now you’re pounding on JRod? Well, that’s not only inaccurate- that’s insane. At least I’m not wondering about you anymore.
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:36 am
Licht’s 2nd round picks are lacking
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:49 am
If we can pull it off, trading down is the move.
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:52 am
“Behind them, you have the Lions at 17, Panthers at 19, Steelers at 21, Eagles at 23, Browns at 24 and Bears at 25 as teams that might need tackle help.”
Mauigoa
Fano
Proctor
Freeling
Lomu
Miller & Iheanachor.
Those are names we may see drafted at OT in the first round and it’d be really nice if 3-4 of the guys go before we pick at 15th. I’d like to think a position swap in the first along with a 2nd or 3rd rounder depending on how far we’re looking to move back would play some part in making a deal.
Very likely Licht has a handful of prospects he wouldn’t mind walking out of each round of draft with. If the draft works out where we can move back and still be in range for 2-3 of those players in the 1st while making a deal that gets him an extra selection in the top 50-100.
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:58 am
I wish someone would be dumb enough to give us a 1st round pick in 2027.
April 22nd, 2026 at 8:01 am
“I wish someone would be dumb enough to give us a 1st round pick in 2027.”
Bengals already rang the pre-draft bad move bell.
April 22nd, 2026 at 8:11 am
What would Pittsburgh have to give us to move up from 21?