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 issuing his last mock draft sometime today. He was noting on Twitter yesterday how he was mocked out but still had to publish one more.
However, Prisco published 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. Prisco thinks the Bucs need to look to their secondary first and 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. Joe figures 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. So Joe could see the Bucs drafting another corner to start opposite of Parrish. And remember, the Bucs drafted four cornerbacks through the 2018 and 2019 drafts, so Licht is no stranger to loading up.
Maybe Morrison could grow into a starter? 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 he can’t afford to roll the dice with on-the-job training.
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
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:49 am
The CB out of LSU that may rewrite the CB position requirements moving into the future is a five-star freshman cornerback for LSU in 2025, DJ Pickett played 441 defensive snaps. He was an instant impact player, starting several games and totaling 35 tackles (28 solo), 3 interceptions, and 2 sacks on the season.
DJ is a local product out of Zephyrhills High , but what will make him unique and potentially even a Number One pick is his rarest of Combinations in a Corner. DJ is 6′-5″ and runs a 4.4 40. DJ does not just cover receivers – he swallows them up. Watch this guy next season at LSU-great things coming.
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:51 am
Bucs have new safeties and CB coaches this year – both promoted from within the organization – perhaps they can improve the existing roster of players at these positions regarding technique and communication. Because those were the biggest problems with the secondary last year and if those issues don’t improve, drafting another CB with a high pick won’t help.
Bucs should prioritize DLine , OLine, LB and Edge Rush and take the best players available.
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:52 am
Just draft the biggest, baddest, meanest, ugliest trench players
Look for a speedy OLB, who can play in space
Then relax and draft a playmaking ILB
A highly skilled CB, who can cover
Find a solid WR4, who can become a WR2
Look for an Move TE, who will compliment Cade Otton
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:52 am
Since the Bucs success is mandatory for Bowles, and maybe Licht to be here next year, they should use next years’ one and move up to get Styles
April 23rd, 2026 at 8:55 am
I like Delane, but can’t picture him falling to us. Here’s what bothers me about going CB in round 1, Licht doesn’t have a great track record picking CBs overall. unfortunately same goes for pass rushing OLBs (not just during Bowles’ tenure either, so it’s not all his fault). Now O-lineman he’s pretty good at. Olaivavega Ioane next to Wirfs would be a crushing blow to everyone else in the league. We were dreadful once the guards went down last year. Baker got beat up and flailed on offense. Do we need a great pass rusher? Yes! Do you have faith Licht/Bowles can deliver one and not ruin him?
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:00 am
Watch Licht draft Sadiq or Ioane. The reaction here will be epic. lol.
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:04 am
ZERO CONFIDENCE IF BASING JUDGEMENT OFF THIS POOR EXAMPLE..
That qb that’s being used as an example, throws about as hard as my daughter. PATHETIC! That’s NOT what I’d consider outstanding in any way shape or form. Why did they use the low end high school example QB? Couldn’t find better QB examples than that?? I CERTAINLY HOPE WE AREN’T SIZING UP TALENT WITH THAT!! HOW ABOUT A RECEIVER THAT WOULD AT LEAST TRY FOR THE BALL IN THE END ZONE? WHAT A JOKE..
The guy was barely able to throw it in to the end zone! How about versus a REAL QB and “PRO LEVEL RECIEVER”? You could have put ANY defender up there and got those results! Hard Pass without WAY BETTER PROOF!
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:07 am
D.R.—
It’s not like you to go off the rails like that. Comparing McDonald to Sapp’s college career is an insult to Sapp. Their congruency is akin to a squiggly line.
McDonald has three career sacks in three years. Count em’—3! Sapp had 19.5 sacks at Miami, including 10.5 in the 1994 season, his last.
Moreover, if you’re seeking to “beef up the middle” with a Vea clone, that’s fine and dandy. But it’s not a need at the present time. The Bucs breakdowns are most all centered on defending the pass at crucial moments. Will McDonald be a disrupter against the pass? I believe that to be a rhetorical … NO.
When the Bucs are clinging to a one point lead with less than two minutes left, McDonald would be useless when, more that ever, we would need a sack or interception.
Let’s fix what needs fixin’ first.
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:07 am
Defense Rules, this sentence is for you:
“19. Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State: A 326-pound massive mound of major-program man meat.”
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:08 am
I have been saying over and over that the only starting corner currently on the Bucs is Parrish. Loved what Sullivan said on Ira’s Podcast about the corners. Do the Bucs want to go into the season gambling on Morrison, who was often injured and played poorly when on the field. He may develop but he may not, who knows. He is your starting corner?. On the other side McColumn was even worse than Morrison. His play ranked right up there with the worst in the league. I would not want to see the Bucs start the season with either of those corners. I surely would not gamble on McColumn at this point. So the Bucs either need to draft an elite corner or aquire one after. So drafting one with the first pick makes a lot of sense. The same can be said for inside LB and OLB. They need several elite players right now. Sorry this will take a few years. The best the Bucs can hope is that the draft will yield a few players to get them to average at best. The offense will have to carry this team this year.
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:15 am
Licht is gonna trade down for an IOL because he’s a putz
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:16 am
Ioane or Mesidor..thats the question
The other question is at 15 or after a trade down.
Wildcard is if they trade down and both those guys are gone. Then I think it’s Lawrence or Rodriguez.
I would be happy with any of the above.
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:40 am
Zyon was just bored last season
But this season he will be back
Strong as ever
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:43 am
Not giving up on Morrison. We have two former players in the Hall of Fame who were awful in their rookie year.
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:48 am
Benjamin Morrison will be a stud CB
He’s still a baby, he wasn’t a 25 year old rookie
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:55 am
The Bucs track record of drafting edge rushers is pathetic, whereas drafting corners has been good. Joe, what you said about you not being upset drafting a corner makes sense. Trade down in the 1st round for a corner and take an edge rusher with your 2nd round trade pick. You are getting 2 second round picks while adding more depth for the team.
April 23rd, 2026 at 9:57 am
You don’t have to give up on Morrison just because you’re bringing more talent into the CB, and we did lose 2 CBs since the new league year has rolled over.
Gifting Morrison a starting position with next to no or little competition, is way more detrimental to the team than grabbing a CB to raise our overall level of talent in the room.
Keionte Scott would be perfect as a relief for Parrish should he get more reps on the boundary. Scott is also a helluva a presence in the box as a run defender AND blitzer. Delanie, at least his tape doesn’t have that effort on display like Scott does and we could get the latter on day 2.
April 23rd, 2026 at 10:06 am
A corner would be fine but I prefer a mean, fast, tackling machine, who could cover RBs and TEs… a high quality ILB!!! Best available on the defensive side of the ball that could fill the huge holes that exist there.