BR’s 2026 Buccaneers’ 3-Round Mock Draft 3.0

TAMPA — With the NFL’s silly-season in full swing, Bucs Report has released its third iteration of a 2026 three-round projection for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the early rounds tilt heavily toward restocking offensive firepower and defensive play-makers.

Round 1, Pick 26 overall: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon The headline-grabber comes at tight end. Sadiq, tabbed by Pro Football Focus as one of the top returning players at his position in Power Four football, would land in Tampa at a position of acute need. The Buccaneers face the possibility of watching both Cade Otton and Ko Kieft walk in free agency, leaving Payne Durham and Devin Culp atop the depth chart. Durham has flashed promise, but evaluators inside One Buc Place remain unconvinced Culp can shoulder a full-time role.

At 244 pounds, Sadiq is viewed as a true offensive weapon: a fluid route-runner with a high football IQ and improved in-line blocking that has drawn praise from Oregon coaches and teammates alike. The selection would give the offense a movable chess piece capable of aligning inline, in the slot, or out wide.

Round 2, Pick 58: Xavier Hill, S, Oklahoma State The second round addresses the back end of the defense. Hill’s tape versus Oklahoma last fall illustrated why scouts are enamored with his combination of physicality and range. He diagnoses plays quickly, triggers downhill with controlled aggression, and arrives at the ball carrier with explosive force. His momentum-shifting tackles and instinctive feel for spacing project as an ideal complement to Tampa’s current safety room.

Round 3, Pick 90: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State The third pick swings back to the line of scrimmage. Dennis-Sutton’s evaluation is one of upside: when his initial hand strike is timed correctly—see his strip-sack versus Notre Dame—he overwhelms tackles with raw power. The caveat is a rush plan still heavy on effort and light on counters. The belief inside the building is that a dedicated defensive-line coach can accelerate his technique, potentially unlocking a second-year breakout once his hands sync with his strength.

Bottom line: the Bucs exit the draft’s first three rounds with a potential franchise tight end, a heat-seeking safety, and a developmental edge rusher—each pick addressing a roster hole that could widen before the 2026 league year even begins.