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Who doesn't love a good mock draft?
While most mocks project who is going where in the NFL Draft, Chad Reuter of NFL Media recently put together a full seven-round mock draft of current NFL players trying to win it all for the 2026 season. It is a very fun read.
Since the goal is only to win during the upcoming season, and not to build a team for the future, age is not much of a factor in this exercise.
Oh, and you better get your quarterback quick.
With 224 picks over seven rounds (no compensatory picks), how many Tampa Bay Buccaneers were selected? And how fast did they come off the board?
Before we find out, here are Reuter's ground rules for his mock:
Out of the 224 players, only five Bucs were taken. Let's see which ones.
The first Buccaneer off the board was none other than quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield was taken with the 15th overall pick by, you guessed it, the Bucs.
"Mayfield has become the heart and soul of the Buccaneers franchise. I can't picture him anywhere else."
Only 15 picks in, and Mayfield was already the 14th QB drafted. The only non-QB to be taken so far is edge rusher Myles Garrett, who went 13th.
The next Buc to hear his name called was left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who went to the Cleveland Browns with the 59th overall pick in the second round.
"Wirfs has missed some games due to injury in his career, but he's become one of the top pass protectors in the league when his spikes are laced up."
With LT being such a premium position, it was surprising to see Wirfs last so long. Perhaps even more surprising is that Wirfs was the fourth tackle selected, behind Penei Sewell, Trent Williams, and Jordan Mailata. The other three all went earlier in the second round.
Mayfield and Wirfs were the only two Bucs drafted in the early rounds. The other three were all late-round picks, including a pair selected in the fifth.
With the 131st pick, the Arizona Cardinals took Tampa wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, whom they are pairing with QB Matthew Stafford, taken with the third overall pick.
"Matthew Stafford should quickly find a connection with Egbuka, as Baker Mayfield did last year with Mike Evans out of the lineup."
Egbuka was just chosen as the Bucs' most promising building block, so getting him this late in the draft was a steal for Arizona.
Just two picks later, defensive tackle Vita Vea is drafted by the New York Giants, who are counting on the massive Vea to replace DT Dexter Lawrence.
"Vea replaces Dexter Lawrence on the Giants' front, using his versatility to challenge all five offensive linemen he faces each week."
Tampa keeps another one of its own in round seven, selecting safety Antoine Winfield Jr. with pick 205. Winfield was the last Buc taken and the 10th safety off the board.
"Winfield was born to play safety for Todd Bowles in Tampa Bay -- and he is coming off a second Pro Bowl season in 2025."
Fake drafts like this are a very fun way to see how each team stacks up when it comes to measuring top-end talent.
It is a bit concerning that Tampa had only five players thought of among the 224 players who can most help a team win in 2026. Hopefully, we will look back at this mock after the season and say that many more Bucs deserved to be selected.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
While most mocks project who is going where in the NFL Draft, Chad Reuter of NFL Media recently put together a full seven-round mock draft of current NFL players trying to win it all for the 2026 season. It is a very fun read.
Since the goal is only to win during the upcoming season, and not to build a team for the future, age is not much of a factor in this exercise.
Oh, and you better get your quarterback quick.
With 224 picks over seven rounds (no compensatory picks), how many Tampa Bay Buccaneers were selected? And how fast did they come off the board?
Before we find out, here are Reuter's ground rules for his mock:
- Teams are listed based on the first-round order from the 2026 NFL Draft, restoring traded or forfeited picks to the original holders.
- The subsequent rounds are "snaked" to distribute talent evenly among the 32 franchises -- that is, the order of Round 1 is reversed in Round 2, which is reversed in Round 3, and so on. The order does account for tiebreakers from round to round, though, so it's not a straight snake throughout.
- No trades or compensatory selections were included.
- Unsigned free agents such as receivers Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill are not included.
Which Bucs Were Drafted?
Out of the 224 players, only five Bucs were taken. Let's see which ones.
The first Buccaneer off the board was none other than quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield was taken with the 15th overall pick by, you guessed it, the Bucs.
"Mayfield has become the heart and soul of the Buccaneers franchise. I can't picture him anywhere else."
Only 15 picks in, and Mayfield was already the 14th QB drafted. The only non-QB to be taken so far is edge rusher Myles Garrett, who went 13th.
The next Buc to hear his name called was left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who went to the Cleveland Browns with the 59th overall pick in the second round.
"Wirfs has missed some games due to injury in his career, but he's become one of the top pass protectors in the league when his spikes are laced up."
With LT being such a premium position, it was surprising to see Wirfs last so long. Perhaps even more surprising is that Wirfs was the fourth tackle selected, behind Penei Sewell, Trent Williams, and Jordan Mailata. The other three all went earlier in the second round.
Late Round Picks
Mayfield and Wirfs were the only two Bucs drafted in the early rounds. The other three were all late-round picks, including a pair selected in the fifth.
With the 131st pick, the Arizona Cardinals took Tampa wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, whom they are pairing with QB Matthew Stafford, taken with the third overall pick.
"Matthew Stafford should quickly find a connection with Egbuka, as Baker Mayfield did last year with Mike Evans out of the lineup."
Egbuka was just chosen as the Bucs' most promising building block, so getting him this late in the draft was a steal for Arizona.
Just two picks later, defensive tackle Vita Vea is drafted by the New York Giants, who are counting on the massive Vea to replace DT Dexter Lawrence.
"Vea replaces Dexter Lawrence on the Giants' front, using his versatility to challenge all five offensive linemen he faces each week."
Tampa keeps another one of its own in round seven, selecting safety Antoine Winfield Jr. with pick 205. Winfield was the last Buc taken and the 10th safety off the board.
"Winfield was born to play safety for Todd Bowles in Tampa Bay -- and he is coming off a second Pro Bowl season in 2025."
Final Thoughts
Fake drafts like this are a very fun way to see how each team stacks up when it comes to measuring top-end talent.
It is a bit concerning that Tampa had only five players thought of among the 224 players who can most help a team win in 2026. Hopefully, we will look back at this mock after the season and say that many more Bucs deserved to be selected.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
