Buccaneers 2026 NFL Draft: Picks by round, biggest needs, best fits

TL;DR

The 2026 NFL Draft starts on April 23 in Pittsburgh, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers focusing on securing an edge rusher. The team will be adapting after the departures of key players Mike Evans and Lavonte David.

Key points

2026 NFL Draft starts April 23 in Pittsburgh
Buccaneers' biggest need is edge rusher
Mike Evans and Lavonte David have left the team
Yaya Diaby led the team with seven sacks in 2025

Mentioned in this story

Mike EvansLavonte DavidYaya DiabyPittsburgh

Tampa Bay BuccaneersNFL Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off live from Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 23 and the latest crop of rookies will be hearing their names called all weekend long. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the biggest need is an obvious one: Edge rusher.

The Bucs will look different this season without all-time leading receiver Mike Evans and recently-retired linebacker Lavonte David – two franchise cornerstones. The Bucs haven't had a solid pair of edge rushers since Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul, who last played together in Tampa in 2021. Yaya Diaby led the Bucs with seven sacks and 62 pressures in 2025.

MORE: Biggest need for every team entering 2026 NFL Draft

Here's everything you need to know about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for this year's draft, including a round-by-round look at picks and a potential trade candidate already on the roster.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Draft best prospect fit: WR Denzel Boston, Washington

Per USA TODAY's Ayrton Ostly:

Tampa Bay lost Mike Evans in free agency this year. Why not give them a guy who plays a similar brand of football out wide? Boston is another big-bodied wideout with physicality at the catch point. Replacing Evans is no small task but the transition would be a bit easier with Boston in the building.