What grade did Mel Kiper Jr. give the Bucs 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, which means there will be a few ways and days for us all to look back on picks and decide who has done the best and worst with what they have been given. One of the people offering up their two cents is legendary NFL Draft analyst, Mel Kiper Jr.

The ESPN presence shared his post-draft class grades for teams, so that, of course, includes the Bucs. When it came to the Bucs draft class, he liked a couple of the moves they made, but two specifically stood out above the rest for him.

Kiper explained the two picks he liked were those of Rueben Bain Jr. and Keionte Scott. He wrote, "The two picks that really stand out from this draft class, though, are two kids from across the state at Miami. Reuben Bain Jr. mixes power, bend, good angles and burst to be a real pass-rushing problem for opponents. Offensive coordinators have to account for him. He had 9.5 sacks and 71 pressures last season, and he pitched in against the run, too. A lot has been made about his short 30⅞-inch arms. . .I also liked the Keionte Scott pick a lot. He's all over the Miami tape, disrupting opposing offenses as a blitzer, chasing down running backs and making plays on the ball in coverage. Scott could factor in as a slot corner or safety. Tampa Bay got him at good value, too -- he was No. 80 on my board, so I wasn't expecting to see him still out there at the 116th pick."

Now, Kiper does mention he wishes they had done more to address the tight end position, but it didn't hurt their grade too much. He ended uo giving them a B- for their work, though that may be lower than fans expected.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Mel Kiper Jr. was not moved by the Bucs 2026 NFL Draft class