SR’s 2026 Bucs Draft Insider is presented by Gameday Men’s Health
Men – do you feel tired? Are you gaining weight despite working out… struggling with sleep, focus, or sexual performance? Did you know that 1 in 4 men over the age of 30 have low testosterone? And many men don’t even realize it – and I didn’t either, which is why I am on testosterone replacement therapy at age 53 and feel like I’m 10 years younger.
At Gameday Men’s Health, low testosterone is quickly diagnosed and treated. Gameday offers a FREE testosterone test and consultation – with results in minutes. Gameday specializes in testosterone replacement therapy, along with weight loss, ED treatments, and peptides — all designed to help optimize your health and performance.
With 6 Tampa Bay area locations in Westshore, South Tampa, Brandon, Palm Harbor, Largo, and Sarasota … getting started is EASY. Visit GamedayMensHealth.com today to schedule your FREE consultation. Feel better and get back in the game with Gameday Men’s Health!
The 2026 NFL Draft continues with Day 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24, as the team will continue to look for contributors on defense and elsewhere after drafting Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. in the first round. So let’s dive into who the Bucs might pick in rounds 2-3 in another SR’s Bucs Draft Insider column – presented by Gameday Men’s Health – which is full of Bucs-related pre-draft scoop and insight.
If you haven’t seen it yet, here is a link to Pewter Report’s FINAL 2026 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft, which was published on Sunday.
There won’t be an SR’s Fab 5 column this week because of the NFL Draft, but there will be plenty of draft coverage on PewterReport.com on Friday, in addition to Pewter Report’s LIVE 3-Day Draft Show – presented by Prize Picks. So SR’s 2026 Bucs Draft Insider will take its place.
I’ll also have an SR’s 2026 Bucs Draft Insider: Day 3 for you on Saturday morning. Enjoy!
Bucs Were Shocked That Rueben Bain Jr. Fell To No. 15
Was it the fact that Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. was involved in a fatal car accident that caused his draft stock to slip? Was it his short arms, which are slightly less than 31 inches that caused him to fall outside of the top 10 in the first round? Or was it the fact that other teams simply drafted other players of need that led to Bain surprisingly being there at No. 15 when Tampa Bay was on the clock?
The Bucs don’t know – and the Bucs don’t care. They got one of the draft’s premier players.
General manager Jason Licht began to get the sense that Bain could be there when the Bucs were on the clock at No. 15 once he slipped past Dallas at No. 11. The Cowboys selected Ohio State safety Caleb Downs instead of Bain. Once Miami took Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor at No. 12, the Bucs knew they would have their pick of either Hurricanes edge rusher – Bain or Akheem Mesidor, who was likely Tampa Bay’s backup plan at No. 15.
Miami edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor – Photo courtesy of Miami Athletics
The Bucs knew that the Rams weren’t going to pick Bain at No. 13 as their defense is chock full of defensive linemen, and their selection of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson wasn’t that much of a surprise given Matthew Stafford’s age. The Ravens were destined to take Penn State guard Vega Ioane at No. 14, so the Bucs’ dream of Bain falling to them at No. 15 wound up being fully realized.
Tampa Bay thought very highly of Mesidor, who went to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 22, but he’s 25 years old and Bain is four years younger at age 21. The team feels like Bain has a higher ceiling at the NFL level as a result, and of the two at Miami, Bain was the alpha. Bain was the one who opposing offensive coordinators had to game plan for and finished with 9.5 sacks this season.
Simply put, the Bucs got a top 10 talent at No. 15, which was an absolute steal. It was the perfect case of the best player available on the draft board happens to be at a major position of need in Tampa Bay. Licht said he had some offers to trade down but didn’t want to risk the chance of losing the gift that had fallen into the team’s lap just by trying to be greedy trying to snare a mid-round pick.
Great decision – and the Bucs drafted a great player in Bain as a result.
It feels like whatever happens with the rest of the team’s draft will just be icing on the cake.
Tampa Bay’s 2026 draft is already a success by nailing the Bain pick in round one.
Bucs Will Draft An Inside Linebacker On Day 2
One thing was for sure about the 2026 NFL Draft. Tampa Bay was going to finish Day 2 of the draft with at least one outside linebacker and one inside linebacker out of their first three selections. Drafting Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. in the first round sets the team up to go after an insider linebacker on Day 2 – likely in the second round.
Only one off-ball linebacker was taken in the first round – Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, who went seventh overall to Washington. Expect a run on inside linebackers in the second round – possibly early – with several good ones available. Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez might not make it to No. 46 when the Bucs pick in the second round. If general manager Jason Licht wants the ballhawking All-American he might have to make a move up to get him. Rodriguez had a formal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Georgia LB CJ Allen – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Joshua L Jones
Georgia’ CJ Allen wouldn’t be a bad selection, either. He has some Lavonte David-type traits in terms of his leadership ability and a low missed tackle rate. But the hard-hitting Allen doesn’t make the splash plays that Rodriguez makes in terms of creating takeaways. Allen played a year with Tykee Smith in Kirby Smart’s sophisticated defense and has a high football I.Q. Allen had a formal meeting with the Bucs in Indianapolis.
Missouri’s Josiah Trotter might actually be rated higher than Allen on the Bucs’ board and he’s very young, as he just turned 21. Trotter played one season at West Virginia and one season at Mizzou before entering the draft as a redshirt sophomore. He too lacks takeaways – with just one interception on his resumé, but the 240-pound Trotter is an explosive downhill player who is an excellent blitzer. The son of Eagles legendary linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, he struggles in coverage, so he might not be a Day 1 starter as a result. Trotter had a formal interview at the Combine and an official 30 visit.
Missouri ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: IMAGN Images
Cincinnati’s Jake Golday is another Day 2 linebacker option. He started his career at Central Arkansas where he was a defensive end, playing opposite Tampa Bay edge rusher David Walker before transferring to the Bearcats for his final two seasons. Golday is a smart, physical football player with a big, 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame and good instincts. He’s a sure tackler and a good blitzer, but his coverage ability is a work in progress.
The team also had a formal Combine interview with Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis, who is the top coverage linebacker in this year’s draft. But Louis is 6-foot-1, 220 pounds and is too small to play middle linebacker, which the Bucs need with newcomer Alex Anzalone playing the Mo’ linebacker spot on the weak side, replacing Lavonte David. Louis had a great Senior Bowl, which upped his stock, but he’s likely a third-round pick at best due to his small frame.
Expect the Bucs to come away with a linebacker, likely in Round 2 as they should have a shot at Allen, Trotter or Golday if indeed Rodriguez is gone by the time they pick in the second round.
Other Day 2 Options For Tampa Bay
Todd Bowles did say that this draft had 10-12 inside linebackers he really liked, so perhaps the team could wait until the third or fourth round to get one, but that could mean a real drop off in talent at the position. But if the Bucs have a higher rated player on the board in the second or third round they could stick with their board and draft the best player available.
Assuming inside linebacker will be one of the team’s Day 2 picks, where does Tampa Bay go with the other selection – either in the second or third round? Defensive tackle might be an option as there just aren’t many good ones in this year’s draft. Tampa Bay has shown a lot of interest in Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter, having a formal interview with him at the Combine as well as having him in for an official 30 visit.
Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Giese
The team also had Georgia nose tackle Christen Miller in for an official 30 visit, had a Combine formal interviews with Texas A&M’s Tyler Onyedim, and Oklahoma’s Gracen Halton and Southeastern Louisiana’s Kaleb Proctor came in for official 30 visits. Iowa State’s nose tackle Dominique Orange could also be a possibility on Day 2.
The Bucs showed some interest in Arizona’s versatile defensive back Treydan Stukes, and he too could be a Day 2 option if the team wanted to address the secondary. Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy is still available too, but there are some medical concerns about his surgically-repaired knee.
Tampa Bay could opt for an offensive player on Day 2. The Bucs have done extensive homework on tight ends and Georgia’s Oscar Delp and Ohio State’s Max Klare, who could be options in the third round, as could Stanford’s Sam Roush. All three had formal interviews at the Combine, and Klare and Delp also made it to One Buc Place for an official 30 visit.
Georgia TE Oscar Delp – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Brett Davis
Should the team elect to pick up a big X receiver to replace Mike Evans, Georgia State’s Ted Hurst, who had a formal Combine interview, and Ole Miss’ De’Zhaun Stribling, who had an official 30 visit, could be Day 2 options.
Two wild card selections could be Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. and Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson. The Bucs running back room seems stacked, but Washington brings size and 4.33 speed and came in for an official 30 visit, while Johnson got a formal Combine interview.
Could The Bucs Double Up At Edge Rusher On Day 2?
It’s doubtful that the Bucs would double up on edge rushers this year with the selection of Rueben Bain Jr. along with the free agent addition of Al-Quadin Muhammad. That’s in addition to leading sacker Yaya Diaby and David Walker, last year’s fourth-round pick, who missed his rookie season with a torn ACL. Those four seem assured of roster spots, in addition to reliable veteran Anthony Nelson, who is a favorite of head coach Todd Bowles.
Tampa Bay typically keeps five outside linebackers on the roster, so that would mean Chris Braswell, a second-round pick in 2024 who has failed to live up to expectations, would be the odd man out.
Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Kevin Jairaj
But if the Bucs wanted to keep six outside linebackers they could double up at the position, possibly on Day 2. There are several edge rushers that carry second- or third-round grades that the team is fond of that could wind up in red and pewter.
Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas had a formal Combine interview as well as an official 30 visit and is viewed as a second-round prospect. Cashius Howell had a formal Combine interview and could also be a Day 2 target. The Bucs also had Missouri defensive end Zion Young in for an official 30 visit following a formal meeting in Indianapolis. Tampa Bay has also had a formal meeting with Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas. Young and Jacas are more like 4-3 defensive ends than 3-4 outside linebackers, though.
Tampa Bay Was Out On Two First-Round Defensive Linemen
For some reason Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk was one of the most popular players mocked to the Bucs in several mock drafts this spring. The 6-foot-6, 276-pounder is young and athletic, but had just 10 sacks in three years at Auburn and just two last year. His selection would not have made any sense as he’s not a 3-4 outside linebacker, rather he’s a 4-3 defensive end. Plus his weak sack production would have made his selection by Tampa Bay a real downer.
And Faulk is also not big enough to move inside and play defensive tackle. The Bucs tried that experiment with another 4-3 end that was under 280 pounds with Logan Hall and it didn’t work out. It would have been stupid for the Bucs to draft Faulk and go down that dead end road again.
Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Jake Crandall
Faulk eventually went to Tennessee, which traded back up into the first round to select him at No. 31. Thankfully, the Bucs didn’t have a first-round grade on him. In fact, it was much, much lower. Like really low.
Another first-round defensive lineman that the Bucs had a very low grade on was Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks, who went to the Vikings with the No. 18 pick in the first round. Banks is a talented player when he’s healthy, but he broke his foot during his final year with the Gators and only played in three games. Then he re-broke his foot at the NFL Scouting Combine, plus there were some character concerns about Banks, too. He was never in play for Tampa Bay.
Join Pewter Report’s LIVE 3-Day Bucs Draft Show – April 23-25
Pewter Report will be broadcasting its annual LIVE 3-Day Bucs Draft Show – presented by PrizePicks – from One Buccaneer Place on April 23-25. Buccaneers fans are encouraged to watch nearly 20 hours of wall-to-wall draft coverage from the Pewter Report staff streamed on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel, which has nearly 23,000 subscribers.
The LIVE 3-Day Draft Show will also be streamed on PewterReport.com in addition to Pewter Report’s X and Facebook accounts – @PewterReport. Here are the remaining broadcast times:
Friday, April 24 – 6:00 pm ET / Day 2 starts at 7:00 pm ET
Saturday, April 25 – 11:00 am ET / Day 3 starts at noon ET
The entire Pewter Report staff will be on hand to preview and discuss each of the team’s draft picks, offering insight and analysis found nowhere else – in addition to answering questions from fans and reading their comments from the chat on-air.
The Pewter Report staff will also be offering live reaction from interviews with general manager Jason Licht, head coach Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay’s draft picks following their selections.