For our first six mock drafts here on Buccaneers.com, Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix, Buccaneers.com Contributor Gabriel Kahaian and I have followed the traditional format, making predictions for each of the 32 picks in the first round, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pick at number 15. For mock number seven, I'm taking a different approach: All seven rounds, only Buccaneer picks.

This is something I generally do once per mock draft season, but this time around I believe I've refined the approach. Rather than estimating the players who will still be on the board in Rounds Two, Three and so on, I'm taking the guesswork out of it by utilizing the NFL Mock Draft Simulator on the Pro Football Network website. (By the way, the PFN simulator is a lot of fun and if you're a draftnik I suggest giving it a spin.)

This approach keeps me from overreaching in the later rounds for players who won't actually be on the board at those times. One other advantage: The simulator sometimes makes trade offers. In this case, when the Buccaneers got on the clock in the first round at pick 15, the simulator sent me two separate offers, and I simply couldn't refuse the one from the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland offered picks number 24 and 39 for number 15, which means I would pick up a relatively high second-round pick at the cost of moving down nine spots in the first round.

In my mind, there were enough attractive candidates at two positions in which I'm interested, edge rusher and off-ball linebacker, that I thought I could still get one I liked a lot at number 24. And now that I have two second-round picks, I can address two other spots on defense without having to choose which one I'm prioritizing and which one I'm crossing my fingers for the third round.

Maybe this new approach will help me break a two-year drought, as none of my predictions in the All Bucs mock drafts in 2024 and 2025 hit. Previously, I had accurately (with some luck) predicted the selection of guard Cody Mauch in the second round in 2023 and tight end Cade Otton in the fourth round in 2022.

So without further ado, here is my All-Bucs, Only-Bucs mock draft for 2026.

Round One, 24th Overall: EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami

Had I stayed at number 15, I think I would have taken Mesidor, so this proved to be a huge win. I based the move down on the idea that I would still be able to get one of edges Mesidor, Cashius Howell, T.J. Parker and Zion Young, or perhaps linebacker C.J. Allen. As it turned out, I had my pick of all of them and I stuck with Mesidor.

The one real knock on Mesidor is that he will be 25 years old by the start of next season, which means if he plays through his whole five-year rookie deal he would be 30 by the time he started a second contract. That's a legitimate factor in his evaluation, but I think the Buccaneers overlook that based on everything else he brings to the table. For one thing, Mesidor plays every snap with a fiery competitiveness, never relenting even when his first move doesn't work. And he has a well-refined toolkit of moves, honed by Hall of Famer Jason Taylor at Miami. He's quick off the ball, very good with his hands and even sets the edge well against the run. At 6-3 and 260 pounds, he has good size for the position, something else the Buccaneers are emphasizing this offseason.

Round Two, 39th Overall: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee

The aforementioned trade that put the Bucs in position to pick twice among the first 14 selections in the second round allows them to hit a position that some analysts don't consider a top need for them but which is a spot almost always in need of a new infusion of talent. The Buccaneers have a starting trio ready to go in Zyon McCollum and 2025 draftees Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish, but the free agency departure of Jamel Dean makes the depth chart thin after that. Anyone who thinks a team's Week One starting three is a lock to make it through an entire 17-game season unscathed has not been watching Buccaneers football of late.

Hood is viewed as many as a potential first-round talent, but in this PFN simulator he slips into the early part of the second round, and I'm not complaining. There were some other attractive options for the Buccaneers if Hood had been off the board, such as San Diego State's Chris Johnson, but I'll go with the Tennessee Star who has the type of size (5-11, 193), wingspan (75 inches) and tenacity that Todd Bowles appreciates at the position. He's probably best in man coverage but has also shown he can handle zone, particularly when he's closer to the line of scrimmage. He ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the Combine and did well in the broad jump and vertical leap, suggesting an explosive athlete. Hood may not have to contribute on defense in Week One, but at some point in 2026 and beyond the Bucs will be very happy they have him on the depth chart.

Round Two, 46th Overall: LB Anthony Hill, Texas

The Buccaneers have signed two off-ball linebackers in free agency in Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom, and with franchise icon Lavonte David announcing his retirement this Tuesday, that could be the Bucs' opening-day starting duo. Still, the selection of Hill would add competition for the starting spots, much-needed depth and a plan for the future, since Anzalone is 31 and Rozeboom is 29. In addition, Anzalone's deal is for two years and Rozeboom's for just one. It actually makes a lot of sense to bring a Day Two linebacker selection into that situation.

Hill is a rangy sideline-to-sideline linebacker, like the just-retired Lavonte David, though he's notably bigger at 6-3 and 238 pounds, and Bowles has said the Bucs need more size on defense. He has long arms and is a sure tackler, and he diagnoses plays quickly and takes good angles to the ballcarrier. He also room to develop as he just turned 21 in February. The concern about Hill is in his pass coverage, which he wasn't asked to do a lot of at Texas. But those are strengths for both Anzalone and Rozeboom, so the Bucs could potentially use Hill in a role that keeps him close to the line of scrimmage early while they help him develop his coverage skills.

Round Three, 77th Overall: G Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech

There are plenty of mock drafts that have the Bucs going after a start-now prospect at guard like Penn State's Olaivavega Iaone, but the Bucs' starting line is actually set for this season with Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson, both returning from injured reserve. I don't think the Buccaneers would target an interior lineman in the first round (famous last words!) but I could definitely see them adding to the position on Day Two. The injuries suffered by Mauch and Bredeson underscore the need for quality depth and the Bucs could use help in that regard.

The 6-4, 316-pound Rutledge brings good size to the position plus a nasty demeanor that the Bucs are looking for on their offensive front. He was a first-team All-ACC pick last year while starting at right guard for the Jackets. He has good arm length and he punishes interior defensive linemen with his strong hands. He can also move well laterally as a pulling guard. He has occasionally had some issues in pass protection, but they appear to be largely about technique, suggesting that could also develop into a strength under NFL coaching.

Round Four, 116th Overall: DT Chris McClellan, Missouri

The Buccaneers signed former Panther A'Shawn Robinson to help soak up the snap void left by the departing Logan Hall, but they like to rotate heavily at that position and could definitely use another big body on the interior defensive front.

McClellan is definitely that, and GM Jason Licht has never been shy about spending draft capital on the big men in the trenches. McClellan runs 6-4 and 323 pounds could present a massive front against the run next to Vita Vea. He is very strong and very difficult to move with one-on-one blocks. But this isn't just a run-plugging body for the defensive front, or at least might not be. McClellan has shown good pass-rush prediction, especially the last two seasons at Mizzou in which he produced 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. He may not be quick enough off the ball to develop into an elite interior pass rusher, but we're talking about a fourth-round pick here, not a top-20 guy like Calijah Kancey. The value in the overall package is still there.

Round Five, 155th Overall: WR Josh Cameron, Baylor

Even after Buccaneers icon Mike Evans departed in free agency, the Tampa Bay wide receiver room is still stacked with the likes of Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson. Still, there's something to be said for investing in the position every single year, and this year's group of pass-catchers is so deep that the Bucs might be able to find a useful contributor in Round Five.

It's important to note that any wideout the Buccaneers draft in 2026 and upcoming years is not going to be a replacement for Evans, who is a one-of-a-kind player and the greatest offensive producer in franchise history. We will be judging these potential additions on their own merits, and Cameron has some interesting things going in his favor. He's not 6-5 like Evans but he has good size at 6-1 and 244 pounds and like Godwin he can fight through contact for extra yards. He can also play outside in the Z or in the slot, so he's got the type of versatility that could help as the Bucs figure out how to align their receiving weapons in the absence of Evans.

Round Six, 195th Overall: DB Devan Boykin, Indiana

I've listed Boykin as a DB because there's some debate as whether he is a cornerback or a safety at a next level. To put it another way, though, he is the type of versatile defensive back that Bowles appreciates, and with the departure of Christian Izien there is room on the Bucs' depth chart for a player like that.

According to Pro Football Focus, Boykin was the nation's number-one run defender among safeties in 2025, though he was actually playing mostly as a slot cornerback that season. He logged 367 snaps in the slot, 80 at box safety, 58 at deep safety and 56 up on the line of scrimmage like an edge rusher. The tenacious defender also profiles as a serious special teams coordinator.

Round Seven, 229th Overall: EDGE Ethan Burke, Texas

Speaking of special teams ability, that's a good thing to look for in the seventh round. The truth is, the majority of seventh-round draft picks don't end up making much of an impact, though the Bucs hit last year with Tez Johnson, and 2024 seventh-round tight end Devin Culp is still in the mix. For many other last-round picks, the ability to contribute in the third phase of the game is the one thing that will give them a shot at making the roster.

You don't normally think of a 6-6, 270-pound player as a core special teamer, but Anthony Nelson has been just that for the Bucs for a long time at 6-7 and 271 pounds. Burke played on a variety of kick-and-cover units for the Longhorns, including kickoff return and punt coverage, but he particularly excelled on the field goal block team. He had three blocks in his career, including one in the Peach Bowl in 2024. According to PFF, Burke was the second-highest graded special teams player in the nation last season.

As a pass-rusher, Burke does everything well enough but doesn't have one special standout trait. Excelling on special teams early could give him a chance to develop his pass-rush skills and eventually make some impact on defense.