Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers' four-year reign as kings of the NFC South came to an end in 2025, as Baker Mayfield and company finished on the wrong side of a tiebreaker with the Panthers after losing all but two of their final nine games. Of course, there were some serious early-season highs — most notably Mayfield getting unironic MVP chants while leading a devastatingly banged-up offense — but all in all this was anyone's idea of a mediocre football team by the end of the season.

Now it's 2026, and the Bucs have a reasonable amount of cap space to perhaps improve this aging roster. Throw in three quality draft picks during the first two days of the draft (No. 15, 46, 77), and it's not unreasonable to believe an improved squad could have a chance to regain their spot atop the division.

Front Seven: Longtime run-stuffer extraordinaire Vita Vea is now 31 and entering the last year of his deal. It'd be surprising to not see at least one of the team's three draft picks used on the front seven.

Cornerback: The team doesn't need to go crazy here should they believe better days are ahead for 2025 second-rounder Benjamin Morrison (missed 7 games due to a hip labrum tear) and third-rounder Jacob Parrish, but something needs to be done to improve a pass defense that has allowed the most passing yards in the NFL over the course of the last three seasons.

Tight End: The last time Tampa Bay actually drafted a tight end inside the top-100 picks? OJ Howard back in 2017! Now, the team's loaded wide receiver room makes it fine to refrain from devoting too much dough to a pass-catching tight end, but at a minimum actual breathing human beings need to be added here.