Gabriel Kahaian: Outside Linebacker

I have been blessed with the first pick this go-round and I won’t waste anyone’s time. The Buccaneers most pressing roster need is finding an impact player on the edge. I could give you a bunch of stats that prove my point, but I feel like most fans would agree just based on their lived experience. It is clear the Bucs would love to generate more sacks in 2026 and pinpointing a high-potential outside linebacker will be a priority this offseason.

I know the above may sound a bit harsh and, in reality, the Buccaneers’ woes have not been as exaggerated as it seems. The Bucs sit squarely in the middle of the league in total sacks over the past two seasons with 83.0. Additionally, the Bucs were given the seventh-best pass rush grade via PFF in 2025, generating 332 pressures (also seventh in the league).

These numbers are quite impressive considering the injury woes the team has endured. Calijah Kancey was placed on injured reserve last September, missing the majority of the 2025 season. As Scott noted in the opening of the story, injuries to both Reddick and Walker were significant given the optimism surrounding those two players. The organization has invested heavily into adding fire power to the defensive line and has found some success. Yaya Diaby enjoyed another productive campaign in his third season and the Bucs once again produced a top-10 rush defense.

The key, as obvious as it may seem, is turning pressures into sacks, something that escaped the Bucs during their 50th season. In the second half of 2025, Tampa Bay averaged just 1.33 sacks a game, a key stat considering how the team finished the year. Everybody in the building would love to see that number increase and it starts with adding talent to the room. Tampa Bay could explore free agency and target one of the marquee edge rushers set to hit the open market, such as Trey Hendrickson or Khalil Mack. The Buccaneers could also opt to swing for the fences with a splash trade and secure a proven star. However, given how much Jason Licht values his draft capital along with possible critical contract extensions looming this offseason and beyond, the most logical path to finding another outside linebacker appears to be the 2026 NFL Draft.

Luckily, there appears to be no shortage of viable first-round options for the Bucs to explore. I would be surprised if Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. or Texas Tech’s David Bailey is still available at pick 15. Even so, Tampa Bay would remain in prime position to land another top-tier edge prospect such as Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, Auburn’s Keldric Faulk or Clemson’s T.J. Parker. Personally, I am enamored with Howell. His sack production and athleticism give him a chance to be plug-and-play on Day One. Be sure to keep an eye out for our first Buccaneers.com Mock Draft coming later this week! I am curious to see Scott’s assessment of the first round.

All that being said, the Bucs would clearly benefit from adding another outside linebacker to further fortify the pass rush.

Scott Smith: Off-Ball Linebacker

The math is clear here. The Buccaneers had four inside linebackers on the roster when the 2025 season ended and two of them, Lavonte David and Deion Jones, are pending unrestricted free agents. By his own proclamation, David has said he will finish his career as a Buccaneer, but he has not yet decided if that will include a 15th season. Jones, a decade into his NFL career, has only played 120 defensive snaps across 19 games since arriving in Tampa late in 2024. Anthony Walker was only on the roster for the last three weeks of the 2025 season and played one defensive snap. You can count Nick Jackson as a fifth; he spent most of his rookie season after being signed as an undrafted free agent on the practice squad and was on the field for 18 defensive snaps. SirVocea Dennis is headed into the final year of his rookie contract.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with the talents of any player who have recently suited up for the Buccaneers at off-ball linebacker; David, in particular, is one of the greatest players in franchise history. The team as currently constituted simply does not have enough human beings to fill up the 2026 depth chart at that position. That makes it an obvious roster need as free agency and the draft approach. And this goes beyond 2026, actually; the Buccaneers need some long-term solutions at inside linebacker for the inevitable post-Lavonte David era.