“Immediate Contributions” As Rookies
April 12th, 2026
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Many Bucs fans want an edge rusher with the No. 15 pick next week in the NFL draft.
A guy tossed around being linked to the Bucs is Miami’s Akheem Mesidor. Joe understands the want and need.
A lot of schlock draft guys think the Bucs go for Oregon tight end/freak Kenyon Sadiq. Joe fully understands this mentality, but the thought of drafting a tight end at No. 15 seems to trigger many Bucs fans.
Then, there are guys who think Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht will heed the words of Bucs coach Todd Bowles when Bowles said in Arizona the Bucs need a corner, maybe two. Some, including closet Bucs fan Peter Schrager, think Licht goes after a damaged-goods corner from Tennessee, Jermod McCoy.
If it makes anyone feel better, former NFL scout and current draft analyst for NFL Network, Bucky Brooks, believes all three of those players will have “immediate contributions” on the teams that draft them — and should be Pro Bowl players in two years.
So don’t worry Bucs fans, if you hate the idea of the Bucs drafting a guy who missed all of 2025 with a bum knee, or drafting a tight end after giving Cade Otton a handsome raise, or picking an edge rusher and spitting in the face of fate as Bucs coach Todd Bowles looks to develop his first double-digit edge rusher since becoming a defensive coordinator in 2013, don’t worry.
Brooks is confident all three will become play-ahs for the Bucs in short order.
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