2 weeks Ago
After months of speculation on who the Buccaneers might select in the draft, it's finally here. The Bucs are set to be on the clock late Thursday night at pick No. 19 and could go several ways with their selection.
The team has returned starters, signed an impact edge rusher in free agency and added depth to the roster. At this point, the hay is in the barn. the Bucs have done all the work and now it's time to see how the chips fall.
If you've made it this far, you know all the team needs and know the big names the Bucs could look at early in the draft, so let's not keep you waiting any longer. I present to you my final "predictive" mock draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Enjoy! JC Allen's Final Mock Draft 6.
0 Starks is one of the most pro-ready players in this year's draft. Extremely versatile, he can play both safety spots, nickel, and some teams even like him a good bit at outside corner. He has tremendous football IQ, consistently making pre-snap adjustments and getting everyone lined up properly.
He has an excellent feel in zone coverage, but can also carry tight ends and slot receivers in man. He displays natural hands and body control when playing the ball, elite change of direction skills and short-area quickness and is an effective run defender. Despite that, he can be overaggressive in run support allowing cutback lanes and can occasionally get sucked in on play fakes.
He'll need to clean up pursuit angles and can sometimes give up positioning in man coverage from the slot. He finished his junior year at Georgia with 77 tackles (four for loss), four pass breakups, and an interception. How he fits: Starks made a ton of huge plays for the Bulldogs and brings versatility to play both safety positions and the slot.
Having Starks on the backend with Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr. would allow head coach Todd Bowles the freedom to line them up anywhere on any given play, creating confusion for opposing offenses. He has all the character traits the Bucs look for, especially accountability, and is reliable, starting 42 of 43 games.
He can contribute to punt coverage and is an excellent leader and communicator. Starks had a formal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Combine. Norman-Lott is explosive and powerful at the point of attack with great length and violent hands that never stop working to disengage from blockers.
He quickly converts speed to power to bull rush opponents into the backfield and has flashes of dominance when left alone one-on-one. However, he'll need to be more controlled in his technique and develop a more detailed pass rush plan with counters, and he's a bit undersized for the position. He totaled 18 tackles (four for loss) and four sacks in his final season at Tennessee.
How he fits: Norman-Lott is just scratching the surface of his potential. He would immediately step into the rotation at defensive tackle because of his ability to collapse the pocket and hold up in the run game. As he develops, he can provide a devastating 1-2-3 punch with Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey and allow Tampa Bay to rotate in "waves," keeping guys fresh.
The Bucs brought him in for an official 30 visit prior to the draft. Parrish has excellent footwork at the line to slow down receivers in press and at the top of the route to redirect receivers. He displays fluid hips, excellent body control, short-area quickness and twitch to change direction suddenly.
Despite his height, his frame is well built and he doesn't shy away from physicality in press and the run game. He shows good anticipation to jump lanes, processes complex route combinations quickly, and has the closing burst to challenge the catch point. Despite that, he doesn't have the ideal height for an outside corner and will struggle with bigger receivers and in the red zone, can be susceptible to double moves, and can get caught peeking in the backfield too frequently in zone.
Parrish finished his junior season with the Wildcats, racking up 50 tackles (two for loss), eight pass breakups, and an interception. He had four picks and 13 pass breakups in 2023. How he fits: Parrish has quickly risen up the boards with his versatility and physicality at the line, along the route, and in run support.
He doesn't meet the typical size profile the Bucs look for outside, and a move to the slot might fit his skillset better, but many teams see him as an outside corner. His flexibility would give the Bucs backups at effectively two positions as he develops a feel for the NFL game. He has tremendous speed and has shown improvement in his three years at K-State.
He did not meet with the Bucs at the NFL Combine but was brought in for an official 30 visit. Knight Jr. has excellent instincts and a quick trigger to fly to the carrier.
He is strong in zone coverage responsibilities and a reliable tackler. He is a physical defender with long arms to stack and shed and a quick processor to identify and sniff out plays. He possesses above-average athleticism and adds value as a core special-teams player.
However, he's tight hipped, which affects his ability to quickly change direction, can be sucked in on play action and misdirection and will struggle at times when manned up in coverage. He can be overaggressive, leading to bad angles, and is one of the oldest prospects in the draft at 25. Knight Jr.
ended his final season at South Carolina racking up 82 tackles, eight for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and an interception. How he fits: Knight Jr. is a mature, family and football-first player.
A team captain for the Gamecocks, he could immediately compete with SirVoce Dennis for the starting job aside Lavonte David, and is one of the most pro-ready linebackers in the draft. He checks all the boxes the Bucs look for as a person and as a player. He was brought in for an official 30 visit prior to the NFL Draft.
Lane is a speedy slot receiver who can also be utilized on end-arounds, jets, screens, and gadget plays. He gets up to top speed with quick acceleration, putting safeties on their heels as a three-level threat. He displays good spatial awareness to find soft spots in coverage, is challenging to bring down after the catch, and is a dynamic returner.
However, despite his speed, Lane wasn't used much as a deep threat; he telegraphs his routes and isn't a contested catch threat, either. He needs refinement as a route runner — he'll short-step through his route, hindering his ability to separate with quickness and allowing defenders to close the gap, and he has limitations as a blocker due to his size. The speedy 4.
34 receiver finished his final year with the Hokies with 38 receptions for 466 yards and two scores, adding 116 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air. How he fits: Lane is a take-the-top-off slot receiver the Bucs haven't had in quite some time. He can be used in a variety of ways and has the sudden acceleration to be a problem on screens and sweeps.
Lane brings something different to the Bucs receiver room. He's a more dynamic Kam Johnson and would allow the Buccaneers to do some creative things on the offensive side of the football. Lane had a formal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Combine.
Monheim is a versatile offensive lineman who started at four different positions in college but probably profiles best at center. He has exceptional foot quickness, tremendous football IQ and is a terrific pass protector. He's very durable with 46 career starts and can get out in space on pulls and climbing blocks.
Despite that, his short arms create leverage issues and can lead to him lunging at defenders — he'll struggle with power and two-gapping defenders, and he isn't a physical finisher in the run game. How he fits: Moheim can be a versatile five-spot player for the Bucs. The team re-signed Opeta and like Klein, but haven't drafted a depth offensive lineman since before 2020.
Monheim could use a year behind the scenes to get stronger to handle extended work, but could be a versatile option to call upon if injuries hit the offensive line hard. He had a formal interview with the Bucs at the NFL Combine. READ MORE: Top NFL Draft expert sees obvious fit for Buccaneers in Round 1 Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 offseason.
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