The 2024 NFL Draft has just concluded, but it’s always fun to take a peek at what’s ahead for the Bucs’ upcoming draft class, with several media outlets releasing premature 2025 NFL mock drafts. Most draft analysts and tipsters are using the current Las Vegas projected finish order to determine their draft order ahead of the 2024 NFL season.
As expected, most Las Vegas sportsbooks are reporting that the Atlanta Falcons will win the NFC South, with the three-time division champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers once again playing the underdog role. However, this is interesting as oddsmakers are assuming the Bucks will have a tough season and finish in the bottom half of the league. Some of these NFL mock drafts of him reflect Tampa Bay having a top-10 pick.
The Bucs haven’t even had a first down yet in 2024, so there’s no obvious need to mention him in next year’s draft, but Tampa Bay’s selections are all over the place. In addition to each of the Bucks’ draft picks, I provided an analysis of that pick.
33rd Team – Marcus Mosher
No. 13 – Bucs – Alabama QB Jalen Milroe
If any quarterback in this class has a chance to develop like Jaden Daniels, it’s Jalen Milroe. In his first full season as a starter, he averaged 10.0 yards per attempt and ran for 531 yards. He still needs a lot of work, but he could be a top-10 QB in the draft.
Analysis of SR: In this mock draft, Mosher is the Panthers’ No. 3 pick, the Saints’ No. 10 pick, the Bucs’ No. 13 pick and the Falcons’ No. 18 pick. In this scenario, the Bucs would either go the Atlanta Falcons’ route by drafting a first-round QB to be Baker Mayfield’s long-term successor, or Tampa Bay, who owns the No. 13 overall pick, would actually pursue a replacement. Either. Mayfield in 2025 as the team had a bad year and didn’t live up to expectations. Milroe made great strides as a QB in 2023, but it will be interesting to see how much progress he can make at Alabama in 2024.
The Athletic – Dane Brugler
No. 10 – Bucs – Tennessee OLB James Pierce Jr.
Pierce showed off some fun pass rush recreations in last year’s film, particularly against South Carolina and Texas A&M. He’s a little underweight (6-foot-5, 245 pounds), but he has tremendous ability and could secure a top-10 spot if he continues his strong season this year.
Analysis of SR: Brugler’s first overall pick is the Panthers’ pick, the Saints’ ninth pick, the Bucks’ 10th pick, and the Falcons’ 20th pick. Pierce and Penn State’s Abdul Carter could compete to be the NFL’s starting edge rusher in 2025. draft. After recording two sacks as a freshman, Pierce exploded last year with 10 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pick-six. After drafting Yaya Diaby in the third round in 2023 and Chris Braswell in the second round in 2024, they must draft another pass-rushing outside linebacker in the first round in 2025. Not being able to do so would mean that one of those nominations would be unfairly nominated, which is not ideal.
Bleacher Report – B/R Staff
No. 12 – Bucs – Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka
Emeka Egbuka could have been a first-round pick this year had he declared for the NFL Draft. However, injuries slowed him down during the 2023 season, and he returned this year as part of what could be a special team for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Still, the talent seen in previous evaluations remains the same. If anything, if Egbuka can stay healthy and work more effectively as an outside receiver instead of primarily playing in the slot, he could end up much higher in the process.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t need an outside ball winner or true X receiver when Mike Evans returns. But Chris Godwin’s contract ends after next season, so he’ll likely be looking for a big payday, whether in Tampa or elsewhere.
Egbuka could be an ideal piece to complement the offense while having multiple weapons around Baker Mayfield.
Analysis of SR: Bleacher Report has the Panthers No. 1 overall, the Saints No. 10, the Bucks No. 12 and the Falcons No. 20 overall. Egbuka was a 10-touchdown, 1,000-yard receiver for the Buckeyes in 2022, but his production was cut in half last year as Marvin Harrison Jr. took center stage. Could new QB Will Howard feature Egbuka again and improve his draft stock? It seems likely that the Bucs will select a wide receiver in the first round of next year’s draft, but will the 6-foot-1, 203-pounder be the 12th-best player in the 2025 NFL Draft? I don’t know.
Athlon Sports – Luke Easterling
Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan – Photo courtesy of USA Today
No. 12 – Bucks – Arizona WR Tetailoa McMillan
Back in 2014, the Bucs drafted a 6-foot-5 stud receiver (Mike Evans) to learn from another receiver (Vincent Jackson), and they could repeat that process here.
Analysis of SR: Easterling was selected No. 1 overall by the Panthers, followed by No. 10 by the Saints, No. 12 by the Bucks, and No. 21 by the Falcons. McMillan is a monster receiver who gives off a Mike Evans vibe. The receiver known as “T-Mac” caught 39 passes for 702 yards (18 avg.) and 8 touchdowns as a freshman, and last year he threw 21 times and had 90 receptions for 1,402 yards (15.6 avg. yards) and 10 touchdowns. Yard TD to Arizona QB.1 year after the draft jalen mcmillan The Bucs draft another receiver named McMillan. Get ready for a “muck attack” with his two pass catchers in Tampa Bay.
Fox Sports – Rob Lang
No. 13 – Bucs – Ohio State G Donovan Jackson
Jackson, a powerful 6-foot-4, 320-pounder, is the latest in a long line of former five-star players who honed their skills at Ohio State and went on to become top picks in the NFL. He earned all-conference honors at left guard in each of the past two seasons and earned first-team accolades from both the media and league coaches in 2023, but still returned for a chance at a national championship.
Analysis of SR: Lang was the first overall pick by the Panthers, the 10th pick by the Saints, the 13th pick by the Bucks, and the 21st pick by the Falcons. Drafting a guard with the 13th overall pick seems like a good idea, and to do that they’ll need to really study Jackson this year. Find out if he deserves to be picked in the top 15. Normally, that’s a pretty high number for an inside offensive lineman. But as it stands, adding another top guard appears to be a priority for Tampa Bay if Graham Burton is successful as a rookie center.
PFF – Max Chadwick
No. 12 – Bucs – Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter
The Buccaneers selected their best player in Colorado’s Travis Hunter. Hunter is a natural freak with the ability to play at a near-elite level at wide receiver and cornerback. He earned a 78.9 receiving grade and 74.7 coverage grade in 2023.
Analysis of SR: PFF has the Panthers selected No. 1, followed by the Saints at No. 11, the Bucks at No. 12 and the Falcons at No. 22. This is Tampa Bay’s most intriguing selection thus far. Hunter is a great athlete who competed as a two-way player at the University of Colorado and showed incredible endurance. He is a true playmaker on both sides of the ball and could continue that trend with the Bucks at the next level.
USA Today – Michael Middlehurst Schwartz
No. 11 – Bucs – LSU OLB Harold Perkins
LSU ILB Harold Perkins – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Perkins, listed at 6-1 and 220 pounds, could be a difficult evaluation for NFL teams who typically prefer much more range from their pass rushers. But it’s clear that Perkins, who had 13 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in his first two seasons in Baton Rouge, knows how to chart a path to quarterback. The Buccaneers added edge rusher Chris Braswell this offseason, and Tampa Bay would definitely benefit from a player with Perkins’ burst and destructive tendencies.
Analysis of SR: USA Today has the Panthers with the ninth pick, the Bucks with the 11th pick, the Saints with the 19th pick, second in the NFC South, and the Falcons with the 22nd pick. Middlehurst-Schwartz is wrong on that point, as Perkins is not an edge rusher and likely won’t reach the NFL level due to his lack of size. Perkins is Better Devin White’s version – Fast and Furious internal linebacker A player who racked up sacks by blitzing and spying on quarterbacks. He would be a great fit as the middle linebacker in Todd Bowles’ defense, having waived the likes of Anthony Richardson and Jalen Milroe.
Walter Football – Walt Klepinski
No. 10 – Bucks – Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison
The Buccaneers had a poor pass defense last year, so they will need to find better players in the secondary. Benjamin Morrison has a lot of upside as a 6-foot cornerback. He did a good job of limiting Marvin Harrison Jr.
Analysis of SR: Klepinski is behind the NFC South, with the Panthers picking No. 5, the Saints No. 9, the Bucks No. 10 and the Falcons No. 20. Morrison is smaller than the cornerbacks Todd Bowles prefers. Outside. He is listed at 6 feet tall and 185 pounds, but is likely shorter and lighter than that. Still, it’s his ball skills that will make him a first-rounder next year. Morrison is an absolute steal who had six interceptions as a freshman and three more last year. He has almost as many interceptions (9) as broken passes (14).
