JT Olson’s Final Predictive Buccaneers Mock Draft

It is officially draft week Buccaneers fans! It’s the last Mock Draft Monday of the year before the real thing kicks off on Thursday night. We will all soon know who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are drafting this year.

But until Thursday night gets here, we are all left to speculate. All the workouts, all the interviews and all the countless hours of watching these players have come to this. It’s time to push the chips in the middle and place your bets.

In this, my final Bucs mock draft of the year, I will try to predict exactly what Jason Licht will do. It’s a near impossible task, but at this point we have a good idea of the pool of players they will be looking at. So without further ado, here in my final predictive Buccaneers mock draft.

19) Donovan Ezeiruaku, OLB, Boston College

Eliminate the impossible and what’s left must be the truth. So with defensive backs like Jahdae Barron, Malaki Starks and Maxwell Hariston not hitting the Bucs typical thresholds I am going to rule them out. I will also rule out injured players such as Jihaad Campbell and Shavon Revel. Of the players who I expect to be on the board, Ezeiruaku seems like the best guess here.

With so much emphasis around rushing with four, we know the Bucs want to add a pass rusher. Ezeiruaku is one of the most polished and agile pass rushers in this draft and his football character seems off the charts. Put him in the rotation as a rookie and solidify the edge for the next decade.

53) Xavier Watts, FS, Notre Dame

I think the Bucs would ideally like a corner here, but there are so many projected to go in the late first and early second round, I’m not sure one of them will be available. However, staying in the secondary they can still get a ballhawk in Watts. Getting 13 interceptions over the last two seasons would add a dangerous playmaker to the back end of the defense.

Watts is known for his ball skills, but he’s also a very good run defender. He will lay the hit on ball carriers and make his presence known. Despite average testing, I believe he’d be the top rated safety on the Bucs board.

84) Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State

The Buccaneers have done a lot of work on this receiving class. They have met multiple times with pass catchers projected to go in the first round ranging all the way to the seventh round. Noel is someone who lands in the middle of that scale.

Noel tested as an elite athlete and his college tape backs that up. He is on the shorter side (5’10) with shorter arms and small hands, but he plays bigger than the numbers would indicate. He can play inside and outside and also brings some return ability on special teams.

121) Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State 

If there was one linebacker who I would want to back up Lavonte David in this draft then it would be Martin. His instincts as a run defender are very good and he has all the athletic tools to range from sideline to sideline and rack up tackles. He’s also good in coverage, particularly man coverage.

There have been rumors that Martin won’t make it out of the second day of the draft, but based on where sub 6’0 linebackers have historically been drafted I think there’s a good chance he’s there in round four. 

157) Zah Frazier, CB, UTSA

Frazier strikes me as one of the best upside bets in the entire draft. Similar to Zyon McCollum a few years ago, this is a small school prospect with size, speed and ball skills. If he attended a bigger school then we would definitely be talking about him as a day two pick.

The Bucs met with Frazier at the NFL combine. He’s a more polished prospect than McCollum was which means there potential that this could develop into a starter by 2026. Maybe not the immediate help at corner right now, but I like this as a long term developmental piece.

235) Maxen Hook, SS, Toledo 

Every good pirate crew needs a guy with a hook. For the Bucs, that guy is Maxen Hook. Unlike Watts, Hook is a best as a box safety who will contribute as a run defender more than in coverage.

Despite playing at a smaller school, Hook tested like a big time athlete. He makes for a nice developmental player, in a similar mold to Jordan Whitehead was a few years ago, and he’s someone who brings special teams value.