What Position Will The Bucs Draft In The First Round In 2027?

Pewter Report’s PR Roundtable
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A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. What Position Will The Bucs Will Draft In The First Round In 2027?

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Will Need To Bolster Their Aging Defensive Line

This is a challenging PR Roundtable topic because it requires the usage of a crystal ball in order to project what the team’s biggest need is following a 2026 season that hasn’t been played yet. Of course, it’s not always great to draft need in the first round. Teams that select the best player available seem to miss less often on first-round picks. Yet when need intersects with best player available that’s the best-case scenario.

When I look at the defensive tackle position, I see the fact that former Buccaneer Logan Hall, the team’s top pick in 2022, wasn’t re-signed in free agency. And I see that Tampa Bay added a pair of aging veteran defensive tackles in A’Shawn Robinson, 31, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who just turned 33. Throw in the fact that Vita Vea will turn 32 next offseason and that the oft-injured Calijah Kancey will be entering his fifth-year option in 2027, and this position stands out as one that will need to be addressed early in next year’s draft.

Jason Licht has drafted a pair of fifth-round defensive tackles over the last two years in Elijah Roberts and DeMonte Capehart, but it’s way too early to tell if either has starter potential or if they are simply just going to be reserves during their Tampa Bay career. What we do know is that Licht has put a premium on the defensive tackle position in years past by selecting Vea (2018) and Kancey (2023) in the first round, and drafting Hall with the first pick at the top of the second round at No. 33 overall. Winning in the trenches is one of Licht’s core beliefs and that shows up on draft day.

It’s early, but the defensive tackle position looks pretty promising for next year. Pro Football Focus currently has four defensive tackles in the first round and a total of six possibly going in the top 50. Of course a lot can – and will – change between now and next April. But with three aging defensive linemen at or near the top of the depth chart, Licht and head coach Todd Bowles will need to address this position in 2027, inject some needed youth, and find a stud to eventually – or immediately – replace Robinson, Vea or Kancey, depending on how the 2026 campaign actually plays out.

Matt Matera: Bucs Still Need Another ILB For The Future

The Bucs addressed their need for an inside linebacker in the short term, but they still need another answer for the long term. There’s a new look at inside linebacker in Tampa Bay. The legendary Lavonte David is retired, but the Bucs signed Alex Anzalone to be a leader along with Christian Rozeboom to be a veteran presence while also drafting Josiah Trotter in the second round. Add in SirVocea Dennis going into year four and the depth was better than it was a season ago.

While the hope is for Trotter to be a starter for years to come on this team, they will need another young and up and coming player to eventually fill Anzalone’s spot. Having Anazalone as an immediate replacement for David is fantastic and he should thrive in Todd Bowles’ defense. But Anzalone is 31-years old and on a two-year contract. The odds are after his two seasons in Tampa Bay he’s either retiring, finding a new team, or relegated to less money and less playing time. That’s how the NFL business works.

Besides that, Rozeboom is on a one-year deal and Dennis is finishing up the last year of his contract. Neither is guaranteed for the following season, at least certainly not as a starter. So looking way too far down the road in 2027, Tampa Bay is looking at Trotter iin year two and Anzalone on the final year of his contract, plus some undrafted free agents.

Sure, the Bucs could sign a player in free agency, but they want to develop players. A young core of Trotter and an inside linebacker in the first round may set up the foundation of Tampa Bay’s defense moving ahead. It’s worked for them before leading to a championship and hopefully can do so again.

Adam Slivon: Bucs Must Address The Future Of The Defensive Line

The Bucs addressed many of the team’s needs this past offseason, and right now in July, the team has a lot of players locked into place. Forecasting what will happen in 2027 depends on plenty of variables, but barring anything drastic, the offense will look largely the same, especially if Baker Mayfield and Cody Mauch are re-signed on new contracts. That means investing a first-round pick on the defensive side of the football. With both safety spots presumably locked up and inside linebacker not often being the most valuable area to invest a top selection in, my focus is on the defensive line and the position’s future.

This was a topic that Scott Reynolds and I discussed in extensive detail on a recent Pewter Insider, and it is hard to predict what future iterations of the defensive line will look like. The unit will be fine — and projects to be quite deep — entering 2026. Led by Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, with A’Shawn Robinson joining the ranks, the starting lineup is presumably set. Elijah Roberts, DeMonte Capehart, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches are the top options behind them, along with Jayson Jones.

Looking ahead, there could be a lot of moving parts. Vea, Robinson, and Nunez-Roches are all in their 30s and will each be a free agent next offseason. Kancey is locked in on his fifth-year option for 2027, but he has to stay healthy to have a long-term role in Tampa Bay. Even if he does, he needs to be complemented by a larger defensive tackle next to him.

Even if No. 50 is re-signed for another year or two, the Bucs must deeply consider the future of the defensive trenches. Given Jason Licht’s draft philosophy, one can expect him to shore up the defensive tackle spot again next year. It is an intriguing mix of veterans and developmental players right now, but the veterans are not getting any younger and it is not realistic to expect every Day 3 pick and undrafted player to emerge and become a starter. With turnover along the defensive line in the not-too-distant future, that would be the area to invest a first-round pick in come 2027.

Bailey Adams: The Bucs May Need To Retool Their CB Room In 2027

When you look at the Bucs’ roster right now, which area feels like it’s lacking the most? For me, it’s the cornerback position. I think there’s real potential for corner to be a weakness for Tampa Bay this year, which is why that position is my early forecast for the team’s first-round focus in next year’s draft.

Right now, the Bucs have Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish as their main options at outside cornerback. Parrish starred as the starting nickel corner for Tampa Bay in his rookie year, but a move to the outside has pretty much become a necessity this year given Morrison’s injury problems and the lack of depth at the position.

The Bucs did well to retool their pass rush this offseason. They even addressed the inside linebacker position in a meaningful way by signing Alex Anzalone and drafting Josiah Trotter in the second round. Another young inside ‘backer may be an early-round priority in 2027, but I wouldn’t go as far as focusing there in the first round.

Instead, it feels like cornerback is the right focus. McCollum disappointed in 2025 after signing a long-term extension prior to the season. He needs to bounce back in 2026. But what if he doesn’t? Morrison has plenty of potential, but he can’t stay healthy. What if that continues into 2026?

I have a hard time envisioning Jason Licht and Co. going out and signing a big-name free agent corner, especially considering all of the internal free agents the team will want to get squared away first. So ultimately, I think starting to get familiar with some of the potential first-round corners makes a whole lot of sense given what we know now.

Josh Queipo: Don’t Be Surprised if Another Receiver Goes in the First

It may come as a shock to some, but let’s not forget that Jason Licht is especially adherent to taking the best player on the board. He showed that in 2023 when he selected Calijah Kancey out of left field.

He showed positional value is not especially important to him when he picked Graham Barton in 2024. Certainly when everyone expected him to zag in 2025, he took Emeka Egbuka despite clear needs at other positions.

With all of that in mind, I’m making this prediction based purely on current projections of the 2027 draft class. And wide receiver seems to be especially stacked at the top.

Let’s not forget that the Bucs’ wide receiver room is also somewhat in flux. Chris Godwin Jr. may be gone next year after his guaranteed money expires in 2026. Jalen McMillan has certainly flashed, but also yet to put together a full season of strong play. And I’m as high as anyone on rookie Ted Hurst. But he is still a third round receiver from a small school with a wide spectrum of potential outcomes.

There’s a reality where the Bucks head into the 2027 draft down on all three of those players that’s feeling like they need to bolster the room. Combine that with a Potentially strong receiver class and you have the making of another day one surprise.