The 2026 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, but hey, it’s never too soon to start looking forward at the 2027 draft.

The Bucs managed to check a lot of boxes off with their 2026 draft, particularly as it comes to the linebacker positions with the addition of Miami’s Rueben Bain, Jr. and Missouri’s Jeremiah Trotter.

So, how could they go next year? In his way-too-early 2027 mock draft, ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid has the Bucs addressing the tight end position with a potential 2026 breakout star for LSU.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid predicts Bucs to draft LSU TE Trey’Dez Green in first round in 2027 mock draft

“Green is a glorified, supersized receiver who is labeled as a tight end because of his 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame,” Reid wrote. “He’s a mismatch playmaker inside the opponent’s 25-yard-line, where he scored all seven of his touchdowns last season. His height and leaping ability help him tower over defenders in one-on-one situations, and expect new coach Lane Kiffin to expand Green’s production from last season (33 receptions for 433 yards). Green could provide Tampa Bay with an upgrade over Cade Otton at tight end and give the Bucs options in 12 personnel.”

The Bucs could certainly use someone of the skillset of Green. A tall red zone threat who is athletic enough to get open and make plays inside the red zone would be a valuable addition to the Bucs’ offense. Last year, he had 33 catches for 433 yards and seven touchdowns, with his best game coming against South Carolina (8 catches, 119 yards, one touchdown).

Speaking of tight ends, that was a very important area to his ESPN colleague, Mel Kiper, Jr. He gave the Bucs a grade of B- for their 2026 draft, in part because of their failure to address the tight end position until the sixth round, when they selected LSU’s Bauer Sharp.

Mel Kiper, Jr. wrongly docked Bucs’ draft for not addressing tight end sooner than the sixth round

“The tight end position wasn’t addressed until the sixth round,” Kiper, Jr. wrote. “I had it as the top roster need, and Kenyon Sadiq was often matched with the Bucs at the 15th pick. I have no issue with the Bucs taking Bain there (Sadiq and Bain were back to back on my board), but they needed to do something at the position before taking Bauer Sharp in the late rounds. Tampa Bay re-signed Cade Otton, but the Bucs could go with a lot of two-tight end sets this season in Zac Robinson’s offense, and it was a missed opportunity to not get a higher-rated prospect.”

Frankly, this is a bit baffling from Kiper. While tight end could have obviously used an infusion of talent, particularly as it came to the receiving end of things, the Bucs’ linebacker corps, in particular outside but also inside, was without question the team’s most pressing need coming into the draft.

Signing Al-Quadin Muhammad was a nice rotational move, but the team’s pass rush still wasn’t good enough. Adding Rueben Bain, Jr. addressed that in a big way, and Josiah Trotter is a heat-seeking missile who should be able to help generate pressure from the middle.

And on top of those things, the Bucs added a big-bodied receiver in Georgia State’s Ted Hurst, who adds a much-needed element of size and a deep ball/red zone threat with Mike Evans off to San Francisco. Keionte Scott also gave the Bucs a potential nickel starter and, at worst, a great early depth option throughout a secondary that needed to get better from top to bottom.

As such, it’s hard to imagine the Bucs doing a better job of addressing their primary needs than what they did with their first few picks of the draft. And perhaps they can go tight end next year, provided Cade Otton, Sharp, and the rest of the TE room don’t get the job done in 2026.