The 2026 NFL Draft is now just two days away. With all the visits done, the measurements and intel gathered, and boards assembled, all that’s left is for teams to pull the trigger on players in Pittsburgh, starting on Thursday night.

So, how will things go for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? What big moves will they make? What surprises to they have in store for us?

Here are three bold predictions for the Bucs going into Thursday.

1) The Bucs won’t reach for an edge rusher at 15, but if they trade back, they’ll take one

There’s Rueben Bain, Jr., David Bailey, Arvelle Reese and then a bit of a drop off. None of those three will be there at No. 15. To be clear, I like a handful of edge rushers in spots later on in the first round, including Bain’s teammate Akheem Mesidor and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk. I think they’re good players who seem like fits in the mid-to-late 20s in the first round. Just not at 15.

So, if the Bucs have any chance of moving backwards and have these players on their radar, that would be a move I would expect them to make.

And if they can’t move backwards, then a best player available approach should be in play, and with high-potential impact players like Penn State G Olaivavega Ioane or Oregon TE Kendon Sadiq, I wouldn’t blame Licht for pulling the trigger on one of them and looking at edge rusher in Round 2, with someone like Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas or UCF’s Malachi Lawrence.

2) The Bucs will draft a player from the University of Georgia

This, to me, is a bit of a numbers game. The Bucs clearly need an inside linebacker, as well as depth on the defensive line. Finding a tight end, one in particular who could be a weapon in the passing, should also be on the list.

And, in the draft’s first three rounds, the Georgia Bulldogs offer intriguing options for all three needs.

LB CJ Allen could still be on the board when the Bucs are on the clock in the second round at pick No. 46. Allen is a three-down, cerebral player who could be a leader of the Bucs’ defense for years to come.

DL Christen Miller is a top-notch run defender. With Vita Vea on the final year of his contract and A’Shawn Robinson on just a one-year deal, finding a future brick wall in the middle should be in the cards for Licht, and that could be a second-round option.

TE Oscar Delp dropped jaws at his Pro Day. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash and posted a 38-inch vertical jump and 10-foot broad jump. He is a willing blocker and could be a weapon in the passing game, both closer to the line of scrimmage and down the field.

Three needs, three players who make a lot of sense to address them.

3) The Bucs will draft a quarterback on Day 3

Tampa Bay flat-out needs to find a young quarterback to start preparing for the future. The Bucs managed to sign experienced backup Jake Browning to back up Baker Mayfield this year.

The Bucs haven’t drafted a quarterback since taking Kyle Trask in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. That should end this year.

A player with high upside is Arkansas’ Taylen Green, who blazed at the NFL Combine with a 4.36 40-yard dash and 1.55 10-second split. He feels like an early Day 3 pick, perhaps as early as the fourth round.

Someone who could make sense later on is Kansas’ Jalon Daniels or UConn’s Joe Fagnano. In 2025, Fagnano completed 69% of his passes for 3448 yards with 28 touchdowns and just one pick. The Bucs had a Top 30 visit with Daniels earlier this month.