5 things I think I know about the Buccaneers’ 2026 season include Baker Mayfield’s rally and Rueben Bain Jr.’s impact, plus more
The outlook surrounding the Buccaneers’ 2026 season has changed dramatically since free agency and the NFL Draft. So, let’s go ahead and dive into some predictions before rookie minicamp kicks off.
Free agency and the NFL Draft have officially wrapped and the dust is settled.
Thanks to a stellar draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the NFL’s most improved teams on paper. A solid free agency run helped make that, happen, as well. Now, there’s excitement heading into the 2026 season, whereas the vibe was very different before.
We’re in that semi-dead period before rookie minicamp where there isn’t a whole lot chew on, so let’s go ahead and make some way-too-early predictions for the Buccaneers’ 2026 season, shall we?
5 way-too-early predictions for the Buccaneers 2026 season
1. Baker Mayfield recovers from his late-season plunge
Mayfield was playing at an MVP level and even led a lot of those discussions after the first six or seven weeks of the season. That completely tailed off, however, as the Buccaneers’ midseason slump eventually sent the season off the rails.
Mayfield threw just 13 touchdowns to nine interceptions from Weeks 8-18 after piling up a 13:2 mark through Weeks 1-7. His turnover-worthy throw rate increased from 3.6% in the first seven weeks to 4.5%, as well.
His decision-making was very questionable, as was his overall play. However, it’s important to note all the injuries he dealt with, because they definitely factored in.
Well, Mayfield has no excuses heading into 2026, as he’s fully healthy and ready to go. I think that puts him back on the path toward top-10 quarterback status and he still has the support around him to get that done.
In fact, one could argue the Buccaneers offense is in a better spot than it was last year, even after the Evans departure. Kenneth Gainwell adds another versatile playmaker to the mix and Chris Godwin isn’t recovering from the brutal injury he suffered in 2024. Tristan Wirfs is ready to go, as well.
In all, the table is set for Mayfield and I think he takes full advantage.
2. Emeka Egbuka cracks 1,000 yards and is the team’s No. 1 receiver
Egbuka hit the ground running in 2025, but eventually ran into the rookie wall a lot of first-year players encounter. Still, the kid showed he has everything it takes to be the top wideout on an NFL team.
Not only will Egbuka take a step forward from last year – he’ll officially establish himself as the Buccaneers’ No. 1 target in 2026.
Egbuka was the No. 1 guy last year by default. The injury situations surrounding Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan left the former Buckeye as the last man standing, basically. Therefore, Baker Mayfield had nowhere to look other than Egbuka, for the most part.
Egubka has the size and skill to play every position, making him a valuable threat in any situation. It’s pretty wild how the Buccaneers will basically undergo a seamless transition when it comes to their No. 1 target, as Mike Evans is now out of the picture.
Expect Egbuka to go over 1,000 yards this year and become the guy in the Buccaneers’ passing attack.
3. Rueben Bain Jr. leads the team in sacks
The Buccaneers are probably still celebrating Bain Jr.’s fall to 15. He brings exactly what the pass rush needs: speed, bend, violence, and relentlessness. He’s a nice complement to Yaya Diaby, who is more of a power guy on the opposite side.
I think Bain Jr. comes in, wins the starting job next to Diaby, and proceeds to lead the Buccaneers defense in sacks. It’s a bold prediction, for sure, but it can definitely happen.
Even without taking a snap, Bain Jr. is the second-best pass rusher on the Bucs roster. That, along with what Todd Bowles does on defense, creates the perfect avenue for Bain Jr. to rack up the sacks.
The Buccaneers also have a strong five-man rotation with Diaby, Bain Jr., Al-Quadin Muhammad, Anthony Nelson, and David Walker. While those guys will eat into snaps, they’ll also help keep Bain Jr. fresh, which will pay off in its own right.
He’ll rise to the top, by year’s end, and the ascension will result in a team-best, oh let’s say, 11.0 sacks in 2026.
4. Jacob Parrish beats out Benjamin Morrison for the starting corner job
With Keionte Scott now in the fold, expect Parrish to compete with Morrison for the cornerback job opposite Zyon McCollum. Ultimately, I think Parrish wins the job.
Sure, Parrish is an undersized guy at 5-foot-9. However, he has very good length for his size (his arms are longer than the 6-foot Morrison’s, for instance), and he’s feisty and explosive. He showed last year he has the ability to play outside and Bowles and the rest of the coaching staff has confidence he can, too.
Lastly, there’s the issue that is Morrison’s health. Sure, he was coming off surgery last year, but his body simply didn’t hold up during the season. Will that trickle into this year? The Buccaneers are certainly hoping it doesn’t, but only time will tell. Regardless, the job eventually falls to Parrish.
5. The defense returns to top-10 status
This is under the assumption the unit stays healthy, for the most part. Regardless, the Buccaneers added the pieces they needed to shore up the defense and even upgraded some areas like linebacker and EDGE.
On paper, the Buccaneers defense looks pretty nasty. You have a helluva defensive line trio in Calijah Kancey, Vita Vea, and A’Shawn Robinson. Each guy brings their own unique skill set to the table and they present all kinds of mismatch opportunities.
At linebacker, Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter are the perfect 1-2 punch. Anzalone can do it all, whereas Trotter will be at his best on early downs. Both guys are good blitzers, too, which allows Bowles to do what he likes at the second level. He was limited, last year, due to Lavonte David’s decline and SirVocea Dennis’ lack of development and it really affected the defense, as a whole.
Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith are quickly becoming one of the league’s best safety duos. The big questions lie in the cornerback room: Can Zyon McCollum bounce back from a tough year? Will Scott show enough to win the nickel job in Year 1? And then how does the winner of the Parrish-Morrison battle perform during the season?
I think the Buccaneers cornerbacks provide enough answers to the point where it lifts the defense back into top-10 status, creating a big recovery from last year’s debacle.