Well, Sonny Styles dominated the 2026 NFL Combine, as we all expected.

Before the combine, the tenor of the conversation surrounding Styles’ draft selection was geared toward how far he’d fall. Now, it’s all about how high he’ll go in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

That leaves the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that would teleport to the podium if it had the chance to take Styles at No. 15, in a spot where it’s either trade-up or miss out on the former Ohio State linebacker.

Obviously, there are heavy costs associated with moving into the top-10 and the Buccaneers will certainly weigh how far is far enough from a logical standpoint. For instance, the Bucs aren’t going to trade all the way up to No. 1 overall, or even in the top-5, to get Styles. Nor should they.

And of course, it takes to two tango. The eighth overall pick would give Jason Licht an excellent shot at landing Styles, but would the current owners in the New Orleans Saints be willing to trade/help one of their biggest rivals? It’s not out of the question, but the question is certainly worth asking and diving into.

There will be a lot of moving parts involved with trying to snag Styles, so the Buccaneers will have contingencies in place if the situation doesn’t work out their favor.

Here are three possible backup plans that are not only reasonable, but have a very good shot at becoming foundational players and possibly even more.

1. Texas Longhorns LB Anthony Hill Jr.

Even though he’s currently ranked No. 45 on our big board, it feels like Hill Jr. isn’t getting the love he deserves at this point in the draft process.

Hill Jr. stands at a solid 6-foot-2, 238 pounds, has good length, and is as athletic as they come. Most importantly, his instincts are above-average and he quickly diagnoses plays after the snap. Sure, athleticism is great, but I’ll take top notch instincts over it seven days out of the week.

Hill is also good in coverage, run defense, and blitzing. He constantly lived in the opposing offense’s backfield, racking up 31.5 tackles for loss and 17.0 sacks over the course of 40 games. This includes a stellar 2024 season that saw him pile up 17.5 TFLs and 8.0 QB takedowns in that year, alone.

Hill’s draft stock is likely to rise after an excellent combine and he’ll have another chance to impress at Texas’ pro day. I don’t think he’ll get hot enough to where we need to start talking about trade-up scenarios for him like Styles, but he’ll definitely be there at 15 and we could end up talking about trade-back scenarios that allow the Buccaneers to land him and get some extra draft capital in return.

Current draft trajectory: Early Round 2/Late Round 1

2. Georgia Bulldogs LB C.J. Allen

Allen is a popular name tied to the Buccaneers in Round 1 and for good reason. First off, he played at Georgia, which is one of Todd Bowles’ top territories when it comes to his draft evaluation process.

But most importantly, he possesses a lot of the top traits needed for linebackers to have success at the NFL level. He’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds and it poses a question after Todd Bowles said one of the top objectives for the Bucs’ offseason is to “get bigger” and that obviously wouldn’t apply to Allen.

At the same time though, Allen was an immediate-impact player for the Bulldogs, finding ways to make key contributions as a true freshman (he’s not even 21 years old yet). He continued to take steps in Kirby Smart’s complicated defense each year until he became a consensus All-American and landed on the First-Team All-SEC list in 2025 as a true junior.

In other words: It’d be worth rolling the dice on all of Allen’s other traits vs. his size. Sure, it makes sense for that to be an offseason directive, but the Buccaneers don’t need to go out of their way by avoiding good players in order to achieve their mission.

Current draft trajectory: Mid-Round 1/Late Round 1

3. Texas Tech Red Raiders LB Jacob Rodriguez

Rodriguez is the other All-American on this list after an incredible 2025 season that actually saw him finish fifth in the final Heisman Trophy voting results.

You read that right: an off-ball linebacker was a top-5 finalist for the Heisman Trophy last year.

It’s actually understandable to see why, too. Rodriguez was a force all over the field, compiling 128 total tackles, four interceptions, (an FBS-leading) seven forced fumbles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, six pass break-ups, and a fumble returned for a touchdown.

I mean, if you want to talk about stuffing the stat sheet, that’s exactly how you do it. But it’s not just numbers – Rodriguez’s play helped the Red Raiders capture a Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

But back to draft talk. Rodriguez is athletic and feisty as they come and he shows that by flying all over the field and making plays. Like Alllen, he isn’t the biggest guy at 6-foot-1, 231 pounds, but he more than makes up for it with his play and other abilities. His background story of initially arriving at Virginia as an all-around “offensive tool” before forgoing his scholarship and taking the risk of accepting a walk-on position at Texas Tech shows just how much confidence he has and how hard he’s willing to work in order to achieve a goal, too.

And, like both Hill Jr. and Allen, the Buccaneers could easily find themselves in a trade-back situation with Rodriguez. No one is talking about any dramatic moves like falling back from 15 to 27 or anything like that. And, there’s also a chance Rodriguez (and/or Hill Jr.) is available in Round 2 to the point where the Bucs feel the need to move up and grab him.

Overall, yes, the Buccaneers would be in the best spot possible by nabbing Styles in Round 1. But, if they can’t, these three guys are way more than just “consolation prizes” – they’re players who have the potential to have a sizable impact in Year 1 and grow into something even more down the line.

Current draft trajectory: Mid-Round 2/Early Round 2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

Go ahead and cross two positions off the Bucs’ top draft needs after listening to Jason Licht’s comments from the combine

Don’t expect the Bucs to draft any offensive or defensive linemen early.

Evan Winter