By: Carter Brantley
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers much-maligned pass rush room has seen an attempt to upgrade their talent in the recent years, both through the draft and free agency.
Unfortunately not much has worked out, as JTS is now gone after 4 years of middling production and Randy Gregory didn’t even show up for training camp last season.
The Bucs have gone back to the free agency well with their signing of Haason Reddick, and it’s expected they might try to address the position in the draft again.
Whether it’s a first rounder, a mid-round selection, or a day 3 flyer, here are 3 guys the Bucs could conceivably target in this year’s draft class.
James Pearce, Jr., Tennessee
Probably the most athletic edge rusher in this class, Pearce Jr.’s status in the 1st round has shifted from top-10 pick to maybe even falling all the way to the Bucs at 19.
If he’s there and Will Johnson and Jihaad Campbell aren’t, the Bucs wouldn’t be totally stupid to take a swing at the former Volunteer.
Pearce, Jr. has the athletic pedigree to be an impressive player, earning a 9.38 RAS due to his elite 40 time and 6’5 height.
He’s a bit skinny compared to many of his pass-rushing counter-parts, but there’s enough to potentially fill out with an NFL-level dietary and workout program.
He also had a great final season with the Volunteers, racking up 52 total pressures for the season and a 91.9 total pass rush grade on PFF.
Overall, Pearce, Jr. is the best pass-rushing prospect this side of Abdul Carter in my mind, but we’ll see if NFL teams agree.
Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
While not nearly the athletic freak Pearce, Jr. is, Kennard is quite impressive in his own right, racking up an 8.47 RAS due to another elite 40 time and a decent height at 6’4 and an ok bench showing.
He too is in need of a bit more muscle to fill out, but his production at South Carolina in 2024 was undeniable, winning the Nagurski and earning All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
His PFF scores disagree a bit with that production, only earning a 77 flat for the season overall and 80.1 in pass rush, but the raw production is too good to ignore, especially if he manages to fall to the 3rd round and the Bucs haven’t invested in the position yet.
Kennard is my overall favorite edge prospect in terms of draftability and upside, as Kennard is still only 23 and won’t turn 24 until December.
Que Robinson, Bama
Yeesh, I’m falling into a bit of a pattern here; Robinson is yet another guy in need of adding some bulk, but him way more than the previous 2 prospects, as he comes in at only 240+ and 6’5.
Luckily the athleticism is there, as he’s explosive off the line and has quite a bit of length.
He’s also a great special teams add, and even is a former safety, meaning the Buccaneers can drop him back into coverage out of that outside linebacker spot if needed.
He’d be at best a rotational pass rusher, sort of an Anthony Nelson type, but these hidden gems can sometimes work out, especially for someone like Robinson who dealt with being behind some other uber-talented players while playing for the Crimson Tide.
Hopefully he can shine on his own in the NFL.
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