The 2026 NFL Draft has concluded, and with its end brings new beginnings for 100s of hopeful pros.
The Buccaneers added 7 total players in the draft proper, however they also signed many undrafted free agents and invited others mini-camp. Plenty of spots are already solidified up and down the depth chart, but others will be interesting to watch when training camp begins toward the end of July.
Let’s assess the current roster and how it’s shaping up.
Baker Mayfield, 2. Jake Browning, 3. Connor Bazelak, 4. Jalon Daniels (R)
Mayfield faces a critical prove-it year as he guns for another long-term contract extension, but he remains the undisputed QB1. The Bucs signed a proven backup in Jake Browning, who should stand to upgrade over Teddy Bridgewater.
Bazelak returns after being an UDFA last year and impressing in preseason, so he’ll have the inside edge on new UDFA signing Jalon Daniels from Kansas. Daniels is a good athlete with explosive running ability and a good arm, but he is notably lagging in the mental and technical aspects of the game, so he’ll need to have a tremendous camp and preseason to stick as the practice squad option.
Bucky Irving, 2. Kenny Gainwell, 3. Sean Tucker, 4. Josh Williams, 5. Owen Wright
The game-day active top 3 is already set in stone (pending injury of course).
Irving will look for a major rebound after serious shoulder and knee injuries derailed his season. Gainwell replaces Rachaad White and offers more dynamic playmaking ability, perhaps at the cost of some overall consistency and pass protection. Tucker is back once again and has proven useful with the occasional production outburst.
Josh Williams was suspended last year, but the team liked him as a kick returner and running back depth. Owen Wright also impressed in preseason as a pure running back reserve.
Chris Godwin, 2. Kameron Johnson, 3. Garrett Greene
The Bucs maintain a talented receiving corps that’s gotten progressive younger, and that’s even more true now.
Chris Godwin might be in his last season with the team, depending on how he progresses from his past leg injuries. He looked more like himself toward the end of 2025 but is entering his age-30 season. Emeka Egbuka ripped off a torrid start last year but he cooled off when teams started keying on him and Tampa’s offensive efficiency fell off in general. The first-rounder will hope to build on the positives in his sophomore season.
Jalen McMillan suffered a broken neck in the preseason and didn’t return until December, but noticeable flashes in limited snaps seemed to indicate his late-season heater from 2024 had some serious legs. Ted Hurst is the new man to factor into the equation and immediately inserts as the room’s most dynamic athlete. His combination of size and speed is tantalizing, but he requires lots of work on the fundamentals so this classifies more of a pick for the future — he’ll get some packages here and there but shouldn’t be a serious threat to any of the aforementioned three.
Tez Johnson remains tiny but useful as someone who can separate from man coverage and make some splash plays here and there with his joystick-like movement skills. Kameron Johnson was one of the league’s better punt returners but will likely be very limited in his receiving role. Sills is a fine veteran with size who’s been there, done that, but he’s currently on the outside looking in.
Dennis Houston and Garrett Greene are camp bodies who might earn more practice squad time.
Cade Otton, 2. Payne Durham, 3. Bauer Sharp (R), 4. Ko Kieft, 5. Devin Culp
Cade Otton is back on a brand-new deal to continue his TE1 duties, which might miff some fans but the truth is he’s very solid at every aspect of the job. Payne Durham is in a contract year, and it feels like he really needs to show some more receiving utility than he has to this point (17 catches for 184 yards and 2 TDs in 46 career games).
Bauer Sharp is the new man on campus and should get the inside track to netting a roster spot. He’s very athletic and tough, showing dual versatility as a receiver and blocker. Ko Kieft offers absolutely zero receiving value but he’s a very good blocker who contributes on special teams. Devin Culp is the odd man out, as he’s purely a receiving threat who hasn’t done much receiving in two years (6 catches for 94 yards, 1 TD).
Ben Bredeson, 2. Billy Schrauth (R), 3. Luke Haggard