The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting a division title pick from ESPN’s Dan Graziano, and he’s calling it his “bold prediction” for the team. On paper, though, it sounds less like a shock and more like a reasonable read on a wide-open NFC South.
Tampa Bay finished last season in a three-way tie for first at 8-9, with tiebreakers sending the Carolina Panthers to the top of the division. The NFC South is expected to be shaky again this year, which makes the Bucs a perfectly believable choice to climb back to the top.
Graziano pointed to a few things working in Tampa’s favor, starting with Baker Mayfield. He said the quarterback could be playing with a chip on his shoulder in a contract year, and he also highlighted better health across the roster as a major reason for optimism.
“Don't be surprised if ... they vault right back to the top of the NFC South.
“What I'm hearing: Sure, the Saints are the trendy pick, and Carolina won the division last season. But there was a three-way tie for first place at 8-9, and the Bucs were part of it -- which means they've finished either first or tied for first in the division five years in a row. The last year that didn't happen was Tom Brady's first season in Tampa, when the Bucs ended up winning the Super Bowl anyway.
“This is a good organization -- one that's used to being underrated. The Buccaneers' injury issues last season were as bad as, if not worse than, the ones the 49ers managed.
The only reason we don't talk about them is that the Bucs didn't overcome theirs to get to the playoffs the way the Niners did. Mike Evans is gone, which still seems weird, but the Buccaneers have been drafting in anticipation of that for years and have plenty of depth in the wide receivers room.
Add in inevitable improved health on the offensive line and for running back Bucky Irving, plus the addition of pass-catching running back Kenny Gainwell, and the offense should be just fine with a ticked-off Baker Mayfield running it in a contract year.
“On defense, the Bucs lost another stalwart in linebacker Lavonte David to retirement. But they fortified that position by signing veteran Alex Anzalone and drafting Josiah Trotter in the second round.
Up front, they're incredibly excited about 2026 first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. and 2025 fourth-round pick David Walker, who was impressing everyone in the building last summer before suffering a season-ending injury early in camp. The Bucs look kind of loaded all across the roster, and assuming better injury luck this year (which almost has to happen), they should be back among the NFC contenders.”
Graziano also noted that Tampa Bay’s recent injury problems were severe enough that better luck alone could make a real difference. He mentioned the loss of Mike Evans, but said the Buccaneers have spent years preparing for that possibility and still have depth at receiver.
On offense, he also pointed to improved health for the offensive line and Bucky Irving, along with the addition of Kenny Gainwell. On defense, he highlighted the retirement of Lavonte David, the signing of Alex Anzalone, and the drafting of Josiah Trotter. He also singled out Rueben Bain Jr. and David Walker as two young front-seven players the team is excited about.
The Bucs may not be the flashiest pick in the division, but they do look like a team with enough talent to make Graziano’s prediction look a lot more ordinary than bold.
In Other News...
Buccaneers May Already Regret Letting Jack Pyburn Get Away
Jack Pyburn did enough in August to make the Buccaneers take notice, even if it did not keep him in Tampa Bay for long. The undrafted rookie flashed all preseason and finished with four sacks, tying for the most among edge defenders, before the Bucs waived him during final roster cuts and watched Kansas City move quickly to claim him for its 53-man roster.
For a team always hunting for young pass-rush help, that kind of departure can linger. Todd Bowles had already singled out Pyburns work ethic and production, which only sharpens the question of whether Tampa Bay gave up on him a little too early, or whether the Chiefs simply got there first and saw enough to make the gamble worthwhile. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Quarterback Battle Just Put New Pressure On Atlanta's Roster
Baker Mayfields situation in Tampa Bay remains one of the more interesting subplots of the offseason, especially with Todd Bowles noting the quarterbacks motivation even before a contract extension is finalized. For the Buccaneers, that kind of stability matters. Mayfield has already become the focal point of the offense, and Bowles comments only reinforce how central he is to what Tampa Bay wants to build heading into the next stretch of team planning.
Across the division, the Falcons are juggling a different kind of quarterback conversation, with general manager Ian Cunningham talking through the teams current situation and the roster moves that have come with it. The broader NFC South picture also includes Carolina, where Dan Morgan has been addressing roster commitments, injuries and practice squad decisions, a reminder that every team in the division is still sorting out the same basic question: who is ready now, and who still has more to prove before the picture settles? [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Look Poised To Capitalize In The NFC Souths Messiest Race
The NFC South is shaping up as one of the leagues most compressed races, and Tampa Bay sits in the middle of it with the faint edge that often matters in a division this messy. Predictive analyst Austin Mock sees all four teams finishing the 2026 season in a narrow band of six to eight wins, which is about as close as a division can get without turning into a coin flip. In that kind of setup, the Buccaneers status as slight favorites is less about a runaway projection and more about being the team best positioned to navigate the uncertainty.
Every club in the division comes with its own questions, from key absences to broader roster concerns, and thats what makes the path so slippery for everyone involved. Still, if eight wins is enough to take the division again, Tampa Bay does not need to separate itself by much to stay in the race, only to avoid the kind of midseason wobble that can hand control to someone else. In a year where the standings may stay crowded deep into December, the Buccaneers margin for error could be just as important as their ceiling. [Read more 🡒]