An early look at the 2027 draft has the Buccaneers aiming straight at their biggest offensive hole.
Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft, released with Tampa Bay about to open its 2026 season on Sunday, sends the Bucs to LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green with the 19th pick. The idea is simple enough: keep stacking weapons around Baker Mayfield and finish off an offense that already looks dangerous in a lot of places.
Green comes with the kind of frame that jumps off the page. He’s listed at 6'7 and 240 pounds, and the source material notes that he even spent a brief stretch as a basketball player at LSU before choosing football full time.
That background shows up in his game. He attacks the ball like a rebound, wins at the high point, and has the body control to shield defenders when the throw is in the air.
In the red zone, he’s already proven how difficult he can be to handle, finishing 2025 with seven touchdown catches on just 33 receptions.
For Tampa Bay, the fit makes sense because the rest of the offense is already pretty well stocked. The line is anchored by star left tackle Tristan Wirfs and is described as potentially the best in the NFL. The backfield brings together Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell, who joined as a free agent this offseason, giving the Bucs a pair of explosive options on the ground and through the air.
The receiver group is loaded, too. Chris Godwin Jr., now 30, has stepped into Mike Evans’ old role as the veteran presence and has already made an impression on new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. Around him are Emeka Egbuka, who was Tampa’s first-round pick in 2025, rookie third-rounder Ted Hurst, and 24-year-olds Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson, and Kameron Johnson.
Mayfield, meanwhile, is locked in long term after signing a huge extension that keeps him in Tampa through the 2029 season. The one major missing piece is tight end.
Cade Otton is a steady starter, but not the sort of difference-maker who tilts a game. Behind him, Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, and rookie Bauer Sharp are mentioned as a group that doesn’t bring much production.
That’s where Green enters the picture. He wouldn’t just add another target. He’d give Mayfield a new weapon and address the roster’s clearest weakness at the same time.
The payoff, if it plays out that way, would be obvious. Green could bring immediate help in the passing game and become the kind of red zone mismatch Tampa Bay can lean on. The mock sees him as a possible final piece for an offense trying to move past franchise icon Evans and get back to the kind of success and explosiveness it had in 2024 after a disappointing 2025 season.
In Other News...
Bucs Week 1 Offense Suddenly Has A Problem Baker Mayfield Must Solve
The Bucs are heading into their Week 1 matchup with Cincinnati with a few early offensive questions already hanging over Baker Mayfield and the new-look attack. Jalen McMillan, Sean Tucker and Justin Skule are all listed as doubtful because of injuries, with McMillan working back from a knee issue, Tucker dealing with a hamstring injury and Skule limited by an oblique problem. Emeka Egbuka, meanwhile, is fully cleared and available, giving Tampa Bay at least one important piece of good news as the team sorts through its depth chart.
For an offense trying to settle in right away, the injury report adds a layer of uncertainty before the first snap is even taken. Todd Bowles and the Bucs have other players with varying statuses as well, so the final picture could still shift before kickoff. For Mayfield, the challenge is less about preseason optimism now and more about adjusting quickly if the available skill-position and protection options look different than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Could Expose A Major Buccaneers Problem In Week 1
The Buccaneers head into Week 1 with a lot of fresh faces and a few reasons for optimism, especially after bringing back their full starting offensive line and reshaping the defense. Tampa Bay added linebacker Alex Anzalone, edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson and running back Kenny Gainwell, all moves aimed at making the roster sturdier on both sides of the ball. It is a group with more intrigue than certainty, which is about par for the course this time of year.
Cincinnati, though, offers a fast first test for how far those changes have actually gone. The Bengals bring a strong receiving corps into a matchup that could put real pressure on Tampa Bay's inexperienced secondary, while the offense is also sorting through a new system under coordinator Zac Robinson. Add in the thinner spots at safety and along the offensive line, and the opener has the feel of a game that could reveal exactly where the Buccaneers still need help. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Week 1 Roster Shuffle Opens Door For An Unexpected Debut
The Buccaneers head into Week 1 with a roster that looks mostly intact, but the first game of the season has already brought a couple of practical changes. Tampa Bay elevated running back Josh Williams and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu from the practice squad for the matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, a reminder that even a healthy-looking roster can shift quickly once the injury report starts to matter.
The bigger ripple may come on the offensive side, where Sean Tucker and Jalen McMillan are likely to be inactive because of injuries. That opens the door for rookie Ted Hurst to move up the depth chart and contribute in his NFL debut, giving the Bucs an early look at a young player who was not necessarily supposed to be part of the Week 1 conversation this prominently. [Read more 🡒]