Bucs land a NFL-ready pass rusher in new mock draft

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh next April, a city that could be where the Bucs select the next star they add to their roster in hopes of righting the proverbial ship. Before next April, though, there will be plenty of speculation and buildup for the team and who they may add to the roster through the draft. Thankfully, we now have some added context for players now that the scouting combine has come and gone.

NFL Media's Mike Band recently released the latest 2026 NFL mock draft of the cycle, which has the team focusing on defense as they look to improve their pass-rushing presence. He gave the Bucs an older player in the draft, Akheem Mesidor. The Miami Hurricane defender made his presence known in the College Football Playoff and looks to continue that trend in the NFL.

Band explains the Mesidor pick, writing, "GM Jason Licht stated explicitly at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Bucs 'need to get more pressure on the quarterback,' making this a natural spot to target help off the edge. Mesidor offers a ready-made, win-now fit as a high-motor, versatile front-seven disruptor who can strengthen Tampa Bay's pass rush from Day 1. " Mesidor is becoming a popular pick for the Bucs in Round 1 as they look to fix their defense.

If they do go that route, they will use him right away as an older rookie and they will also know pretty quickly what they have in them. This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: NFL Mock Draft: Bucs land pro-ready pass rusher for their defense