Bucs get new edge rusher in latest NFL Network 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 Network's Eric Edholm recently released the latest 2026 NFL mock draft of the cycle, which has the team focusing one pick on each side of the ball in the two rounds he maps out. In Round 1, he has them selecting Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq, while in Round 2, he goes defense with Missouri pass-rusher Zion Young. Edholm explains the picks, writing, "I've had some pushback on Sadiq landing in Tampa, with the argument being that the Bucs need more defensive help.

Fair point, but this would provide another big-bodied target for a passing attack that lost a pretty important one in Mike Evans. Sadiq's athletic profile is just too alluring, even if he might not be a huge contributor from Day 1. I was surprised Young fell all the way to 46th in this exercise, but if that happened in the actual draft, the Bucs would be getting a long, tenacious rusher who can play right away.

" Giving them dynamic playmakers on both sides of the ball, with Young being an incredible value, makes this an A+ draft. This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: NFL Draft: Bucs get Zion Young in Round 2 of mock draft