Pewter Report 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft 3.0

The 2025 Bucs offseason is here and it’s time for Pewter Report’s 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft 3.0 – presented by Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux.

Be sure to tune into Pewter Report’s Mock Draft Show to discuss the third Bucs mock draft live at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 13 on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel.

Tampa Bay showed some improvement in the 2024 regular season, winning 10 games and a fourth straight NFC South championship – the third under head coach Todd Bowles. But the Bucs couldn’t advance past the NFC Wild Card round, losing a home playoff game to the Commanders, 23-20.

The team didn’t have nearly the amount of pending free agents that it did in 2024, and they were able to re-sign all three of their starters who were set to explore free agency in left guard Ben Bredeson, wide receiver Chris Godwin and linebacker Lavonte David.

The Bucs would like to sign three players to contract extensions this offseason if possible – right tackle Luke Goedeke, cornerback Zyon McCollum and tight end Cade Otton, as all three are entering contract years in 2025.

Free agency just began, and the team addressed a couple of pressing needs in addition to re-signing the above three along with reserve defenders Anthony Nelson and Greg Gaines and backup quarterback Kyle Trask. The Bucs signed edge rusher Haason Reddick to replace Joe Tryon-Shoyinka opposite Yaya Diaby. They also signed punter Riley Dixon to provide consistency on special teams, as well as reserve inside linebacker Anthony Walker and reserve cornerback Kindle Vildor

Taking all of this into consideration, here is a look at the team’s personnel needs, listed in order of importance.

Bucs Personnel Needs

Inside Linebacker

Lavonte David joins SirVocea Dennis as the only current starters. Dennis, saw his second year in Tampa Bay cut short by a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4, made a strong impression early on in coverage and as a blitzer. But given his penchant for being injured, the Bucs need to add at least one more quality inside linebacker and did that with veteran Anthony Walker, who is better in coverage than either K.J. Britt or J.J. Russell.

Britt, who signed with Miami, lacks the athleticism to be a starter and was supplanted in the starting lineup at the end of the season by Russell, whom the Bucs have not elected to re-sign. Veteran Deion Jones, 30, was already re-signed to a cheap, one-year deal, but he’s not a lock to make the roster.

Just because this is the Bucs’ top need doesn’t mean that this will be the team’s first-round pick. Tampa Bay used the fifth overall pick on inside linebacker Devin White in 2019, and while he helped the team win Super Bowl LV in his second season, his play fell off considerably in his final two years in Tampa Bay. Of the four Pro Bowl inside linebackers this year, only one – Baltimore’s Roquan Smith – was a first-rounder.

Cornerback

The Bucs moved on from Carlton Davis III the third last year. His big salary did not match his lack of interceptions, and Davis struggled to stay on the field with numerous injuries over the past couple of seasons. Tampa Bay was lucky to find a trade partner in Detroit and receive a third-round pick for Davis. Jamel Dean is in a similar situation, as he has just one pick in two years and has missed a total of nine games over the past two seasons. And Dean missed the second half of the playoff loss to Washington, which proved to be costly.

Cutting or trading Dean would save the team nearly $8.3 million in cap room, but that hasn’t happened yet. The cornerback market has exploded in free agency and Dean’s cap hit of $15,136,941 could be considered a bargain right now. When healthy, Dean is a quality starter, but the Bucs need a more reliable cornerback sooner rather than later.

If Tampa Bay moves on from Dean, the Bucs will need another starting-caliber cornerback to replace him and pair alongside Zyon McCollum. That could come in the 2025 NFL Draft with a premium pick. Bucs G.M. Jason Licht has only spent one first-round pick on a cornerback and that didn’t turn out well, as Vernon Hargreaves III was a bust in 2016. Tampa Bay has had better success drafting cornerbacks in the middle rounds like Davis (second round, 2018), Sean Murphy-Bunting (second round, 2019) and Dean (third round, 2019).

The Bucs could use at least two more talented cornerbacks behind McCollum on the depth chart. Bryce Hall might not return from a broken leg he suffered in Week 1, and Josh Hayes and Tyrek Funderburk showed they are not starting-caliber players in their limited playing time in 2024. The Bucs need to seriously upgrade the cornerback room.

Safety

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. and NCB Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay has one of the most talented safeties in Antoine Winfield Jr., who was a bona fide playmaker during his first four years in Tampa Bay until this past year when injuries cost him eight games during the regular season. Winfield should return with a vengeance in 2025 and be back to his regular playmaking self. But the Bucs need another playmaker at the other safety position. Jordan Whitehead was a huge disappointment in his return to Tampa Bay on a two-year deal after a two-year absence and the team declined his 2025 option, making him a free agent.

The Bucs spent a third-round pick on Tykee Smith last year and he started 14 games at nickelback but can also play strong safety if Todd Bowles wants to go that route. Christian Izien and Kaevon Merriweather don’t make enough plays to ideally crack the starting lineup, although both are quality reserves with Izien offering a lot of flexibility.

The Bucs could very well draft a safety in the middle rounds, or double up on the cornerback position with one of them playing in the slot and moving Smith to strong safety. Smith and Mike Edwards, who is a free agent and may or may not return as a reserve option, were third-rounders, and Whitehead was a fourth-rounder.

Wide Receiver

Bucs WR Chris Godwin and GM Jason Licht, photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

The Bucs plans to re-sign Chris Godwin this offseason became a reality. Godwin turned 29 in February but proved to be an ideal fit in Liam Coen’s new offense before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 7. His return gives new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard the team’s three top three receivers again in 2025 with Godwin, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan. But the Bucs need another starting-caliber receiver for the No. 4 spot in case injuries strike the receiver position again, as well as for the future as Evans is entering a contract year and turns 32 in August.

Trey Palmer could be on the outs with the organization after underwhelming in 2024 and losing the WR3 role to McMillan during his rookie season. He played no better than practice squad receivers Ryan Miller and Rakim Jarrett. Veteran Sterling Shepard was elevated to the role of a starter for a while with Evans and Godwin out, but he turns 31 this year and had too many costly drops to return.

Look for the Bucs to draft a bigger body at wide receiver to join the mix in 2025. Tampa Bay has too many 190-pound receivers, and Grizzard’s offense would thrive with bigger receivers like the 220-pound Evans and the 205-pound Godwin.

Outside Linebacker

Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs are happy with Yaya Diaby, who enters his third season, as one starter at outside linebacker. While Diaby’s pressures were up – he finished with 65, which was the ninth best among edge rushers – his sacks were down. Diaby had 7.5 sacks as a rookie and just 4.5 sacks last year.

Newly signed Haason Reddick represents a buy-low play with a ton of upside. He was one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the NFL from 2020-2023 and still showed plenty of burst and bend to win the high side last year in limited action for the Jets. That’s a quality the team has not had since before Shaq Barrett suffered a torn Achilles in 2022. But the deal is still for just one year and carries a fair amount of uncertainty. Jason Licht has shown an ability to both build for the present and the future and could look to double down on the position.

That could mean there is still a good chance that the Bucs spend another premium pick on an outside linebacker. Licht has hit on several defensive tackles in the NFL Draft over the years but has struggled to find a stud edge rusher capable of becoming a double-digit sacker. Noah Spence, a 2016 second-round pick, flamed out quickly, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, a first-round pick in 2021, has not lived up to expectations. Diaby, a third-round pick in 2023, has been a good player, but the jury is still out on 2024 second-rounder Chris Braswell, who has been slow to develop.

The contracts of Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson were up, and the team opted to have Nelson return as a reserve outside linebacker once again while letting JTS walk in free agency. The Bucs also have Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez under contract, but both are considered reserves and are not locks to make the team in 2025.

Defensive Tackle

Bucs DTs Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and Logan Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs have two of the best defensive tackles in football in Pro Bowler Vita Vea, who recorded a career-high seven sacks in 2024, and Calijah Kancey, who led the team with 7.5 sacks in his second year in Tampa Bay. Logan Hall, the team’s top pick in 2022, had a breakout year with 5.5 sacks as a reserve and enters a contract year in 2025.

Despite having three quality defensive tackles, the Bucs would have drafted Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton with the No. 26 pick last year if offensive lineman Graham Barton was off the board. G.M. Jason Licht believes in having quality depth at defensive tackle, and Vea turns 30 in 2025. Tampa Bay re-signed Greg Gaines for another year for depth, but the team might move on from Will Gholston, who turns 34 in July.

If the right defensive tackle is there in the right round and he’s the best player available, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Licht and head coach Todd Bowles the pull trigger and draft another one this year. This year’s draft class is loaded at defensive tackle and Tampa Bay might lean into that position and take advantage of the depth there.

Bucs’ 2025 NFL Draft Picks

The Bucs currently have six picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. They traded their sixth-round pick and cornerback Carlton Davis III to the Lions last year in exchange for Detroit’s third-round pick, which was used on wide receiver Jalen McMillan. The Bucs did not receive any compensatory draft picks this offseason.

Pewter Report’s 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft series is presented by Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux – with three locations in the Tampa Bay area in Wesley Chapel off I-75, Midtown Tampa down the street from Raymond James Stadium and Lakeland. Download the FREE Walk-On’s Rewards app and get a FREE order of mozzarella logs.

2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft 3.0 By Scott Reynolds and Josh Queipo

Round 1 – Boston College OLB Donovan EzeriuakuSenior • 6-2, 248

The Bucs start the draft by attempting to make a strength stronger. Even with Haason Reddick in the fold on his one-year deal, the team looks to ensure they are four-deep on the edge with the selection of Donovan Ezieruaku, theoretically pairing him with Chris Braswell to make sure no matter what part of the rotation is on the field, they should have a solid pass rush pressuring opposing quarterbacks.

While Ezeiruaku isn’t very tall, his 34-inch arms are above average, and he uses them to keep tackles off his frame. That not only helps him as a pass rusher but also gives him the ability to hold the edge as a run defender better than most sub-250-pound edge rushers.

Ezeiruaku was one of the most productive pass rushers in college football last year, posting 16.5 sacks, 60 pressures and 20 quarterback hits. While his burst isn’t elite, he has great bend and a multitude of pass rush techniques including cross chops, club-rips, ghost moves, long-arms and spin moves. He also has the foot speed and agility to change direction and set up inside moves by winning high side before crossing face.

Donovan Ezeiruaku can win in just about any way you could want. Plus the BEND. pic.twitter.com/zPwaKW4pQd

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) March 13, 2025

There are some questions about his play strength so the Bucs could provide a good developmental path by having him play on the second team behind Yaya Diaby and Reddick his first year while he develops. The Eagles employed this strategy with Nolan Smith in 2023, playing him behind Reddick, and in 2024 Smith was one of their best pass rushers down the stretch last year after Reddick’s departure in the 2024 offseason.

Donovan Ezeiruaku’s Defensive Statistics2021: 21 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 sacks,  2022: 61 tackles, 15 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 2 PBUs, 3 FFs2023: 53 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FFs2024: 80 tackles, 21 TFLs, 16.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 3 FFs

The Bucs have publicly stated they are looking for ballhawks and specifically pass rushers who can finish. Ezeiruaku checks those boxes fully with eight forced fumbles and 30 career sacks. The tape and the skills back up that production, plus he would give them a body type beyond 2025 they don’t really have with Diaby and Braswell.

Round 2 – East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr.Redshirt Senior • 6-2, 194

The Bucs continue to add to their defense with a big, long, physical corner with one of the best upsides in this draft class in East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr. He loves to dictate terms from the moment receivers try to release off the line. Revel has a strong understanding of how to use the sideline to his advantage and to reduce angles while his plus strength and to drive his opponent where he wants them to go.

Despite being a larger corner, his speed and fluidity in and out of his breaks gives him the do-it-all ability to square off with any type of receiver who lines up across from him. Whether that be a large traditional split end receiver, or a smaller, shiftier route-runner who creates space with excellent footwork, Revel can shut down anyone. Revel is a strong, competitive player who enjoys supporting in the run game. He’s a sound tackler who has a career missed tackle rate under 6%.

With 12 pass breakups, three interceptions and 20 defensive stops in just 855 snaps in college, he is the consummate playmaker with elite physical traits and one of the highest ceilings in this draft. His measurables check all of the boxes the Bucs traditionally look for in starting corner.

East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr will definitely be talked about a lot in the upcoming weeks… despite coming off a torn acl, he is regarded as one of the top corners in this class due to his size and tools to work with… pic.twitter.com/Yjto1abKy2

— RealBucsTalk (@RealBucsTalk) January 24, 2025

Shavon Ravel’s Defensive Statistics2022: 8 tackles 2023: 29 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT, 13 PBUs, 1 FR, 1 TD2024: 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INTs, 2 PBUs, 1 TD

But given the fact that Tampa Bay is likely to move off of one oft-injured corner in Jamel Dean, they may shy away from Revel as he is coming off of a torn ACL. But that injury may be what drives a first-round talent into the second round where his upside could be worth the risk.

Round 3 – Oregon ILB Jeffrey BassaSenior • 6-1, 232

The Bucs could use some fluidity and athleticism in the middle of their defense. Jeffrey Bassa, a former safety can bring those skills to the table. Of all of the linebackers in this draft Bassa is one of the best at covering running backs out of the backfield. That’s one of the best indicators for ability to develop coverage skills at the second level. He showed his potential as a coverage ‘backer at the Senior Bowl when he picked up a crosser developing off of play-action behind him and covered him up the far sideline and finishing by breaking up the pass.

He’s an aggressive player who can be weaponized downhill. In 2023 Bassa was used as a pass rusher over 100 times, generating 27 pressures and he is a quick closer on plays to the flat and on toss/sweep/outside zone runs to the perimeter. He can sift through traffic to get to the ball carrier. And when he gets covered up by blockers, he can keep guys off of his frame and make tackles while engaged.

Bassa is a sure tackler with good form and consistently drags ball carriers down. But his processor is a bit slower than you would like as he has to see run plays develop before he triggers. And he does lack the ball production one might expect for a former safety. Still his fluid hips and seamless transitions across multiple planes make for an intriguing athlete who can contribute on late downs immediately while he develops his run defending instincts.

Really enjoyed watching Bassa play in space/coverage and enjoyed his detailed answer even more when I asked him about it. https://t.co/F8FAz8lZD9

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) January 28, 2025

Jeffrey Bassa’s Defensive Statistics

2021: 48 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 PBU  2022: 62 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 INTs 2023: 72 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 PBU2024: 54 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 2 PBUs, 2 FF

The Bucs could use Bassa in a specialized role during his rookie season as he develops into a full-time starter down the line. He would provide an injection of athleticism into the linebacker room and probably projects best at Mo (Moneybacker) linebacker spot as Lavonte David’s eventual replacement.

Round 4 – Maryland WR Tai FeltonSenior • 6-1, 183

Tai Felton is an interesting prospect who would probably be getting more buzz if not for a Week 5 injury that he played through for the rest of the season. He was one of the most productive receivers in all of college football through the first four weeks of the season, averaging 10.25 catches, 150 yards, 1.25 touchdowns and 4.31 yards per route run.

After that point, Felton’s catch rate dropped 14%, his yards per catch dropped by 5.2 and his yards per route run dropped by 2.8. But scouting the pre-injury Felton makes me think there is an opportunity to find a receiver with higher upside than his draft stock would have you believe. That’s not dissimilar to how the Bucs were able to draft Jalen McMillan in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Felton has more burst than long speed, creating room early in the route. This is evidenced by the tracking data gleaned from the Senior Bowl, where he led all receivers in attendance in acceleration. He pairs that explosive lower half power with spectacular contact balance to make defenders miss after the catch while creating additional yards.

Felton is more of a linear athlete and struggles running routes that ask him to win after the route stem. He adds too many steps to comebacks and rounds his routes on digs, but is at his best on slants, curls, posts and go/fades. This makes him less than ideal for a slot role, but he should work well as a perimeter threat.

His ball tracking is average-at-best, and he struggles to play through contact, which limits his upside. But he can develop into a solid WR3 if he can regain his pre-injury explosiveness. Felton is the definition of a chain mover. His stop-start ability shows up as both a route runner and with his YAC.

Felton was third in the country in first down receptions last season (57). pic.twitter.com/OSajf26Psy

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) February 5, 2025

Tai Felton’s Defensive Statistics

2021: 5 catches, 51 yds, 10.2 avg2022: 23 catches, 309 yds, 13.4 avg, 2 TD2023: 48 catches, 723 yds, 15.1 avg, 6 TD2024: 96 catches, 1,124 yds, 11.7 avg, 9 TD

Felton is more physical and gives better after the catch skills than Trey Palmer and could slot into the WR4 spot with an added bonus as a special teamer who could earn a returner role. He’s an ideal WR4 as a rookie and could eventually develop into a WR3 with WR2 being his absolute ceiling.

Round 5 – Virgina S Jonas SankerSenior • 6-0, 206

Jonas Sanker tested as an elite athlete at the combine, with an unofficial 9.54 Relative Athletic Score from Kent Lee Platte’s system. And on film, it shows. He has a quick and explosive trigger. Add in long arms and good technique and you have the makings of a solid tackler who can be a net plus as a run defender from the second level.

But what has me very interested in Sanker is his football IQ. He is quick to process, sift and make his way to the ball. That led him to an incredibly impressive 9.06% stop rate in 2024. Sanker is a fantastic pass rusher with an almost 50% career pressure rate. This is because he plays with a reckless abandon and plays at 100%.

Where Sanker can get exposed is in his lateral mobility. His hips are a bit stiff and it’s no surprise he skipped the agility drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, which helped maintain his high RAS score. When he gets into the slot against twitchy, quick short-area receivers, he can struggle to keep up and prevent separation. But as a box safety who can burst and blow up, Sanker is an excellent option.

Consider me a Jonas Sanker fan. pic.twitter.com/TFqB0SmQTG

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) March 7, 2025

Jonas Sanker’s Defensive Statistics

2021: 5 tackles  2022: 63 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PBUs, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 2023: 107 tackles, 4 TFLs, 11 PBUs, 3 FFs, 2 FRs2024: 98 tackles, 9 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 4 PBUs, 2 FRs

Sanker could eventually fill a strong safety role due to his size, football I.Q. and explosiveness. Until then he would provide athletic depth and special teams value to Tampa Bay.

Round 7 – South Carolina DT Tonka HemingwayRedshirt Senior • 6-3, 284

Tonka Hemingway is a compact, gap-slipping defensive tackle. He has enough lateral mobility that he can play a versatile role across the line as a heavy end or three-technique. His length gives him the ability to keep offensive linemen off his frame as a one-gapper and he has the presence of mind to keep his eyes in the backfield, so he is constantly moving towards the ball.

His eyes also help him increase his ball production as he constantly gets his hands in the air to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage. Between that and his initial burst Hemingway is a true gap penetrator, but he lacks refinement. He typically relies on his get-off and playing half man to get vertical into the pocket and when he gets squared up and locked down, he gets his hands up to try and still affect the play.

Hemingway’s size and anchor are questionable, and he struggles to hold up against double-teams. And he lacks a pass rush plan that includes counters. This leads to a boom-or-bust playstyle. But his motor helps him pick up additional plays late in the rep as a chaser.

#SouthCarolina DL Tonka Hemingway. 6’3 288.

Consistently sharp w/ technique. Fluid athlete. Has some pop in his hands. GREAT engine. Had a good week at East-West Shrine Bowl. Riser. pic.twitter.com/axhNv6CdvX

— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) February 27, 2025

Tonka Hemingway’s Defensive Statistics

2020: 16 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PBUs, 1 FF  2021: 6 tackles2022: 33 tackles, 8 TFLs, 4 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FRs 2023: 32 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1.5 PBUs, 7 PBUs, 2 FRs2024: 25 tackles, 4 TFLs, 4 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FRs, 1 FF

With Logan Hall entering a contract year, Hemingway would be a developmental backup 3-technique to potentially replace him in 2026. He could start his career as DT5 or DT6 on the depth chart and prove to be an upgrade over players like C.J. Brewer and Mike Greene, but eventually wind up as DT3 with more added size and strength.

Watch Pewter Report’s LIVE Mock Draft Show 3 Thursday, March 13 At 8:30 pm ET

What did you think of Pewter Report’s third official 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft? Tune into Pewter Report’s Mock Draft Show to discuss the third Bucs mock draft LIVE at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 13 on thePewterReportTV YouTube channel. Bring your comments and questions for Scott Reynolds and Josh Queipo!