A late-season collapse, including losing four of the final five games, kept the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of the playoffs and almost cost Todd Bowles his job. And while Bowles ultimately kept his job, many of his assistants did not. Besides assistant coaches, most of the team’s needs can be found in the defensive front seven, including edge rusher, a position Tampa has long been searching for.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Needs

Linebacker

The Bucs could end up needing several linebackers, especially if Lavonte David, who turns 36 on January 23, chooses retirement. Fellow starter SirVocea Dennis was an outright disaster at times last season, and the team has no young stud in the pipeline.

Edge Rusher

The franchise has invested a significant amount of draft capital over the past five years in the hopes of acquiring an edge rusher, but it has not yielded the desired results. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was a bust after being drafted in the first round in 2021, and the team allowed him to walk after a four-year career that produced 15 total sacks. Logan Hall, a second-round pick in 2022, has 10 sacks in four years. Haason Reddick contributed 2.5 sacks after being signed as a free agent last year.

Tight End

This depends on what happens with Cade Otton, a 2022 fourth-round pick who is at the end of his rookie contract. Otton has been a dependable tight end for the team, but the Bucs may not want to pony up the money that will be necessary to keep Otton.

MOCK DRAFT

ROUND 1: CJ Allen/LB/Georgia

CJ Allen is going to be selected much earlier in the draft than people are presently predicting. He’s a pure off-ball linebacker who can blitz on occasion. His sideline-to-sideline range would give Todd Bowles a dynamic weapon in coverage that the aging linebacker corps currently lacks.

ROUND 2: Gabe Jacas/DE/Illinois

Gabe Jacas would be a terrific defensive end in the Tampa system and would fill the need of a pass rusher. He’s an athletic big man who disrupts the action behind the line of scrimmage and can also make plays anywhere on the field.

ROUND 3: Jack Endries/TE/Texas

I was surprised Endries entered the draft after poor production on the field last season, but he’s a playmaker at tight end and a natural pass catcher who can stretch the defense.

ROUND 4: Kaleb Elarms-Orr/LB/TCU

As stated, the Bucs probably need to come out of this draft with multiple off-ball linebackers. Elarms-Orr is a terrific three-down defender, and like Allen, he stands out in pursuit while showing a lot of skill in coverage.