We have finally reached the 2025 NFL Draft.
As it commences this Thursday and continues until Saturday, the Bucs will welcome a new legion of players to the roster. Most of them will be on the defensive side, but the door cannot be closed on the team adding an offensive player or two.
In doing so, what additions on that side of the football would make the most sense for Tampa Bay? Although the offense is high-scoring, reinforcements would bring depth and starting-caliber players when weighing what the unit could look like in the future.
Another Wide Receiver Would Further Spark Bucs’ Passing Game
Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard has plenty of toys to play with as he the takes the play-calling reins this season. Wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin remain a top one-two punch, while Jalen McMillan came on strong as a rookie last season and will look to build off it as the third receiving option.
Outside of them, questions about the depth chart arise.
Bucs WR Sterling Shepard – Photo by: USA Today
Sterling Shepard was re-signed, but at age 32 he cannot be relied upon as the fourth wide receiver for a whole season given his age and injury concerns. None of Rakim Jarrett, Ryan Miller, Trey Palmer and Kameron Johnson are inspiring and each will fight to round out the wide receiver room come training camp. Should Evans, Godwin, or McMillan miss time like they did at various points last year, it would put a limit on quarterback Baker Mayfield’s ability to move the ball through the air.
This points to Tampa Bay raising the floor at the position by bringing in another wideout. Barring a draft-day shocker, it will likely not be in the first round, no matter what the team thinks of Texas’ Matthew Golden and other top wideouts.
Pewter Report has had the team taking a wide receiver in each of the five mock drafts released throughout the offseason, with Virginia Tech’s Jaylin Lane, Maryland’s Tai Felton, UNLV’s Ricky White III, and Memphis’ Roc Taylor all getting mentioned.
Whether it is one of them or someone else, it will not be a surprise to see them add to this skill position.
Bucs Should Not Gloss Over Tight End Class
Interestingly enough, the Bucs were among the teams who met with Penn State tight end Tyler Warren at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, While Warren will most likely not be on the board when the team picks at No. 19, the point should not be ignored that the tight end position could use more talent. Cade Otton, Payne Durham, and Devin Culp are the top three tight ends on the depth chart, but Otton is entering a contract year while Durham and Culp are still young and have played sparingly at the NFL level.
With Otton set to command roughly $12-13 million per year if he is extended, that could prove too rich for the team and the value they place on the position. The 2022 fourth-round pick has been solid, having improved each season and finishing with 59 receptions for 600 receiving yards and four touchdowns last season.
Regardless, general manager Jason Licht will not be able to ignore the position going forward and could find it beneficial to select another tight end on Days 2 or 3 in the draft.
Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsden II – Photo by: USA Today
Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr., Syracuse’s Oronde Gadsden II, and Clemson’s Jake Briningstool stand out among the rest. Fannin and Gadsden would add a vertical receiving element up the middle for Baker Mayfield, with each having seasons of high-end production under their belts in the college ranks. Briningstool emerged as a steady weapon and his frame offers plus blocking potential.
Each of these prospects could develop into a starter down the line and would be more cost effective, especially as the Bucs will have to pay other players soon.
Making The Case To Draft A Running Back
It worked out last year, didn’t it?
Drafting Bucky Irving was a home run by the Bucs’ front office, as they added a dynamic running back who quickly took touches (and the starting job) from Rachaad White’s grasp. Like Cade Otton, White is in a contract year and 2025 could mark his last season in Tampa Bay as he might look for a starting role elsewhere next offseason.
It can be debated whether his current value makes him expendable, but one variable to consider when having this conversation is just how historic this year’s running back class is.
Bucs RBs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, author of “The Beast,” placed draftable grades on 29 running backs this year, with 13 of them earning at least a Round 3 grade. It is a good year to need another backfield threat, and the perfect time to load up on the position. Should one of them slide down the draft and half of the 29 likely to be there for the taking on Day 3, it will be tempting to select one.
The potential downside to this is that whoever is taken might not see the field much as a rookie, with Sean Tucker firmly entrenched at No. 3 on the depth chart behind Irving and White. If White were to get moved though, Tampa Bay could find a replacement to fill his void as a receiving, change-of-pace back for years to come.
Adding Offensive Line Depth Makes Sense
After losing veteran center Robert Hainsey and swing tackle Justin Skule in free agency, the Bucs could use more offensive line depth. That need has been addressed to a degree by re-signing Sua Opeta and adding Charlie Heck, but offensive linemen – even backups – are critical to Tampa Bay’s culture and would add another developmental piece to the room.
The starting five upfront is set going forward, with left tackle Tristan Wirfs and left guard Ben Bredeson locked up, right tackle Luke Goedeke next in line for a payday, and right guard Cody Mauch and center Graham Barton recent draft picks on rookie deals.
In any scenario where one of them misses time, it would put the Bucs’ offense in a bind. Opeta and Heck are band-aid depth options, while Elijah Klein is still developing and learning the tools of the trade at different spots. Acquiring another big guy on Day 3 makes sense, abd one should trust Jason Licht to find the next diamond-in-the-rough in the trenches.
Join Pewter Report’s LIVE 3-Day Bucs Draft Show – April 24-26
Pewter Report will be broadcasting its annual LIVE 3-Day Bucs Draft Show from One Buccaneer Place on April 24-26 – presented by Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux. Bucs fans are encouraged to watch nearly 20 hours of wall-to-wall draft coverage from the Pewter Report staff streamed on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel, which has over 18,000 subscribers.
The LIVE 3-Day Draft Show will also be streamed on PewterReport.com in addition to Pewter Report’s X and Facebook accounts – @PewterReport. Here are the broadcast times:
Thursday, April 24 – 7:00 pm ET / Day 1 starts at 8:00 pm ET
Friday, April 25 – 6:00 pm ET / Day 2 starts at 7:00 pm ET
Saturday, April 26 – 11:00 am ET / Day 3 starts at noon ET
Nobody covers the Bucs draft like Pewter Report, and we’ll publish our fifth and final Pewter Report 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft on Monday at 5:00 p.m. ET on PewterReport.com.
The entire Pewter Report staff will be on hand to preview and discuss each Bucs draft pick, offering insight and analysis found nowhere else – in addition to answering questions from fans and reading their comments from the chat on-air.
The Pewter Report staff will also be offering live reaction from interviews with general manager Jason Licht, head coach Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay’s draft picks following their selections.
