Buccaneers' draft plans revealed? 'God only made a few' elite edge rushers

The Buccaneers head into the 2026 NFL draft with the 15th overall selection and a clear need to improve an edge room which fell flat last year.

Tampa Bay's top edge rusher in 2025 was YaYa Diaby with seven sacks. After him, a defensive tackle and two linebackers placed next.

That lack of production hurts any team, particularly one with realistic postseason ambitions like the Buccaneers.

Roundly predicted to add edge talent at next week's event, GM Jason Licht addressed the media on Wednesday, revealing a draft philosophy that may surprise.

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What Licht said about edge rushers

"The 'J.P.P's' - God only made a few of them," Licht said, referencing former Buc Jason Pierre-Paul when asked about what Tampa Bay looks for in an edge rusher.

"Yes, you would like to have big, long guys, but sometimes power comes in different packages," he continued.

Licht know such players don't grow on trees, and that chasing the ideal at the expense of the best available is a trap he has seen teams fall into before.

"You've got to be careful not to just feel like it's a must and force yourself to like more players than you normally would," he said, before admitting they have spent "a lot of energy" studying "a lot of rushers".

The edge rusher problem at No. 15

While the exact order of the three top edge rushers David Bailey, Arvell Reese, and Rueben Bain differs depending who you ask, those three are in a tier of their own.

Behind them, there's a group of other edges with undeniable upside, but it's one with no clear-cut next-best option.

That list includes talents such as Miami man Akheem Mesidor, who lands with Tampa Bay with the 15th pick of my latest mock draft.

Others in the same range include Auburns' Keldrick Faulk, or even T.J. Parker from Clemson.

Could the Bucs trade down?

Tampa added 31-year-old Al-Quadin Muhammad on a one-year deal this offseason, but a long-term answer off the edge remains the elephant in the room.

If the Buccaneers rate the likes of Mesidor, Faulk and Parker similarly, a trade down might be the Bucs' preference.

Licht suggested he would be open to the idea.

"You have a group of players that you say, 'No matter what, if this player's there, we're taking [him].' If there's a group of three, then maybe you can go back one or two." he said.

Licht has no issue making a pick at No. 15, if needed.

But it appears they may be open to listening to calls. The one sticking point, as Licht explained, could be finding another team willing to pull the trigger.

"The part of that that makes it difficult is you've got to find a trade partner. It's not as easy as it sounds."

The 2026 NFL Draft gets underway on 23 April, live on DAZN, and whether Tampa Bay stays at No. 15 or trades back, the edge rusher question will be one of the night's most interesting storylines.