After the surprising offensive turn in Round 1, will Bucs hammer defense on Day 2?
After the Buccaneers turned heads with the selection of Emeka Egbuka at 19th overall, it’s placed the onus even more squarely on defense heading into Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
As such, we’re not even going to focus on offensive players — it would just be a complete shock if either Round 2 or Round 3 featured a selection on that side of the ball.
Luckily, there’s plenty of high-quality defensive talent remaining, so let’s look at some names.
Edge Rusher
The projected Bucs favorite for Day 1, Donovan Ezeiruaku and his presence here is surprising. I’m going to assume he does not make it all the way to No. 53 and focus on some other possibilities instead, though bypassing several names already may indicate the Bucs really are fine with the rotation they’ve set up.
Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Scourton is a versatile, stout edge who can move around the formation and attack with power and ferocity. He’s not the bendiest, but his motor runs hot and he’s got the makings of decent creativity when attacking offensive tackles. His style is similar to what the Bucs already have, if they wanted more of that strand. He’ll be a second-rounder for sure.
Bradyn Swinson, LSU:
For someone who’s more in the spirit of Reddick, Swinson is a long, leggy rusher who’s scratching the surface of his potential. He’s fast off the snap with good bend to compress the edges and get tackles on their heels. He’s got a good nose for the football and lived in the backfield for LSU in 2024, but he’ll need to add more mass to become firmer against the run and develop into a true 3-down guy. He’d be a third-round target.
Inside Linebacker
The Bucs passed on Jihaad Campbell, presumably based on his dubious medical outlook, so their need at inside linebacker remains hot. Luckily, they should have a good chance at landing someone intriguing given the amount of talent elsewhere that other teams might focus on.
Carson Schwesinger, UCLA:
Schwesinger seems like the ideal scenario for Tampa in Round 2. The Bucs reportedly loved him pre-draft, as he went from walk-on reserve at UCLA to All-American in 2024. Incredibly instinctual and a lightning fast processor, Schwesinger is a reliable tackler and shows real promise in coverage. He led the FBS in solo tackles (90) and seemed to always find his way to the ball, which may give Bowles visions befitting of Lavonte David’s successor.
Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma:
A third-round target, Stutsman is another cerebral linebacker with outstanding character who sucks up tackles like no one’s business — 377 for his career is top 10 in Oklahoma history. He’s fast, violent, quick to react, and gets off blocks to pile up tackles for loss (36 in four years). Stutsman can effectively blitz inside, and he’s also shown adequacy with dropping into zones and handing some basic coverage assignments. He might be a little too stiff to be anything more than okay out in space, but he’s got all the tools to be a hammer around the line of scrimmage.
Cornerback
The Bucs will absolutely attack the secondary on Day 2. There are all kinds of flavors available, so they can decide who best fits with their vision and plan for the current roster. Like Ezeiruaku, I’m assuming Will Johnson’s precipitous fall will conclude long before Tampa picks.
Trey Amos, Ole Miss:
If the Bucs want an outside player to develop as a Jamel Dean replacement, Amos will be near the top of the list. A press player who also does some of his best work from zone, Amos, is a long, sturdy corner who can get his hands on the ball (13 PBUs in 2024).
Jacob Parrish, Kansas State:
If nickel is what the team wants, as outlined in my 7-round mock, then Parrish has a very good chance of being an option for them. An excellent athlete with an ascending understanding of the position, Parrish is small but not slight. He has inside/outside versatility and has created ball production at KSU, so he checks most boxes.
Nohl Williams, California:
Williams is firmly a Round 3 projection who has the potential for outside/inside cross-training but has most of his experience as an outside press/cover-3 corner. He, like the others, has a history of ball production (14 career INTs) to satisfy what the Bucs are looking for. He’s not the fastest, but he is long and disruptive with good instincts.
Safety
If the Bucs decide that Tykee Smith is better-served remaining at slot corner, and the board falls in a way that’s more conducive for investing in safety, then we’ll want to keep an eye on some names there.
Xavier Watts, Notre Dame:
If the Bucs want more of a true free safety/nickel type of hybrid, Watts will be the main name to watch on Day 2. Watts is, surprise, a ballhawk with 13 career picks. His anticipation and instincts are incredible and allowed him to make plays from all across the field, leading to consensus first-team All-American two years in a row. He’s not an elite athlete, and he’s a little overaggressive, but that’s about all the negative you can really find on him.
Jonas Sanker, Virginia:
Sanker is more in the lines of top-down run enforcer than a true Swiss army knife, but he’s a fairly balanced athlete who shows ceiling for more. He’s rangy, long, and sure-handed as a tackler, which would be a huge boon to a secondary that struggled too much with securing ball-carriers last season. He shows some good instincts and eyes for underneath zone, which would complement the current players in the secondary well.