2025 NFL Mock Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick linebacker

Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Since winning the Super Bowl as a wild card team at the end of the 2020 season, the Bucs have won the NFC South four straight times, mostly by being the least inept of a bad division. They’ve gone from Tom Brady’s final years to Baker Mayfield, who’s shown that, while he can win games with the Bucs, he’s not necessarily good enough to win them when the entire team’s not clicking. It’s clear that Baker needs a solid team around him to win, and that’s something GM Jason Licht has struggled to do as his stars age and many retire.

What Do the Bucs Need?

The offense for the Bucs is in pretty good shape for the short term, having hit on a scheme that meshes well with who Baker Mayfield is a QB. They’re highly efficient, ranking second in the league in yards per play, second in rushing yards per attempt, and sixth in net yards per play last year. They were fourth in points per game and red zone percentage, fifth in points per drive, and first in third down conversions. They were mediocre in pass protection, slotting in at seventeenth in sack percentage, and their passing efficiency was partly driven by a focus on the short passing game, with the team ranking fourteenth in yards per completion.

These last two stats highlight the offensive needs they may focus on in the draft. Josh Grizzard was promoted from pass game coordinator to offensive coordinator when Liam Coen left to become the NFL’s most socially awkward head coach, and he indicated a desire to throw the ball downfield more often. That’s only going to be possible if the team brings more vertical threats to supplement their aging star receivers and protects Baker better up the middle where they’re particularly vulnerable.

Their defense tells a very different story than their offense. In 2024, the Bucs were 21st in yards per play, 14th in net yards per pass attempt, 19th in scoring percentage, and 23rd in turnover percentage. They were 29th in interception percentage, and this inability to stop the pass resulted in them being 19th in points per drive. The only areas of strength for them were some effectiveness at stopping the run (9th in yards per rush) and getting pressure on the QB (9th in pressure rate), though they struggled to translate that pressure into sacks (16th in sack rate). They have added a few edge rushers in free agency, including former Eagle Haason Reddick, but in reality they could use more talent there, as well as at linebacker and in the secondary. The part of their defense (described as “aggressive 3-4” by head coach Todd Bowles) that needs the least bolstering is along the interior front, which is unfortunate given the wealth of defensive tackle talent available this year.

Who’s Under Consideration?

With this many holes to fill, I reduced my draft board to cross-section of the players Brett Kollmann has a first round grade on, the players NFL.com scouts have listed as starter-ready talent, and PFF’s top 25 graded prospects. The picks before me removed my OG, CB, and Edge options from the board, and since bolstering the interior defensive line can be handled in round 2 or later given the current state of their roster, I zeroed in on three options: wide receiver Matthew Golden, safety Malaki Starks, and linebacker Jihaad Campbell.

Golden, the fastest receiver at this year’s combine, is an attractive candidate to provide that field stretching presence the offense has desired. He looks to be a special receiver in the NFL, evidenced by Steve Smith picking him as his top receiver in this year’s draft. However, I was hesitant to spend a first rounder on the offense when the defense is the part of the team dragging it down. Plus it’s not like Golden is a slam dunk, as he’s been dinged for inconsistency and periodic lack of effort. He also has a surprisingly low grade when facing man coverage for someone so fast. Those would be minor nits if the Bucs desperately needed a receiver this offseason, but since it’s not a position of significant weakness, I decided to pass.

Malaki Starks could very well be the pick the real Bucs make in the first round this year. He’s got decent coverage grades while sporting an impressive grade on run defense as a safety who played all over the field for Georgia but spent the most time back deep. The weaknesses NFL scouts have publicly identified are all things that can be improved with coaching. However, I was a little taken aback by his relatively weak Relative Athletic Score (5.50). Still, he stayed in the conversation all the way up to the point where I needed to submit a pick…

With the 19th pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

The fine writers at Bucs Nation, BGN’s sister site, have ILB listed as one of the team’s top two needs after accounting for free agency pickups, and Campbell is an ideal candidate. His 9.85 RAS is built on speed, length, and explosiveness. That athleticism gets him all over the field quickly and allows him to erase errors in coverage. His height and length are tailor-made for filling passing lanes and amassing pass breakups. As a result, he led all linebackers in coverage stops in 2024 according to PFF.

He is also one of the surest tacklers in the draft. His 5.9% missed tackle rate is among the tops among his peers. He is fast in pursuit and gets between and around blockers easily. This should continue to improve as he further learns his craft.

He does have some gaps in his game, particularly when it comes to predicting play flow, but much of that can be attributed to the learning curve converting from being an edge rusher coming out of high school to the off-ball linebacker position. And at 21 and the youngest linebacker prospect in the draft, he has the time and room to improve.

He also has the ability to periodically shift outside and use his excellent pass rush skills, giving the Bucs some flexibility on how they use him. When the worst case scenario is that a player might need to convert back to being a productive third down pass rush specialist, that’s a pretty good floor for a draft pick. He checks all the boxes to be a fitting running mate and eventual replacement for Lavonte David.

Poll
Do you approve of this pick?

88%

11%

52 votes total

Vote Now

2025 BGN Mock Draft Order

1) Titans (JoeDirtsBarber): Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
2) Browns (kjb304): Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
3) Giants (The Player Formerly Known as Mousecop): Cam Ward, QB, Miami
4) Patriots (ReginaldHtower): Will Campbell, OT, LSU
5) Jaguars (eaglenomics): Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
6) Raiders (dkays): Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
7) Jets (Stick19154): Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
8) Panthers (89Tremaine): Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
9) Saints (FierceDisc65): Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
10) Bears (DrprofBubbles): Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
11) 49ers (granthill7): Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
12) Cowboys (Be subpar for Ja’Marr): Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
13) Dolphins (thehead92): Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
14) Colts (green1us): Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
15) Falcons (All_Hail_Howie): James Peace Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
16) Cardinals (Good Bad Ideas): Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
17) Bengals (ablesser88): Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
18) Seahawks (herbalonius): Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
19) Buccaneers (Hoosinole): Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
20) Broncos (Silverlark60)
21) Steelers (Dr.MidnightGreen)
22) Chargers (LancGuy)
23) Packers (Leo Bedio)
24) Vikings (krikkebelgium)
25) Texans (Aint1stULast)
26) Rams (Booth12)
27) Ravens (pheebthegoose)
28) Lions (Neil Dutton)
29) Commanders (Mailata_in_a_Miata)
30) Bills (PhilaWolverine)
31) Chiefs (niels.rosenquist)
32) Eagles (Philly21)

Now it’s time for you to vote for who YOU think should be selected in the 2025 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft.

Poll
Who should the Buccaneers pick at No. 19 overall?

56%

LB Jihaad Campbell

(21 votes)

0%

EDGE Nic Scourton

(0 votes)

5%

EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku

(2 votes)

21%

EDGE Mike Green

(8 votes)

2%

WR Matthew Golden

(1 vote)

2%

2%

S Nick Emmanwori

(1 vote)

5%

S Malaki Starks

(2 votes)

2%

CB Jahdae Barron

(1 vote)

0%

CB Maxwell Hairston

(0 votes)

37 votes total

Vote Now

1) Titans: QB Cam Ward
2) Browns: EDGE Abdul Carter
3) Giants: WR/CB Travis Hunter
4) Patriots: OT Will Campbell
5) Jaguars: DT Mason Graham
6) Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty
7) Jets: OT Armand Membou
8) Panthers: CB Will Johnson
9) Saints: EDGE Jalon Walker
10) Bears: TE Tyler Warren
11) 49ers: OT Kelvin Banks Jr.
12) Cowboys: WR Tetairoa McMillan
13) Dolphins: OT Josh Simmons
14) Colts: TE Colston Loveland
15) Falcons: EDGE Mykel Williams
16) Cardinals: EDGE James Pearce Jr.
17) Bengals: EDGE Shemar Stewart
18) Seahawks: QB Shedeur Sanders
19) Buccaneers: