The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been mocked to a handful of talented players throughout the early portions of the draft process. Most of the scenarios see the Bucs landing an impact cornerback, linebacker, or edge rusher in these mocks, but very few have seen the Bucs trade down or surrender draft assets to acquire players.
Well, in one recent mock the Bucs trade out of the first round and acquire a former Pro Bowl tight end to help round out the roster.
Bucs Acquire TE Kyle Pitts for a Day 3 Selection in Recent Mock Draft
The NFL doesn’t see a ton of blockbuster trades between division rivals very often, but every now and then we’ll see exceptions to the rule when the scenario truly benefits both sides significantly.
Andrew Harbaugh of Buccaneers Wire does see a situation where Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts being sent to Tampa in exchange for pick No. 121 overall making sense for both sides in his recent mock draft scenario.
Harbaugh wrote, “Hear me out on this before we dismiss an in-division trade. The Falcons have to realize the Kyle Pitts experiment is a failed one. They have just four picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, so getting tossed a fourth helps them in a big way. Is it an overpay? Perhaps. What it does, though, is load the Bucs up with another playmaker and allow them to put pressure on both Pitts and Cade Otton, where one has to emerge as the long-term answer at the tight end position or else the team turns elsewhere.”
Pitts was named to the Pro Bowl after an outstanding rookie year where he became just the second rookie tight end to cross the 1,000 yard receiving threshold in NFL history back in 2021.
Unfortunately, Pitts next three seasons have been plagued by injuries and quarterback issues under center in run-heavy offensive schemes — which has led to him failing to top 700 yard or 55 receptions after his stellar rookie campaign.
The Bucs do have Cade Otton on the roster and saw some encouraging things from both Payne Durham and Devin Culp in 2024. Yet, Pitts’ elite physical profile and historic rookie year do make him an intriguing acquisition with a Day 3 pick to acquire a player who is still just 24 years old.
Other Players Selected in this NFL Mock Draft
Harbaugh also has the Bucs trading out of the No. 19 overall spot in his mock to acquire more draft assets.
In this scenario, Tampa lands a first-round talent in ECU CB Shavon Revel at No. 42 overall.
Harbaugh wrote, “A popular mock draft selection for the Bucs at this point, Shavon Revel lands in Tampa Bay to give the team a complete secondary. Both in age and playstyle, they now have a complete unit if they can land Revel at the value he is coming off a torn ACL.”
Revel’s injury certainly clouds his draft stock at the moment, but his route combination diagnosing with physicality at the catch point and in run support â and a long and athletic frame â that could make him a great addition to a secondary that could use both depth and long-term upside with the future of Jamel Dean being a bit shaky at the moment.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bucs Acquire Former Pro Bowl TE in Recent Mock Draft appeared first on Heavy Sports.