The biggest hole on the Buccaneers roster is at inside linebacker. While Bucs legend Lavonte David has signed on for a 14th season in Tampa Bay, his retirement is imminent, and there are no other established linebackers on the roster. The Bucs must draft the future of the position this year.
These are the scenarios the Bucs face at the inside linebacker position in the 2025 NFL Draft:
Best case scenario: Drafting Jihaad Campbell in the first round
It would be hard to argue that Alabama's Jihaad Campbell is the best inside linebacker prospect in this year's draft. Campbell is a superb athlete with an impressive resume at Alabama. He can do just about anything that's needed from an NFL linebacker: tackle, cover and rush the passer.
Campbell does not have Lavonte David's instincts (who does?), but he would be a drastic improvement over K.J. Britt, who was an assignment-sound linebacker but simply lacked the athleticism needed to start in Tampa Bay. Campbell will have no such problems and would be an immediate upgrade to the center of the Bucs' defense.
The "value" pick: Carson Schwesinger falling to Tampa Bay in the second round
UCLA's Carson Schwesinger is looking more and more like the second best off-ball linebacker in this year's draft class. While his athleticism is not in the special range, his instincts and processing speed are, which makes him appear to play much faster. The former walk-on
The recent shortage of starting-caliber NFL linebackers could make Schwesinger a hot commodity on Day 2 of the draft. The Bucs might be in a position to trade up to acquire him if they have their hearts set on an heir to Lavonte David. Having him fall to them at pick 53 would be a huge win for a Tampa Bay team looking to build the future at the linebacker position.
The "sleeper" pick: Teddye Buchanan
On Day 3 of the draft, the Bucs tend to select out of two categories: excellent football players with hard ceilings on their athletic potential and impressive athletes who are still figuring things out on the field. Cal's Teddye Buchanan falls into the latter category.
Buchanan is fast, agile, and explosive. He can ...
