Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4 Targets from Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl

By / Devy & College Football, NFL / Leave a Comment
Teddye Buchanan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, The League Winners

In the NFL, there is always room to improve. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a pretty good season in 2024, winning the NFC South and hosting another playoff game. They also had a great showdown against the Washington Commanders, losing a tightly contested game that they may have won if not for a few mistakes.

However, there are positions the Bucs need to improve going forward. They need to find another pass rusher, shore up their secondary, and explore adding more depth at linebacker and along the offensive line.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Targets from Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl

Luckily for Tampa Bay, there were plenty of options at those positions at the Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl. Whether they are high-round picks or potential late-round steals, these games offered plenty of good pieces for the Bucs to watch.

Who are some players that the reigning NFC South champions should monitor after the all-star games? That is what I will be trying to provide for you, the wonderful and astute readers of this website. So, follow along as we detail four players the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should keep an eye on after the college all-star games!

Mike Green, EDGE – Marshall

To put it simply, it is imperative for Tampa Bay to upgrade its pass rush this offseason. And when it comes to players that participated in the 2025 all-star game circuit, Mike Green is one of the best pass rushers available.

Green’s 2024 season with Marshall has been well-documented at this point of the draft cycle. The edge rusher had 59 pressures and a whopping 17 sacks, consistently generating pressure and issues for opposing offenses.

Most importantly for Tampa Bay, though, he looked extremely impressive during the 2025 edition of the Senior Bowl.

Green was a force in one-on-one drills against all types of offensive linemen. He displayed power, which most notably came on a rep where he utterly destroyed Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr.

Green displayed great bend and hand usage, getting around and past tackles in various ways.

Most impressively, Green had some nice run defense reps. He held firm with his hands, kept a solid base, and ensured that he was not washed out of the play. For a player with some size concerns coming into the Senior Bowl, Green dispelled them with his performance.

There are plenty of potential options that Tampa Bay could explore outside of Green, too. Whether it is Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round or someone like Minnesota’s Jah Joyner in the second, it is a great year to need an edge rusher.

However, I feel that Green offers the most amount of overall upside for the realistic options and, therefore, is the player Tampa Bay should target.

Honorable Mentions: Shemar Stewart, Jah Joyner

Azareye’h Thomas, Cornerback – Florida State

In Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme, good cornerback play is paramount.

The best versions of the Bowles’s defense have come with upper-level and versatile talent in the secondary; they can not only play up on the line of scrimmage but also run with receivers and bring a physical mindset to the field. They also need to have the athletic ability to run different types of coverages.

If Tampa Bay wants an immediate influx of young talent in their secondary, Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas is a great way to get the ball rolling for the Buccaneers.

Thomas is a press-man savant and has shown that ability countless times. He is physical on the line of scrimmage, can get his hands on wideouts, and has good mirroring ability all over the field.

These skills popped up frequently at the Senior Bowl, especially on Day 3. Thomas shadowed the best wideouts, provided sticky coverage, and made some great plays on the ball. At the cornerback position, it was truly hard to find someone better than the Florida State product.

 

 

Thomas may not have the requisite zone coverage experience that Bowles needs immediately. However, the 20-year-old cornerback still has plenty of room to grow and refine his game.

It will be hard to find many cornerbacks with a higher upside than Thomas in 2025, and he is a player who will only see his stock continue to rise. He is a player Tampa Bay must monitor.

Honorable Mentions: Quincy Riley, Nohl Williams

Teddye Buchanan, LB – Cal

With Lavonte David approaching the twilight of his career, the Buccaneers will soon need a viable replacement at linebacker. And while there are multiple good options Tampa Bay could pursue in the 2025 class, one the team should keep an eye on is Cal’s Teddye Buchanan.

Shifting from UC Davis to Cal in the 2024 season, the linebacker showcased an all-around skillset on defense. He was able to provide value as a pass rusher, generating 25 pressures and six sacks over the course of the season. Buchanan was a productive run defender and tackler, having above-average PFF grades of 71.8 and 83.5, respectively. He had 48 defensive stops, three forced fumbles, and only 10 missed tackles.

In coverage, the Cal linebacker only allowed 231 yards on 18 receptions, had two pass breakups, and only allowed a 79.0 NFL passer rating.

Buchanan’s skillset immediately translated during the week of the Shrine Bowl. During practices, the linebacker showed nice pass-rushing ability and moves in 1-on-1s. He utilized great speed downhill in the run game, making the correct reads and shooting the necessary gaps. Buchanan also used his athletic ability in the passing game, shutting passing windows and showcasing nice fluidity.

In Tampa Bay’s defense, Buchanan would be a fun and versatile player. He could provide an instant impact, and under the tutelage of David, he could shepherd in the next era of talented Buccaneers linebackers. The former Cal Golden Bear should be squarely on the radar of the NFC South Champions

Honorable Mentions: Jeffrey Bassa, Nickolas Martin, Jamon Dumas-Johnson

Grey Zabel, OL – North Dakota State

Heading into the 2025 season, one of the major needs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a left guard. At the present moment, the top three players in the position on the depth chart are pending free agents. With their tackle positions, center, and right guard in solid shape, adding a contributor at left guard could bolster the unit heavily.

While many players in this draft class fit this mold, Grey Zabel could be that player for Tampa Bay.

The North Dakota State product was a force at tackle in college, especially during the 2024 season. Zabel posted absurd PFF grades, whether it was a 93.1 pass-blocking grade or an 86.5 run-blocking grade.  Across his five-year career, Zabel only allowed 29 pressures and four sacks in 1,137 pass-blocking opportunities.

At the Senior Bowl, Zabel showed his productivity and versatility as a player. Not only did the North Dakota State product lineup at tackle, but he also showcased an ability to be an impressive interior offensive lineman. He was dominant in 1-on-1s, won his pass-blocking reps in team drills, and constantly made great blocks in the running game. Simply put, he was the best offensive lineman on the field in Mobile.

 

If Tampa Bay landed Zabel, he would bring even more physicality to the team’s offensive line. Alongside Cody Mauch, Zabel would help form a bash-brothers-style team-up of North Dakota State offensive linemen in Florida. Additionally, Zabel would provide some great flexibility for the Bucs’ offensive line. If one of the team’s tackles, or even the center, got hurt, Zabel would likely be able to fill in at the position at a high level.

Not many offensive linemen offer the combination of skill and versatility that Zabel does. For that reason alone, the Buccaneers need to keep an eye on him throughout the draft process.

Honorable Mentions: Jalen Rivers, Marcus Mbow

Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 2023 with a Communications Degree, a concentration in Multimedia Journalism, and a minor in Broadcasting. Received an M.A. in Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 2024. Wrote for Jets Insider for two years, previously hosted a Knicks podcast for Let's Talk Knicks, and contributed to Inside the Iggles. Currently a writer for Jets X-Factor. Avid movie watcher, gym goer, music listener, and MMA fan.

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