Trenton Simpson at a NFL combine press event. Photo courtesy of Tennessee Titans, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The NFL Scouting Combine was held from Thursday, Feb. 26, to Sunday, March 1, giving a first look into the upcoming 2026 NFL draft and options for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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By Terry Hunsicker
TAMPA, Fla. — The National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine, a four-day event showcasing NFL draft prospects, occurred from Thursday, Feb. 26, to Sunday, March 1.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers conducted 37 formal interviews with players, speaking with several tight ends and numerous defensive players as they look to potentially replace pending free agents like Cade Otton and add help to the defense.
The Buccaneers held 25 of their 37 formal interviews with defensive players. They interviewed eight linebackers, nine edge rushers, six defensive linemen, one cornerback, and one safety. They interviewed seven tight ends, including combine standout Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon.
The Buccaneers currently hold picks in each of the seven rounds of the NFL draft, and their first-round selection is pick 15. The Buccaneers have 17 pending free agents.
The NFL combine grades prospects through completion of a set of drills. The 40-yard dash, the vertical jump, the broad jump, a three-cone drill, a 20-yard shuttle, and bench press are all drills that prospects take part in.
Brenen Thompson, a wide receiver from Mississippi State, set the highest 40-yard dash time at the 2026 combine with a time of 4.26 seconds. Eli Stowers, tight end from Vanderbilt, led prospects with his 45.5-inch vertical jump, while wide receiver Ted Hurst from Georgia State tied with Stowers on the broad jump at 11 feet, 3 inches.
Germie Bernard, wide receiver from Alabama, completed the three-cone drill with the fastest time of 6.71 seconds. Vinny Anthony II, a wide receiver from Wisconsin, recorded the shortest time of 4.07 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle, and defensive tackle David Gusta from Kentucky recorded the most bench press reps at 37. His 37 reps are four more than second-place center Trey Zuhn II from Texas A&M.
Speculation continues about who the Buccaneers will draft with their first-round pick. PFF’s post-combine mock draft projected the Buccaneers to select defensive edge Akheem Mesidor from the University of Miami. Mesidor did not participate in the combine.
According to the Buccaneers news site, other pundits suggest that the Buccaneers will look to TE Sadiq following his performance at the combine to replace Otton, while others look towards Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles or even defensive edge Cashius Howell from Texas A&M to help with the potential loss of LB Lavonte David to free agency.
Sadiq set a new record for tight ends at the combine with the fastest 40-yard dash drill that the tight end position has ever seen. His 4.39-seconds led all tight ends at the combine, beating the SMU TE RJ Maryland by 0.12 seconds. Sadiq finished second among tight ends in the vertical and broad jumps behind Stowers, and second in the bench press drill behind SMU TE Matthew Hibner.
Styles, an Ohio State linebacker, took gold in three categories at the combine. His 40-yard dash time of 4.46 seconds led all linebackers, his 43.50-inch vertical jump led all linebackers, and he recorded the longest broad jump among linebackers at 11 feet, 2 inches. Despite the leading performances during the more physical drills, he finished middle of the pack in both the 20-yard shuttle and the three-cone drill.
Howell’s performance at the combine showcased mixed results. He recorded a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, but tied with Ohio State’s Arvell Reese with the quickest 10-yard split at 1.58 seconds. Among participating defensive edges, Howell finished second-to-last in both the vertical and broad jumps. He recorded a 32.5-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-7-inch broad jump.
The NFL draft will be held in Pittsburgh, starting April 23 with the first round. Fans in Tampa can watch the draft live on TV through ABC and ESPN.