New NFL mock draft has Buccaneers addressing need with Alabama linebacker

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use this versatile linebacker out of Alabama, but will they go defense in the first round?

Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Jihaad Campbell celebrates after sacking Mercer quarterback Whitt Newbauer. / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are used to picking around this area of the NFL Draft. They picked defensive tackle Calijah Kancey at No. 19 in 2023, and now, they pick at that same spot again two years later in 2025 in an effort to take a 10-win team from 2024 over the edge into Super Bowl contention.

There's a lot general manager Jason Licht and the Bucs could do with this pick, but there's a general consensus that Tampa Bay needs a lot of retooling on the defensive side of the ball. Linebackers (both off-ball and on-ball), cornerbacks and safeties are all needs, and Tampa Bay could slot in an immediate starter at one of those areas in the first round of the draft.

The Athletic recently released their newest mock draft, where writers across multiple beats took turns in making picks for each team. Writer Josh Kendall picked for Tampa Bay, and he had the Buccaneers taking Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Jihaad Campbell with the No. 19 pick.

Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Jihaad Campbell. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

"Lavonte David and K.J. Britt may be headed to free agency, so it’s a good thing Campbell is such a perfect fit for Todd Bowles’ aggressive defensive system. The 6-3, 245-pounder played off-ball linebacker for the Crimson Tide, but he’s athletic enough to play on the edge, too. Campbell only registered 5.5 sacks in three seasons at Alabama, but his athletic profile is undeniable. He was a five-star prospect and the No. 1 edge rusher in his high school recruiting class."

Campbell played rotational edge rusher at the start of his Alabama career, so like Georgia's Jalon Walker, he could potentially slot into two different roles. Todd Bowles would, indeed, like that — his blitzing schemes see his outside linebackers drop into coverage quite a bit, especially in 2024, so a versatile player like Campbell could do well for the scheme.

Drafting an off-ball linebacker in the first round isn't incredibly commonplace due to it not being a high-priority position, so it would be interesting to see what Tampa Bay does with the No. 19 pick knowing it has a big need there.

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