Analyst Makes ‘Bold Prediction’ For Buccaneers

The regular season is almost here, meaning it's about that time to make predictions for the upcoming year. Some will come true and make us all feel smart. Others will have us looking back after six months or so and wondering, "What was I thinking?" The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a very difficult team to forecast this season. There's a lot to like about the Bucs. They have a franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield. The offensive line should be one of the NFL's best. The revamped defensive front seven is loaded with talent and looks like it will be a problem for opposing offenses. The Bucs' rookie class, headlined by Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter, might be the most talented in the league. Unfortunately, there are a lot of questions about the Bucs as well. Will Mayfield's contract situation eventually become a distraction? Has head coach Todd Bowles lost his chops as a defensive mastermind? Does the secondary have enough depth? Will the young, unproven cornerbacks do their part behind the front seven?  Tampa has a lot of potential this year. They are just a very tough team to trust. Which is why the Bucs are usually somewhere in the middle of most NFL power rankings, skewing toward the bottom most of the time.  If you rank a team in the middle all the time, no matter how good or bad they end up, you're never that wrong. So, instead of power rankings, Dan Graziano of ESPN recently gave his "bold predictions" for each of the NFL's 32 teams. A bold prediction should be very surprising if it comes true. For the Bucs, Graziano's "bold prediction" turned out not to be so bold at all. He thinks it won't be a surprise if Tampa returns to the top of the NFC South division. Graziano Predicts Balance And Better Health The Bucs were part of a three-way tie atop the division last year with an 8-9 record, with tiebreakers crowning the Carolina Panthers NFC South champions. The division is expected to be weak again this season. Frankly, picking any of the four teams to win it wouldn't really be considered bold. Nonetheless, Graziano believes the combination of Mayfield playing with a chip on his shoulder, better health, and some new talented faces on offense and defense should be enough for Tampa to reclaim its throne as king of the division. "Don't be surprised if ... they vault right back to the top of the NFC South. "What I'm hearing: Sure, the Saints are the trendy pick, and Carolina won the division last season. But there was a three-way tie for first place at 8-9, and the Bucs were part of it -- which means they've finished either first or tied for first in the division five years in a row. The last year that didn't happen was Tom Brady's first season in Tampa, when the Bucs ended up winning the Super Bowl anyway. "This is a good organization -- one that's used to being underrated. The Buccaneers' injury issues last season were as bad as, if not worse than, the ones the 49ers managed. The only reason we don't talk about them is that the Bucs didn't overcome theirs to get to the playoffs the way the Niners did. Mike Evans is gone, which still seems weird, but the Buccaneers have been drafting in anticipation of that for years and have plenty of depth in the wide receivers room. Add in inevitable improved health on the offensive line and for running back Bucky Irving, plus the addition of pass-catching running back Kenny Gainwell, and the offense should be just fine with a ticked-off Baker Mayfield running it in a contract year. "On defense, the Bucs lost another stalwart in linebacker Lavonte David to retirement. But they fortified that position by signing veteran Alex Anzalone and drafting Josiah Trotter in the second round. Up front, they're incredibly excited about 2026 first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. and 2025 fourth-round pick David Walker, who was impressing everyone in the building last summer before suffering a season-ending injury early in camp. The Bucs look kind of loaded all across the roster, and assuming better injury luck this year (which almost has to happen), they should be back among the NFC contenders." Final Thoughts Though it may not be a "bold" prediction, it's always nice to see someone pick the Bucs to win the division, especially after last season's collapse. I think Tampa is the most talented team in the NFC South. As long as they can stay healthy and play anywhere near their talent level, the Bucs should win the division again after a one-year hiatus.