The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the safe move this offseason by re-signing veteran tight end Cade Otton to a 3-year, $30 million contract.
The Buccaneers are predicted to make a much splashier move in the 2027 NFL Draft, where Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski predicts they’ll use their 1st-round pick (No. 19 overall) on 6-foot-7, 242-pound LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green.
“With Baker Mayfield at quarterback, the Buccaneers continue to build around him by adding a mismatch at tight end with a huge catch radius in LSU’s Trey’Dez Green,” Sobleski wrote on September 7. “The junior prospect would complement Cade Otton nicely. Green is listed at 6’7″ and 240 pounds, which opens eyes before he even takes the field. He’s still learning the nuances of the position, but he’s a problem down the seam of opposing defenses and good at creating yards after the catch.”
Trey’Dez Green Shines in LSU Season Opener
Green certainly looked the part of a 1st-round pick during No. 11 LSU’s 51-10 win over Clemson on Saturday night with 4 receptions for 58 yards.
Green also played basketball for LSU as a freshman, starting 3 games.
He earned All-SEC honors in football in 2025 with 33 receptions for 431 yards and 7 touchdowns, and has 11 total touchdowns in his 1st 2 college football seasons.
“The Tigers‘ offense was dreadful last season, and that’s the area of expertise Kiffin will shine in,” Sports Illustrated’s Tyler Green wrote on June 7. “In his sophomore campaign, Green finished with 33 receptions, 433 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. To put that in perspective, Green was fifth overall in tight end receiving yards in the SEC last season, and first in touchdowns. It’s clear the Tigers have a guy who can be counted on in big situations. Transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt may have his favorite target, and he could be the reason Green has an even bigger 2026.”
Buccaneers Drafted LSU Tight End in 6th Round
If the Buccaneers don’t need to draft a tight end in 2027, it very well could be because of the confidence they have in another LSU tight end.
The Buccaneers used a 6th-round pick (No. 185 overall) in the 2026 NFL draft on LSU tight end Bauer Sharp, who will get every opportunity to become the 2nd option at tight end behind Otton and beat out veteran Devin Culp for a spot on the 53-man roster.
“After trading picks 195 and 229 to the Raiders, the Bucs used pick No. 185 on a 6-foot-5, 249-pound target who actually operated as a Wildcat quarterback and inline tight end at Southeastern Louisiana before transferring to Oklahoma and then LSU,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote in April. “He has 4.63 speed, which doesn’t wow you, but he’s high energy and operates well underneath. He’s an aggressive blocker but he has struggled with penalties — his 10 penalties were tied for the most among FBS tight ends since 2024. He also had some issues with drops — 7.6% in his two seasons as an FBS player — but cleaned that up significantly in 2025.”
Buccaneers Predicted to Use 1st-Round Pick on ‘Mismatch’ SEC Tight End