Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been tipped for a fifth consecutive division title by ESPN.
In an ESPN article judging NFL overreactions from the offseason, Dan Graziano picked the Bucs being division winners as not being an overreaction, and he believes Mayfield will get a massive new contract for leading Tampa Bay to another NFC South crown.
This is despite Tampa Bay being forced into hiring a new offensive coordinator again after Liam Coen departed to take over as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason. The Buccaneers added Haason Reddick to bolster their pass rush and should have Chris Godwin for the start of the season after his 2024 season was cut short by an ankle injury.
It’s gone under the radar, but Tampa Bay has been consistently good for half a decade. They have won the division four times in a row (twice under Tom Brady, twice with Mayfield.)
Graziano admits there are fair concerns about the Bucs, but he believes Mayfield and co. have proven they can overcome such issues.
Graziano wrote, “It’s fair to be concerned about the potential loss of left tackle Tristan Wirfs for the first month of the season because of a knee injury, or about the offensive coordinator leaving for a head coaching job for the second offseason in a row. But it would be unfair to believe the Bucs don’t have the ability to solve their own problems.”
He added that he believes the Bucs deserve to be division favorites and Mayfield will have a compelling case for a massive pay rise if they make it five in a row.
Mayfield’s Fantasy Credentials
Mayfield is QB7, according to Fantasy Pros’ ADP. He is getting drafted 58th overall on average, putting him three spots behind Patrick Mahomes. Only three quarterbacks scored more fantasy points than Mayfield in 2024 after his breakout year in 2023 saw him finish as QB10.
It is a very winnable division for the Bucs once again, with the Atlanta Falcons as their main rivals. Tampa Bay has a middling schedule with an opponent winning percentage of .481. They were the fourth-best offense in 2024 and project to be at a similar level in 2025 with one of the better offensive lines in the NFL and arguably the league’s most fearsome receiver triumvirate with first-round pick Emeka Egbuka joining Godwin and Mike Evans.
It’s unlikely Mayfield is any better than QB7 in fantasy football, such is the talent being drafted above him. It would be a reach to take him over any of the top six, but he becomes a worthwhile selection from pick 50 onwards and should be drafted ahead of Bo Nix, Kyler Murray, and the other mid-ranking quarterbacks.
Published: Jul 21, 2025 09:18 pm