A former fifth-string quarterback turned pass-catching tight end who the Buccaneers traded up to draft in round six.
Bauer Sharp's path to the NFL ran through three different college programs and a position change from quarterback, and it ended with Tampa Bay trading up to grab him in the sixth round of the 2026 draft. At 6-foot-5 with legitimate receiving skills, he joins a crowded but talented Buccaneers tight end room.
Path to the league
Sharp began his college career as a quarterback at Southeastern Louisiana before moving to tight end, then transferred to Oklahoma for one season before finishing at LSU in 2025. The Buccaneers traded their seventh-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to move up and select him with the 185th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
At Oklahoma, Sharp caught 42 passes for 324 yards after his position switch from quarterback. He ran a 4.63-second 40-yard dash at 249 pounds at the NFL Combine and stood out at the East-West Shrine Game, with evaluators pointing to his ball skills and feel for the game as carryovers from his quarterback background.
2025 season recap
In his only season at LSU, Sharp caught 24 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns, finishing sixth on the team in both receptions and receiving yards. Tampa Bay's college scouting director cited his athleticism and pass-catching feel as the reasons the team traded up to get him, projecting him as a developmental piece behind Cade Otton, Payne Durham and Ko Kieft.
Sources
- Buccaneers.com: Bauer Sharp NFL Draft profile
- NOLA.com: LSU tight end Bauer Sharp has been selected in the 2026 NFL Draft
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- LSU
- Hometown
- Dothan, AL, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
