Buccaneers Urged to Draft ‘Monstrous’ LB to Replace $103 Million NFL All-Pro

When the season went off the rails for Oklahoma State in 2024, it was with superstar linebacker Nick Martin on the sideline with a knee injury.

The Cowboys went 0-7 without Martin on the field and finished 3-9 overall — their worst season since going 0-10 in 1991. One of the nation’s top rated defensive players headed into the season, Martin’s absence was felt more than anyone could imagine.

ESPN’s latest mock draft sees Martin take his game to the next level, where he’s projected to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a third round pick (No. 84 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft. After missing all of his final season at Oklahoma State and watching his draft stock plummet, Martin is a hot name headed into the draft on April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

“Remember this name; Martin is a late riser in the process,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. wrote on April 15. “He was limited to five games in 2024, but he had (140) tackles, 21 run stops and 6 sacks in 2023. He could be Lavonte David’s eventual replacement.”

While Martin could eventually be the replacement for David, who is entering his 14th NFL season, he might be a great running mate to begin with.

Martin Shined in Performance at NFL Combine

Martin, 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds, passed the biggest test following his injury when he put on a bravura performance at the NFL scouting combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds as well as posting a 38-inch vertical and 10-foot-3 broad jump.

That performance, along with his 2023 production, put him back on the radar of NFL scouts. Martin’s 140 tackles in 2023 were the most by any Oklahoma State player since 1984 and the most by any Big 12 player since 2018. He also had a whopping 16 TFL.

“Martin’s career snap experience is relatively low, but his monstrous 2023 production is eye-catching,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “He gets stuck on blocks but has the speed and athleticism to pile up tackles when he stays clean.”

David Has Been One of NFL’s Best LBs Since 2010s

For the last 13 seasons, David has been at the heart of the Buccaneers’ defense — a 3-time NFL All-Pro with a Super Bowl win who will have approximately $103.6 million in career earnings following the 2025 season.

David played on a 1-year, $8.5 million in contract in 2023 and led the Buccaneers with 122 tackles to go with 5.5 sack, 9 TFL, 6 pass deflections, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery. He was also Tampa Bay’s best defensive player down the stretch as his team rallied from a 4-6 record to finish the season 10-7 and make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

The Buccaneers brought David back on a 1-year, $9 million contract for 2025. They also might not want to wait until the third round to add another inside linebacker — Yahoo’s Nate Tice and Charles McDonald have the Buccaneers projected to take Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell in the first round (No. 19 overall).

From Yahoo: “Campbell has excellent size with real two-way potential. He can get downhill in the run game, but is fluid enough to turn and run in coverage. His experience as a blitzer will also translate nicely in Todd Bowles’ defense.”