It is never too early to begin watching prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. General manager Jason Licht has made the draft the key cog in the machine for the Bucs in terms of roster building and transforming the team itself.
We are going to be covering every position in the draft, but not all of them will be the Bucs’ needs necessarily. But of course, anything is possible for a team, and if not, they will be drafted by a division rival that the Bucs see twice a year.
For this report, we will be discussing a safety. The team has a dynamic duo in Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr., but there are always depth options, or those who could pop up in the division. Because of that, we will be covering this position like we would any other.
With that in mind, here is our report on LSU’s A.J. Haulcy.
Information
A.J. Haulcy
- School: LSU
- Conference: SEC
- Height/Weight: 5-11 1/4, 222 lbs.
- Age when Drafted: 22
- Previous Schools: New Mexico and Houston
Background
- 3-Star Recruit
- Second-Team All-Mountain West in 2022
- First-Team All-Big 12 in 2024
- First-team All-SEC in 2025
Notable Stats from 2025 (minus the Bowl Game)
- Tackles: 347
- Tackles for a Loss and Sacks: 4.5
- Interceptions: 10
- Pass Breakups: 19
Notable PFF Numbers from 2025 (minus the Bowl Game)
- PFF Run Defense Grade: 77.9
- PFF Coverage Grade: 88.6
- Completion Percentage Allowed: 61.5%
- NFL QBR when Targeted: 58.6
- Penalties Called For: 0
Skills
- Excellent coverage ability
- Good ball skills and instincts to force turnovers
- Plays with a chip on his shoulder
- Good range to be reliable in run support as well as coverage
- Good size to handle a lot of responsibilities in the NFL
Player Summary
A.J. Haulcy is a really fun safety prospect who is a blast to watch. He has a good range to be used in both coverage and run support assignments, but he thrives when used on the back end of defenses. His ball skills are amongst the best in the class, and they allow him to force turnovers one way or another, but they can also get him out of position in certain situations. For someone who needs secondary help, he has the versatility to be used as a nickel or safety, which could make him a plug-and-play pick on day two of the draft.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
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