# Bauer Sharp
**Bauer Sharp** is an [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) tight end for the [Tampa Bay Buccaneers](https://www.edgepedia.org/tampa-bay-buccaneers) of the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league) (NFL), selected in the sixth round (185th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University (LSU).[1](https://www.nfl.com/players/bauer-sharp/) He is a converted quarterback who played five college seasons across three schools, Southeastern Louisiana (2021 to 2023), Oklahoma (2024), and LSU (2025), finishing with 106 receptions for 942 yards and 8 touchdowns in 50 games with 35 starts.[2](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position, team, number | Tight end, No. 84, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (rookie, 2026)[1](https://www.nfl.com/players/bauer-sharp/) |
| Physical | 6 ft 5 in, 246 lbs; 31 3/4-inch arms, 9 3/4-inch hands[1](https://www.nfl.com/players/bauer-sharp/) |
| Draft | Round 6, pick 185 overall, 2026 NFL Draft, acquired by trade with the Las Vegas Raiders[1](https://www.nfl.com/players/bauer-sharp/) |
| College stops | Southeastern Louisiana 2021 to 2023, Oklahoma 2024, LSU 2025[2](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp) |
| Best college season | 2024 at Oklahoma: 42 receptions for 324 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the Sooners in both categories[3](https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/) |
| 2026 Combine | 4.63-second 40-yard dash, 1.68-second 10-yard split, 35-inch vertical jump, 10-foot broad jump, 20 bench-press reps[4](https://steelersdepot.com/2026/04/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-lsu-te-bauer-sharp/) |
| Hometown | Dothan, Alabama; attended Dothan High School[1](https://www.nfl.com/players/bauer-sharp/) • [3](https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/) |
## College career
**Quarterback origins.** Sharp signed with Southeastern Louisiana as a quarterback and switched to tight end during spring practice in 2022.[2](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp) He was still used as a wildcat quarterback in 2022 and 2023, and across three seasons with the Lions he totaled 40 receptions for 366 yards and 4 touchdowns while rushing for 216 yards and 5 touchdowns.[3](https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/) Southeastern Louisiana won the 2022 Southland Conference Championship and reached the second round of the FCS Playoffs during his time there.[3](https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/)
**Oklahoma, 2024.** After entering the transfer portal, Sharp moved to Oklahoma and started all 12 regular-season games at tight end.[2](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp) He led the Sooners in both receptions (42) and receiving yards (324) and caught 2 touchdown passes, becoming the first Oklahoma tight end to lead the team in both categories since Mark Andrews in 2017.[3](https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/) He caught at least one pass in every game and had 4 or more receptions six times, with a career-best 8 catches for 53 yards and a touchdown at Ole Miss.[2](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp)
**LSU, 2025.** Sharp transferred again, to LSU, and started all 13 games in his lone season with the Tigers, catching 24 passes for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns.[2](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp) • [5](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/bauer-sharp-1.html) His season highlights included a 5-catch, 73-yard game with his first LSU touchdown against his former team Southeastern Louisiana in week 4, a career-long 65-yard reception against Florida, and a go-ahead 12-yard touchdown pass from Michael Van Buren with 7:53 remaining in a 23-22 win over Arkansas.[2](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp) His production fell from his Oklahoma level, and draft analysts described his role as in question for much of the season.[4](https://steelersdepot.com/2026/04/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-lsu-te-bauer-sharp/)
## 2026 draft and combine
At the 2026 [NFL Scouting Combine](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-scouting-combine), Sharp ran an official 4.63-second 40-yard dash with a 1.68-second 10-yard split, jumped 35 inches in the vertical and 10 feet in the broad jump, and pressed 20 repetitions of 225 pounds.[4](https://steelersdepot.com/2026/04/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-lsu-te-bauer-sharp/) • [1](https://www.nfl.com/players/bauer-sharp/) He also drew attention at the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl, where one scouting account called him arguably the best tight end of the entire week.[4](https://steelersdepot.com/2026/04/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-lsu-te-bauer-sharp/)
[The Buccaneers](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-buccaneers) selected him with the No. 185 overall pick after trading their No. 195 and No. 229 picks to the [Las Vegas Raiders](https://www.edgepedia.org/las-vegas-raiders) to move up 10 spots in the sixth round.[6](https://www.si.com/nfl/buccaneers/onsi/tampa-bay-buccaneers-land-lsu-te-bauer-sharp-with-no-185-pick-2026) NFL.com's draft tracker assigned him a grade of 5.67.[7](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2026/prospects/te_lsu) He signed his rookie contract with the Buccaneers along with four other 2026 draft picks.[3](https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/)
## Playing style and evaluation
**Strengths.** Scouts describe Sharp as a good athlete with burst on short routes and flashes of separation on crossing routes, and as a smart receiver whose quarterback background helps him find areas to win as a route runner.[4](https://steelersdepot.com/2026/04/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-lsu-te-bauer-sharp/) He is a willing, aggressive blocker on the move, and his blocking improved measurably from 2024 to 2025.[8](https://www.pewterreport.com/bauer-sharp-cade-otton-saturday-scouting/) He played nearly 600 special teams snaps in his college career, a factor analysts identified as central to his chances of making an NFL roster.[9](https://www.bucsnation.com/tampa-bay-buccaneers-draft/67548/what-bauer-sharp-does-for-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers)
**Limitations.** Evaluators consistently cite his 31 3/4-inch arm length and below-average core strength as limits on his blocking against NFL-caliber defenders, along with inconsistent hands, a limited route tree, and little creation after the catch.[4](https://steelersdepot.com/2026/04/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-lsu-te-bauer-sharp/) • [7](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2026/prospects/te_lsu) NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote that he is better suited to block on the move and would have to shine in training camp to stick on a roster.[7](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2026/prospects/te_lsu) In Tampa Bay he was projected to compete with Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, and [Devin Culp](https://www.edgepedia.org/devin-culp) for backup spots behind Cade Otton, with a developmental role as a move blocker in 12-personnel (offensive formation with one running back and two tight ends) formations.[8](https://www.pewterreport.com/bauer-sharp-cade-otton-saturday-scouting/) • [9](https://www.bucsnation.com/tampa-bay-buccaneers-draft/67548/what-bauer-sharp-does-for-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers)
## NFL career
Sharp entered the 2026 season as a rookie and appeared in each of [Tampa Bay](https://www.edgepedia.org/tampa-bay)'s first five games without recording a reception, with no starts.[3](https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/)
## References
1. [Bauer Sharp Stats, News and Video - TE, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/bauer-sharp/)
2. [Bauer Sharp - Football 2025 Roster, LSUsports.net](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp)
3. [Bauer Sharp, Tampa Bay Buccaneers official roster biography](https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/)
4. [2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: LSU TE Bauer Sharp, Steelers Depot](https://steelersdepot.com/2026/04/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-lsu-te-bauer-sharp/)
5. [Bauer Sharp College Stats, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/bauer-sharp-1.html)
6. [Tampa Bay Buccaneers Land LSU TE Bauer Sharp With No. 185 Pick, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nfl/buccaneers/onsi/tampa-bay-buccaneers-land-lsu-te-bauer-sharp-with-no-185-pick-2026)
7. [LSU 2026 TE Draft Prospects, NFL.com Draft Tracker](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2026/prospects/te_lsu)
8. [Saturday Scouting: Bucs TE Bauer Sharp Can Be Cade Otton's Release Valve, Pewter Report](https://www.pewterreport.com/bauer-sharp-cade-otton-saturday-scouting/)
9. [What Bauer Sharp Does for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bucs Nation](https://www.bucsnation.com/tampa-bay-buccaneers-draft/67548/what-bauer-sharp-does-for-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Tight ends › Current NFL tight ends*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license