The NFL draft is less than a week away now, which might be hard to believe considering we haven’t had the usual fanfare and buildup to the big event like in years past. The coronavirus pandemic has altered life and businesses all over the world, and professional sports leagues are no exception.
The draft will be fully virtual this year, which should make for an interesting experience for all involved. While teams haven’t had the benefit of bringing in prospects for private workouts and interviews, their draft boards likely haven’t altered too much since the regular season ended.
The Bucs’ draft board will likely make offense the priority this year. After a solid free agency period in which they were able to retain defensive stars like Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett, the focus now turns to protecting their newest investment Tom Brady.
The Bucs surrendered 47 sacks last season, which isn’t a good sign for the soon-to-be 43-year-old Brady, who was taken down only 27 times last season in New England. Tampa Bay is focused on fixing their offensive line, and the consensus is they’ll look to grab one of the top offensive tackles in round one, where they hold the 14th pick.
Good Morning Football host Peter Schrager doesn’t think the Bucs’ O-line is all that bad, but in his latest mock draft, he still has them nabbing Georgia OT Andrew Thomas to help solidify things.
Per Schrager:
“Keeping Tom Brady upright in 2020 has to be the most important thing for Tampa’s offense. The Bucs’ offensive line isn’t bad, but they could use another talented big body. Thomas could go as high as the top 10 if there’s a run on tackles, though he’s viewed by most teams as the fourth OT off the board.”
Sure, offensive lineman isn’t the sexiest pick when it comes to the draft, but it’s one that can pay immediate dividends if you select the right one. Look at guard Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys, who has made the Pro Bowl every year since being drafted in round one back in 2014, as well as being named First-Team All-Pro four times.
If the Bucs can find a guy even half as productive as Martin was as a rookie, their offense, and in particular Brady, will be in good shape come next season.
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