Mock draft Monday is going to look a little different here, in part because PFF dropped their latest piece on Monday. Trevor Sikkema published a three-round mock draft, so we will discuss those picks he made.
PFF focused its mock draft on the Bucs’ defense, which seems to be a popular trend for the team’s draft plan projections.
The mock draft has the Bucs making three picks in the first three rounds, all of them are on defense. The 16th overall pick, which the team is projected to own, has them landing Ole Miss defensive lineman Walter Nolan. Sikkema writes on Nolan that he, “Is more than just a traditional tackle—he’s a former 5-star defensive lineman with elite athletic potential at 6-foot-3, 305 pounds. His blend of burst and physicality allows him to line up as a 4i or 5-tech defensive end, making him an excellent fit to bolster the Buccaneers’ pass rush. . .”
He also has the Bucs adding at the linebacker position with Nolan’s Ole Miss teammate Chris Paul Jr. and then in the secondary with Lathan Ransom at safety from Ohio State. Both of those players come from defenses where they are leaders on that side of the ball and are proven playmakers.
Both of those are something that this Bucs defense needs an injection of.