The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, like the rest of the NFL, are doing their due diligence at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where draft prospects are hoping to impress executives and coaches from around the league.
With the 14th pick in April’s draft, the Bucs know they can find solid value at that spot. The only question is, will they use the selection to address their needs on offense or defense? That decision might become clearer once free agency hits and the dust settles. The Bucs have several unrestricted free agents ready to hit the open market, and while Bruce Arians thinks it’s “very realistic” to keep the defense together, financial constraints will ultimately dictate which players the Bucs retain.
If the defensive front seven remains intact, or somewhat intact, Tampa Bay could easily use their first-round pick to address their need along the right side of the offensive line. Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, in his latest mock draft, has one of the best O-linemen in the draft going to the Bucs at 14, Andrew Thomas of Georgia.
Per Edwards:
“Tampa Bay will be thanking its lucky stars that one of the draft’s best linemen is still on the board. They would have been pigeon-holed into addressing their front seven otherwise. Thomas has been a bit of a victim of over-evaluation lately.”
Finding a solid offensive lineman can make a huge difference for a team. Think of Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys or Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts. The Bucs would love to have someone like that along their offensive line.
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