If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one glaring hole on the roster, it is at left tackle. After cutting longtime LT Donovan Smith, the Bucs have positioned themselves to revamp the position in this year’s draft.
For years, Donovan Smith had been a passable left tackle in Tampa. During Tom Brady’s run, his game appeared to elevate until last season, when injuries cost him substantial playing time and he played arguably his worst season since his rookie year.
Cutting Smith was both a means to upgrade the position and a cost-saving measure, opening up over $9 million in cap space. With Tampa still under a cap crunch, replacing Smith with another veteran who might actually upgrade the position is highly unlikely.
That leaves the NFL draft. Bucs general manager Jason Licht has been successful selecting offensive linemen during his tenure, picking the likes of All-Pro Tristan Wirfs and Pro Bowler Ali Marpet.
With 19th overall pick, odds are good that the Bucs will try to use the pick on one of the top offensive tackle prospects. There are several likely to go in the first round, each with unique circumstances impacting the Bucs’ likelihood of drafting them.
Here are the offensive tackles the Bucs could target in the 2023 NFL Draft: