NFL free agency, which begins March 18, 2020, will dictate a lot about how teams approach the upcoming NFL draft in April. For the Buccaneers, of one of the main questions that will need to be addressed in the coming weeks will be whether or not they can keep their defense together. Last season, the Bucs had the league’s best rush defense, so guys like Ndamukong Suh, Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul are sure to draw interest on the open market.
But defense isn’t the only area of need for the Bucs. They’ll need to address the right side of their offensive line at some point this offseason. And, in his new three-round mock draft, Chad Reuter over at NFL.com had Tampa Bay looking to bolster its offense in the first two rounds. With the 14th pick in Round 1, Reuter believes the Bucs will select offensive tackle Jedrick Wills out of Alabama. Wills has been projected as high as a top-10 pick in several mock drafts, so if the stud lineman falls into Tampa Bay’s lap at 14, they may have no choice but to draft him. “Wills would be a good find to replace free agent right tackle Demar Dotson if Dotson isn’t re-signed,” Reuter said.
In Round 2, Reuter, as he did in his last three-round mock, had the Bucs taking Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins, and in Round 3 he has TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney joining Todd Bowles’ defense.
Again, free agency will dictate a lot in terms of how the Bucs approach the draft. But, you can be sure that signing linebacker Barrett remains a top priority.
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