The Bucs kicked off Day 1 of the NFL draft by moving up a spot to select Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs with the 13th overall pick, a player Mel Kiper had graded as his second-best OT.
Going into rounds two and three tonight, the Bucs can further address their offense by providing support in the backfield. With only one running back going in round one, Tampa Bay could be in a position to draft some big-name guys.
But while it’s easy to get caught up in the offense, the defense still has issues that need to be addressed. Focusing solely on the offense would be like doing nothing but arms and skipping leg day, right Gene Chizik? Plus, the NFC South is a passing division with guys like Matt Ryan and Drew Brees in it. Stopping the pass is essential, and Scouts Inc. thinks the Buccaneers could opt to go defense in round two by using the 45th pick on Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn.
Per Steve Muench, Scouts Inc.:
“Justin Evans missed the 2019 season after undergoing two foot surgeries, and Jordan Whitehead is coming off a season-ending hamstring injury. Mike Edwards and Andrew Adams rotated at the other safety spot. Chinn is a smart investment at this position.”
It certainly wouldn’t be surprising if the Bucs went defense in round two. While the D made huge strides in 2019 under Todd Bowles, they still need help in the secondary. Chinn could easily provide that. The Bucs might also be content with going into the season with Ronald Jones as the primary back, in which case using a second-round pick on a defensive player would make sense.
Stay tuned.
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