Tag: 2020 scouting combine

News: A first-round trade? Cowboys wouldn’t go LB again, would they?

Dallas Cowboy news and notes from March 13, 2020

The entire sports world is still reeling from the recent impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak. The NFL had to cancel all face-to-face meetings, as well as pro days, just a month before the draft. Teams will have to adapt on the fly and prepare in ways that they aren’t used to. The draft is still on, for now, and so get familiar with five safeties that could possibly be instant improvements in Dallas, and read a hypothetical big-time draft-day trade for the Cowboys. Also, what if the Cowboys decide to go defense, but instead of secondary or DL help, they once again go linebacker?

Free agency is as close as ever, and the Cowboys know they must make the most of the signing period. There should be a handful of suitors ready to pay Amari Cooper handsomely, will Dallas be able to retain him? The Cowboys are paying closer attention to special teams free agents. As the XFL season ends, its players are jumping onto NFL teams’ radar.

Troy Aikman spoke on the Dak Prescott negotiations, and shared his feelings on if Prescott is the answer and why the team should be careful franchise tagging the free agent quarterback. Continue on to find all that and more in the news and notes for March 13, 2020.

Mailbag: Possible Perfect Trade Scenario? :: The Mothership

Who would be worth jumping up a few spots for in April’s draft? Team staff writer David Helman believes a defensive lineman like Auburn’s Derrick Brown or South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw might be worth a pick trade if either starts to slide in the first round.

Kenneth Murray has 15 visits planned, including to Cowboys :: ProFootballTalk

Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray is slated to meet with the Cowboys. It’s not unusual that the first-round talent is meeting with Dallas, but it does raise slight concerns about the health of their top pick from two years ago, Leighton Vander Esch.

Report: Dallas Cowboys were among teams in attendance for Gary Zauner’s free agent specialists combine :: Blogging the Boys

New special teams coordinator John Fassel is doing some window shopping, at the very least. A Dallas Morning News report says the Cowboys were one of 27 teams represented at a three-day combine last week in Arizona dedicated to punters, kickers, and long snappers.

5 safety options for Cowboys in 2020 NFL draft :: CowboysWire

It’s been 18 seasons since the Cowboys last picked a safety in the first round of the NFL draft. This years safety draft class is full of talent, and the Cowboys could find the safety they need at pick 17, or even a round or two later. Julius Settles Sr. examines five safety options for Dallas in late April.

NFL Reportedly Bans College Player Visits Amid Coronavirus Pandemic :: Bleacher Report

Pro days and player meetings at colleges have always been an important part of the NFL draft scouting process. Players who didn’t attend the combine have a chance to showcase themselves, and combine participants can improve on the numbers or interviews from Indianapolis. Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus, these events won’t be taking place. However, there are some other measures in place to help teams do their homework before the draft.

XFL Players Can Immediately Sign With NFL Teams :: ProFootballRumors

The XFL was one of the last American sports to end their active season. This is positive news for many XFL standouts,  however, as they essentially now become free agents right at the start of NFL free agency.

 

Aikman: Cowboys tagging Prescott ‘could have damaging effects’ :: CowboysWire

Days from the franchise tag deadline, the Cowboys are seemingly close to tagging Dak Prescott. Hear why Troy Aikman believes Prescott is Cowboys best future option at QB, and how tagging him might strain the relationship between the front office and their signal caller.

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Daniel Jeremiah sends Yetur Gross-Matos to Bills in post-combine mock draft

Buffalo Bills select DE Yetur Gross-Matos in Daniel Jeremiah’s post-combine mock draft.

NFL.com’s draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah reflected on the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine that was last week and decided a pass rusher looks best for the Bills in the first-round of the upcoming draft.

With the No. 22 overall pick in his last mock draft following the combine, the Bills go with an increasingly popular pick, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos.

Here’s Jeremiah’s explanation for the selection:

The Bills could go WR here, but Gross-Matos is a big-upside player at a position of need.

In the NFL.com simulation, things follow the norm in recent mocks as Gross-Matos is the third pass rusher off the board. He’s typically the third or forth to be selected and in this scenario, Ohio State’s Chase Young goes No. 2 overall to the Redskins while LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson falls to the Bucs at No. 14.

At the combine, Gross-Matos elected not to run the 40-yard dash as he’s already known for his speed (Young also did not), but he did notch the fourth-highest vertical jump among defensive linemen at 34 inches. He did have a middling performance at the bench press with only 21 reps, though.

Gross-Matos would certainly fit the Bills, who run a rotation along their defensive line and could be in danger of losing Shaq Lawson via free agency this offseason. He had 9.5 total sacks last season.

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Cowboys-centric defensive winners, losers from 2020 scouting combine

The defense took their turn over the weekend, but not everyone rose to the occasion, including one of the Cowboys’ top targets at safety.

Mere mortals spent the weekend running errands, going out with friends, sleeping in, and maybe enjoying a little downtime from work. For those looking to make a living playing defense in the National Football League, though, the stakes this past Saturday and Sunday were exponentially higher.

Defensive linemen and linebackers competed in their drills in Indianapolis on Day Three of the NFL Scouting Combine, while safeties and cornerbacks had to wait until the final day to show teams what they can do on the field. Representatives from Dallas were undoubtedly paying close attention, as the Cowboys’ defense in 2019 exposed several glaring weaknesses that need to be addressed heading into next season.

Here’s a quick look at who overperformed and who underdelivered in Indy.

Day 3 Winners

Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

Simmons is sure to be one of the defensive darlings from the 2020 Combine, and with good reason. The Clemson junior torched the competition with 4.39-second 40-yard dash, even beating the combine times of noted speedsters Derwin James (Chargers safety, 2018) and Jalen Ramsey (Rams cornerback, 2016). And remember, he’s a linebacker. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow said that Simmons was the single biggest thing he had to worry about in the national championship game. High praise, indeed. the 2019 Butkus Award winner didn’t even participate in drills in Indianapolis, but his freakish workouts will make him a blazing-hot commodity out of the Day 3 position group.

Willie Gay Jr., LB, Mississippi State

Gay may have been something of an under-the-radar secret before Indianapolis, but his weekend work at the combine assured that it’s not just the hardcore draftniks who know his name now. His bench press, broad jump, vertical jump, and 40 scores were all Top 5 for linebackers, and he demonstrated notably quick feet during drills. If there’s knock, it’s off-the-field issues; Gay has admitted to cheating on a chemistry exam in 2019 and getting an 8-game suspension because of it. He also reportedly got into a physical altercation with his team’s quarterback late in the season. But his combine numbers will help some team decide he’s worth taking a chance on.

Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma

Gallimore doesn’t move like a big man, but the 304-pounder ran the fastest 40 for a three-bill D-lineman since 2000. He went on to show incredible change of direction skills, impressive power, and quick feet every time he was asked. Gallimore was the top high school prospect coming out of Canada in 2015, and ended up leading the Sooners to a Big 12 championship as a college senior with a season that earned him third-team AP All-American honors.

Jabari Zuniga, DE, Florida

Zuniga is known to evaluators as a player who’s shown flashes of greatness, but couldn’t do it consistently. Last year, he played just five games for the Gators due to an ankle injury. The redshirt senior needed a great combine. He had it. With good speed, a position-best broad jump, and a solid vertical score, Zuniga put himself in a much better light by the end of Day Three.

Day 3 Losers

Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

“Loser” is a harsh label to slap on the 2019 unanimous All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. But Brown has drawn early comparisons to NFL legends thus far, and his combine performance was just average at best. Some drills were legendarily poor; his 3-cone time was the fourth-worst in combine history. Of course, a subpar workout doesn’t make Brown a bust, but it could cause him to slip a bit in April’s draft and cost him some dollars on his rookie deal.

A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa

The junior had been a standout on the Hawkeyes defensive line since his freshman year, but his combine stood out in all the wrong ways. Once projected to be a first-round selection, the consensus now says his weekend’s lack of athleticism will drop Epenesa into the second round. There’s already talk of the 275-pounder needing to put on some weight in order to play at the pro level.

Day 4 Winners

C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida

The junior lit up the stopwatches in his 40-yard dash after impressing scouts with 20 reps in the bench press. He drilled well, too, showing off a nice catch radius. That will serve him well in the upcoming draft, since most of the concerns about Henderson are about his tacking abilities. They’re probably not serious enough to drop him out of the first round, though. And for some evaluators, it’s a nitpicky gripe about a true shutdown cover man who’ll be paid to do his best work to prevent catches, not clean up after them.

Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois

Chinn showed that the small-school guys can play, too. The safety’s broad jump was the second-best across all positions at the combine, and he wowed with most of his other drills, too. The Southern Illinois Saluki continued to attract big buzz following his invitation to the Senior Bowl. That could translate to a draft day leap for Chinn, of whom CBS Sports insider Jason La Confora says, “multiple teams… have a late-first/early-second grade on him.”

Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State

Okudah came in to the weekend as a near-lock to be one of the first players selected in April. His workouts did nothing to dampen that expectation, with excellent 40 times and vertical and broad jumps that were near the very top. The unanimous first-team All-American did go down awkwardly during a drill, though, and had to skip the rest of the Day Three events. The hit to his head/neck area isn’t expected to be much to worry about, but it cut short a superb combine performance.

Essang Bassey, CB, Wake Forest

The first thing most evaluators mention regarding Bassey is his lack of size. But during coverage drills, in Indianapolis, the Wake Forest product showed great hands and fluid movement that could well put the three-year college starter on track for a Day Two selection in April’s draft.

Day 4 Losers

Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State

Sharing the Buckeye secondary with Jeffrey Okudah is tough duty, but Arnette didn’t do much to shine on his own in Indy. After a wrist injury in college, he had returned to Ohio State for one more season in hopes of catapulting his draft stock, but a relatively slow (for his position) 40 time didn’t move him out of being projected Day Two pick.

Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State

Speed kills in the NFL, but the lack of it can also kill a prospect’s chances of grabbing a first- or second-round look. Dantzler was once projected as a Top 5 corner in the 2020 Draft, but a 4.64 time in the 40 is going to make that tough to achieve. That comes after he skipped the team’s bowl game specifically to prepare for the draft. He’s tall and physical, but teams won’t like the fact that he couldn’t turn on he jets when he needed to. Dantzler may fall as far as the third round now.

Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

One of the Cowboys’ supposed top targets did not have a good weekend. The Crimson Tide junior came up limping at the end of his first 40-yard dash and had to withdraw from on-field drills. Still projected to be a first-round pick, McKinney will now have to wait until Alabama’s pro day to solidify his draft status.

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12 defensive combine standouts for the Bills to consider

12 defensive standouts at the 2020 NFL combine for the Buffalo Bills to consider at the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up in Indianapolis over the weekend. Potential rookie prospects took center stage while every team in the league watched. The Bills among them.

At the event, there were several defensive prospects who stood out. Could the Bills bring some of them in to fortify their stout defense?

Here are 12 defensive prospects who impressed at the combine that the Bills could consider adding at the upcoming draft:

Boise State linebacker Curtis Weaver. Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

DE Curtis Weaver | Boise State

Curtis Weaver is a bit of a hybrid player like Lorenzo Alexander was for the Bills. His scouting reports say the defender can lineup as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt or as a standup linebacker. That’s some of what Alexander did for the Bills. Over the past three seasons, Weaver recorded 34.5 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss. At the combine, he posted a 7.0 time in the 3-cone drill and a 4.27 second short shuttle time.

DE Alton Robinson | Syracuse

Syracuse isn’t exactly the powerhouse type of football program a team will find an immediate impact-maker, but Alton Robinson could become a solid edge addition. With the pending loss of Shaq Lawson via free agency and the rotation the Bills play at the defensive end position in mind, Robinson put up positive combine numbers that the Bills could like. His 4.69 seconds in the 40-yard dash was the third best among all defensive linemen in the draft. Robinson also posted 25 bench press reps and a 35.5-inch vertical jump, making him Cuse’s best defensive prospect since Chandler Jones.

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Cowboys News Links: Cooper talks heat up, Jones’ big messages

Also, Jerry speaks from Indy, Leighton Vander Esch’s injury, David Irving’s possible return, elite pass rushers, and a pumped-up punter.

Questions about if and when the current CBA’s tag structure will change have kickstarted talks between the Cowboys and two of their high-profile free agents. But Jerry Jones still found an hour-plus to spill the tea on a variety of topics- including his recent shower thoughts- to the media assembled in Indianapolis. Mike McCarthy also held court at the combine and provided a sneak peek at what the 2020 Cowboys may look like.

All that plus news on Leighton Vander Esch’s injury recovery, David Irving’s possible reinstatement, and Dak Prescott’s self-appointed advisory committee. There’s also linkage to elite pass rushing options, the Great Dallas Interception Drought, the ratings bonanza that is America’s Team… and a punter showing off his guns. Here’s the News and Notes.

Cowboys ready to intensify Amari Cooper talks amid CBA setback :: Dallas Morning News

Now that the Cowboys know that using a transition tag on Amari Cooper will likely only result in them having to rescind it if a new collective bargaining agreement is approved, contract talks with wideout Amari Cooper’s camp have taken on a new sense of urgency. The two sides met Thursday evening in Indianapolis; a Byron Jones conversation is also on the immediate itinerary.

10 biggest things Jerry Jones said from Indy :: The Mothership

In a wide-ranging 80-minute sit-down aboard the team bus, the big boss dished on Byron Jones’s status, Jason Witten’s future, Robert Quinn’s “real deal”-ness, Dak Prescott’s familial standing with him and Jimmy Johnson in the Ring of Honor.

Mike McCarthy’s 1st big test, can he outrank Jerry Jones :: Cowboys Wire

McCarthy thinks he has more say over the roster than he did in Green Bay. He’s going to have to outweigh the most powerful man in all of sports.

What’s going on with LB Leighton Vander Esch? :: Inside The Star

With neck issues dating back to his college days, will this be a permanent concern going forward?

Cowboys Draft Digest No. 5: Top pass-rushers are safe picks. Can Dallas find one? :: The Athletic

Historically speaking, collegiate pass rushers who earn “elite” status end up being studs on Sundays.

 

Irving reinstatement journey comes with side-eye, but Cowboys watching :: Cowboys Wire

The David Irving saga may have another chapter left to be written after all.

Mailbag: Why the continual lack of INT’s?:: The Mothership

One notable thing the Cowboys defense has lacked is turnovers. It’s a mystery that has seemed to plague this unit for years, and one that needs to change in 2020.

America’s Team: Cowboys still winning in TV ratings :: Front Office Sports

Last season’s 8-8 record notwithstanding, the Cowboys are anything but mediocre in the Nielsen numbers. One industry insider theorizes that a Super Bowl appearance would be an absolute record-breaker.

Punter Michael Turk steals show at combine on bench press :: ESPN

The Arizona State punter, who recently made a list of punters the Cowboys should consider drafting, may have improved his stock Thursday night when he absolutely smoked the 225-pound bench press in Indianapolis. Michael Turk’s 25 reps were better than all 33 wide receivers and all but one tight end who participated.

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Jerry Jones lathers up for Bryant return, talks any and everything Cowboys

The outspoken Cowboys owner held court with the press in Indianapolis, touching on a wide variety of topics, including Dez Bryant’s return.

Practically the entirety of the NFL media corps assembles in Indianapolis each year for the annual scouting combine. An army of reporters outfitted with cameras and microphones, just hanging around looking for things to broadcast/write/tweet about? Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is simply incapable of helping himself.

His lengthy huddle with the Dallas press aboard his parked bus has become a yearly tradition. And the outspoken owner always manages to deliver at least a few buzzworthy soundbites, even if he rarely makes any genuine take-it-to-the-bank revelations about the inner workings of the front office.

On a Dez Bryant return…

Over the course of eighty minutes on Thursday, Jones touched on a wide-ranging list of topics. But the quote that everyone will be talking about on Friday may be his weirdest since 2012’s “glory hole” line.

What Jones thinks about in the shower is a revelation, to be sure, but probably falls under the category of TMI for even the most hardcore Cowboys fan. Still, the Dez-comeback scenario appears to have gained real traction with the man who signs the paychecks.

On the franchise and transition tags…

Jones admitted that he voted for the collective bargaining agreement that’s up for approval from the players union, even though its ratification would cost the front office a bit of leveraging strategy when it comes to one of their superstar free agents.

The team could employ both the franchise and transition tags on Prescott and Cooper, respectively, under the terms of the current CBA. But if a new deal is made official, the league would expect Dallas to rescind one of the tags in accordance with the new CBA’s terms.

“It’s what it is. We’ll just have to figure out a way to (get it done),” Jones told Gehlken. “There’s no question it’s going to put on a bigger angst.”

On Dak Prescott’s importance…

The lack of a new contract for quarterback Dak Prescott looks more baffling by the day and has led some to question the team’s very belief in the signal-caller, who’s coming off his best season as a pro.

But when asked about Prescott’s importance to the organization, Jones struggled initially to find the words. When he did, though, he put the former fourth-round draft pick on par with his own son.

On Robert Quinn returning for a second season in Dallas…

Edge rusher Robert Quinn was one of the few standouts on a defense that mostly underachieved in 2019. His 11.5 sacks made the sixth-round draft pick that the Cowboys gave to Miami in exchange for his services perhaps Jones’s best deal of 2019 in terms of bang-for-buck.

Some have assumed that those numbers would make Quinn too hot a commodity for Dallas to keep beyond the one-year rental deal they made to get him. But Jones holds out hope.

On Jason Witten’s future as a Cowboy…

Jerry’s affection and loyalty for certain players has always been obvious throughout his regime. It’s not every owner who would greenlight giving a starting spot on the roster to a 36-year-old retiree who had spent the previous season watching games from a broadcast booth.

The 2019 Jason Witten Experiment netted results that were lukewarm, at best. While many in Cowboys Nation have already moved on from the eleven-time Pro Bowler and started to prepare for life with him in a different uniform, Jones says he isn’t ready to cut ties just yet.

On the chances of retaining Byron Jones…

With Prescott and Cooper comprising the two biggest priorities for the team this offseason, it’s been Byron Jones who’s typically being left out in the cold as visions of the 2020 roster materialize. Despite his obvious athleticism and shutdown play at the cornerback position, a lack of interceptions has been frustrating, to say the least.

Stephen Jones actually spoke about Byron in past tense recently, saying, “He’s had a great run” as a Cowboy. Jerry isn’t packing Byron’s bags just yet, but sure makes it sound like the writing’s on the wall.

On Jimmy Johnson’s place at the table…

Jimmy Johnson will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer. But the Cowboys coach who commandeered the turnaround of the franchise and masterminded the creation of the ’90s dynasty still isn’t in the team’s Ring of Honor.

Some have speculated that Johnson’s invitation to Canton would spur Jones to bury the hatchet once and for all, and in the most meaningful way possible, by hanging his first hire’s name permanently in his own house. But when asked about it, Jones sidestepped the issue.

On Leighton Vander Esch’s recovery…

The 2018 season saw the dawning of what Cowboys fans hoped would be a golden age of Dallas linebacker play. Jaylon Smith blossomed before our eyes, and rookie Leighton Vander Esch proved his worth as a first-round selection. But in 2019, Smith’s play seemed to regress, and Vander Esch missed the back half of the season with a mysterious neck issue that dates back years.

Jones expressed optimism, though, that the Wolf Hunter would be back on the prowl in 2020.

On the 2020 schedule…

Jerry doesn’t make the schedule, but he obviously knows what the Cowboys are capable of pulling in regarding TV ratings. If there’s a big game being played, it’s unfailingly made even larger by America’s Team being one of the participants.

Jones has his eye on two key ribbon-cutting games on the 2020 schedule.

For the media members who climb aboard Jerry’s party bus in Indianapolis every year, it’s always quite a ride. Even though it never actually leaves its parking spot.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah does not think Jalen Hurts ‘will get out of second round’

Daniel Jeremiah mentioned that one of his colleagues, Bucky Brooks compares Hurts to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

Is Jalen Hurts’ draft stock rising? One NFL Network analyst thinks so.

Daniel Jeremiah mentioned that one of his colleagues, Bucky Brooks compares Hurts to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

“When it’s all said and done,” Jeremiah said. “people have been talking about him as a third or fourth-round pick, I don’t think he’ll get out of the second-round because of what he can do as a playmaker.”

Hurts ran a 4.54 40-yard dash earlier tonight which at the time was the fastest out of this year’s QB class and was tied for the tenth fastest QB 40-yard time in NFL Combine history.

Jeremiah went on to say that he does have things to work on but there is enough upside as Hurts is a coach’s son, has a high competitive motor, and other things NFL executives and coaches love to see in quarterbacks, especially quarterbacks they plan on handing the keys to the franchise to.

The NFL Draft is set for April 23-25.

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Jalen Hurts runs one of 10 fastest 40-yard dashes in NFL Combine history

With plenty to prove,  former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts turned on the burners at the NFL Combine.

With plenty to prove,  former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts turned on the burners at the NFL Combine.

Hurts ran a 4.64 in his first go-around at the 40-yard dash and followed it up with a 4.59. Hurts’ second run was made four one-hundredths of a second quicker on the official count for an official time of 4.54.

Hurts tied former Sooners quarterback Trevor Knight who ran a 4.54 in 2017. The fastest quarterbacks at the combine of all time are Robert Griffin III (2012) and Michael Vick (2001) who both ran 4.33 in their respective combines.

A rumored possible landing spot for Hurts, current Carolina quarterback Cam Newton is just a hair slower than Hurts as Newton ran a 4.56 in the 2011 combine.

Tyrod Taylor who is now the No. 1 guy for the Los Angeles Chargers ran a 4.47 in 2011. The Chargers have also been mentioned as a team who could take Hurts in the middle rounds after they mutually parted ways with the longtime face of the franchise, Philip Rivers.

The NFL Draft is set for April 23-25 in Las Vegas.

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11 prospects who should dominate the scouting combine drills

These 11 players could see their stock soar at the scouting combine based on their ability to ace the athletic tests.

INDIANAPOLIS — People in and out of the NFL have denigrated the scouting combine drills as the “Underwear Olympics” for years, but those same people are sure on hand when it comes time for prospects to go through those drills every year. And yes, draft decisions are made on a guy’s 40-yard-dash time, broad jump, and bench press numbers more than some would have you believe.

There are a number of new drills this year, created and enacted to more closely mirror the on-field experience. Whether it’s old-school or new-wave stuff, here are 11 prospects who could really stand out at the 2020 combine.

Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

(Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)

Some evaluators have Love, who experienced an efficiency downturn in 2019 with 17 interceptions against 20 touchdown passes after a 32-touchdown, six-interception 2018, as a possible Next Patrick Mahomes based on his arm strength and athleticism. I believe there are too many legitimate questions about Love’s mechanics and overall form to make such comparisons just yet, but there’s absolutely no question that Love can sling the ball around. In the friendly confines of Lucas Oil Stadium, where he’ll be throwing different routes without any defensive pressure, Love could make a great impression on scouts, coaches, and personnel people who are already halfway to making that comparison in their minds.

“The most important thing to be is to be more consistent,” Love said this week about his own game. “You watch my film, there are some plays where I make an incredible throw, and the next thing you know, I miss a swing route on a checkdown. Being more consistent in all my throws, my footwork, in the pocket, under center, doing dropbacks and things like that. It’s something I’ve practiced since the season ended.”

Love should reap the benefits of that practice in the quarterback drills.

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Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs named a ‘must-watch’ for Buccaneers at 2020 NFL Combine

See why NFL.com’s Charley Casserly thinks the Bucs should be keeping a close eye on OT Tristan Wirfs at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine.

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is set to begin in less than two weeks, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be actively scouting the talent as they have a number of needs that need to be addressed through both the draft and free agency.

One area of need is along the offensive line, and several mock drafts have the Bucs looking to take an offensive tackle at the 14th spot in April’s NFL draft. And, NFL.com’s Charley Casserly seems to be in that camp, as he’s named Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs as a must-watch player for the Buccaneers at the upcoming combine.

Per Casserly:

“The Bucs have several holes, but the offensive line is the one they must focus on in the draft. Wirfs provides versatility along the line; he could play right tackle or guard at the next level.”

Drafting a solid offensive tackle can have an immediate impact on a team, and with the Bucs looking like a dark-horse playoff contender in 2020, shoring up the O-line will go a long way in helping to ensure their offense remains one of the NFL’s most potent.

Getting someone like Wirfs would be a huge “get” for Tampa Bay. The only question is, who will be the quarterback the Bucs’ O-line will be protecting in 2020?

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