Tag: bucs 2020 draft

Antoine Winfield Jr. credits lucky underwear for draft day success

New Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. says it was a lucky pair of underwear that helped him on draft day.

It was widely assumed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would select an offensive tackle in round one of last week’s NFL draft, and they did so when they moved up a spot to 13 to draft Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs will join a line that will have to protect six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady next year — no small task for any tackle, let alone a rookie.

But the Bucs will also need their defense to be just as high-powered as their offense, which is why they opted for a safety in round two over a running back. That safety turned out to be Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr., son of former Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield Sr. The Minnesota star went to the Bucs with the 45th pick, and will instantly add explosiveness to a defense that needs help in the secondary.

Winfield Jr. seems thrilled about coming to Tampa Bay, and apparently, his draft day success can be credited to one lucky garment.

Take a look at his recent Instagram posts.

Wearing underwear and socks on a conference call? I like this guy’s style.

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2020 NFL draft: Full list of Buccaneers’ picks

Take a look at where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be selecting in this month’s 2020 NFL draft.

The 2020 NFL draft is just a few weeks away, and while preparation for the event itself has been impacted because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, teams will still have to be ready for when it’s their time on the clock.

The Buccaneers hold the 14th pick in round one after a 7-9 finish to last season, but Tampa Bay is approaching this draft looking to make a championship run now that they’ve got six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady under center for the next two years.

Here’s a look at where the Bucs will be selecting come draft time.

1st Round, 14th overall

2nd Round, 45th overall

3rd Round, 76th overall

4th Round, 117th overall

4th Round, 139th overall (compensatory)

5th Round: 161st overall

6th Round: 194th overall

Be sure to check out our Bucs Wire mock draft here.

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2020 NFL mock draft: Buccaneers selects offensive tackle at No. 14 overall

Find out who USA TODAY thinks the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will select in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

It’s been a while since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the offseason with this much optimism. Despite finishing just 7-9, the Buccaneers played strong down the stretch and proved to the league, and, more importantly themselves, that they are a team on the up-and-up who will be viewed as true playoff contenders next season.

The Bucs will look to use their cap room to try and retain some of their big-name free agents, such as linebacker Shaq Barrett, who led the NFL in sacks this season with 19.5, and quarterback Jameis Winston, who threw for over 5,000 yards but also had 30 interceptions.

Tampa Bay’s record and exclusion from the postseason means they’ll hold the 14th pick in April’s NFL draft. There have been a number of mock drafts predicting the Bucs will go defense again like they did in the first round last year when they took linebacker (and LSU alum) Devin White. Others, however, think shoring up the offensive line would be the best thing for the Bucs to do, especially if Winston returns as quarterback.

In USA TODAY’s newest 2020 mock draft, that seems to be the thinking, as it has the Bucs taking Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton at 14.

Here’s the explanation:

“It’s hard to find linemen who move the way Becton does at 6-7, 369 pounds, so he should have no shortage of suitors early in the draft. Though Becton might require some refinement before taking on elite NFL pass rushers, Bruce Arians’ offense demands better protection than Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson have been providing.”

I think in the end, the Bucs will opt for an offensive linemen. After the season Winston had, I don’t think Arians or offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich want to witness another 30-interception campaign. Protect the quarterback.

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