Tag: Bucs draft needs

2020 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers team preview

Everything Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans need to know heading into the 2020 NFL Draft

Everything Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans need to know heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.

VITALS

Head Coach: Bruce Arians

General Manager: Jason Licht

2019 Record: 7-9

2020 DRAFT PICKS

1 (14)

2 (45)

3 (76)

4 (117)

4 (139, compensatory)

5 (162)

6 (195)

TEAM NEEDS

Offensive Tackle

Donovan Smith is locked in at left tackle for at least one more season, but while he’s been durable, he hasn’t been consistent. Things are even less certain on the right side, where Demar Dotson is a free agent, and would need an understudy even if he returned. Joe Haeg was signed as a stop-gap solution and versatile depth, but a long-term upgrade is needed here.

Running Back

Ronald Jones II flashed some promise in his second season after a dismal rookie campaign, but Peyton Barber is gone and there’s nobody to push Jones at the top of the depth chart. This year’s deep running back class should give the Bucs starting-caliber options all across the first three rounds, and Tampa Bay is likely to target one with pass-catching prowess.

Defensive Line

Ndamukong Suh was brought back on another one-year deal, but the Bucs need a long-term solution alongside nose tackle Vita Vea. Todd Bowles’ aggressive, hybrid scheme requires versatility, intelligence and athleticism, all things Tampa Bay needs more of up front. Don’t rule out adding depth on the edges behind Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul either, especially after the departure of key reserve Carl Nassib.

TOP TARGETS

Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia

Javon Kinlaw | DL | South Carolina

Jedrick Wills | OT | Alabama

Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | LSU

K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU

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The Bucs may need to approach the 2020 draft with next year’s free agency in mind

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a splash in free agency, but they may want to approach the 2020 draft with next year’s FA period in mind.

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still basking in the glow of the Tom Brady signing, easily the biggest free agent ever to come to Tampa, there’s a stark reality they need to accept, which is that Brady will be 43 years old when the 2020 season starts, and several other big-name players have a chance to hit free agency in 2021.

That’s why Tampa Bay is going all-in right now, looking to not only get back to the postseason for the first time since 2007, but also the Super Bowl. While the upcoming NFL draft offers the Bucs the chance to find protection for Brady along the O-line, as well as add to their young secondary, they may also need to plan for the future, according to NFL.com’s Dan Parr.

In his latest piece examining the top draft needs for all 32 teams, Parr says the Bucs need to prioritize offensive tackle, running back and even quarterback come April. But, he also thinks they need to draft with 2021 free agency in mind.

Per Parr:

“While the Bucs could continue to add pieces to a young secondary, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they decided to address perceived positions of strength with Lavonte David, the franchise-tagged Shaquil Barrett and Chris Godwin a year away from free agency.”

Bucs fans certainly don’t want to think about losing guys like David and Godwin, but the NFL is a business first and foremost, as Brady’s departure from New England showed. The Bucs should have a contingency plan in place should they lose any of those guys, but their recent signings have made it clear their focus is on the here and now.

2021 will have to wait.

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Another 2020 NFL mock draft has Bucs addressing need on the O-line

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports released his latest 2020 NFL mock draft, and thinks the Bucs could take one of the draft’s best O-linemen.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, like the rest of the NFL, are doing their due diligence at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where draft prospects are hoping to impress executives and coaches from around the league.

With the 14th pick in April’s draft, the Bucs know they can find solid value at that spot. The only question is, will they use the selection to address their needs on offense or defense? That decision might become clearer once free agency hits and the dust settles. The Bucs have several unrestricted free agents ready to hit the open market, and while Bruce Arians thinks it’s “very realistic” to keep the defense together, financial constraints will ultimately dictate which players the Bucs retain.

If the defensive front seven remains intact, or somewhat intact, Tampa Bay could easily use their first-round pick to address their need along the right side of the offensive line. Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, in his latest mock draft, has one of the best O-linemen in the draft going to the Bucs at 14, Andrew Thomas of Georgia.

Per Edwards:

“Tampa Bay will be thanking its lucky stars that one of the draft’s best linemen is still on the board. They would have been pigeon-holed into addressing their front seven otherwise. Thomas has been a bit of a victim of over-evaluation lately.”

Finding a solid offensive lineman can make a huge difference for a team. Think of Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys or Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts. The Bucs would love to have someone like that along their offensive line.

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