Tag: josh jones houston

New 2020 mock draft suggests the Bucs may reach on an OT

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has the Bucs taking an offensive tackle in round one, but suggests it might be a reach.

The first wave of free agency has been kind to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only did they re-sign both Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul, as well as franchise tag Shaq Barrett, but they also landed the biggest fish on the market: QB Tom Brady.

With Brady now Tampa bound, the Bucs are looking to end their postseason drought and hopefully become the first team ever to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium. Super Bowl LV will take place at Raymond James Stadium next year, and Brady would love nothing more than to get back to the big game with his new team.

But, in order to have a shot at making history, the Bucs will have to make sure they keep the 42-year-old Brady upright. Offensive line was a major issue for Tampa Bay last year, evident by the 47 sacks Jameis Winston took. Mock drafts everywhere have the Bucs taking an offensive tackle in round one of next month’s draft, the only question is which one? Charley Casserly of NFL.com thinks Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs will be the pick, but Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports thinks it will be Houston’s Josh Jones, though he suggests it might be a reach at No. 14.

Per Trapasso:

“This is probably the highest you’ll see Jones, but the Buccaneers have to take the offensive line seriously with Tom Brady in the mix.”

It’s interesting Trapasso thinks Jones at 14 could be a reach. In Will Brinson’s most recent mock draft, he predicted the Bucs traded down in the first round with the Las Vegas Raiders from 14 to 19, where they then snagged Jones. If Tampa Bay can acquire more picks by trading down and still grab an OT in round one, it might be worth the risk.

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Will Brinson’s latest mock draft predicts the Bucs trade down in the first round

Will Brinson of CBS Sports thinks the Bucs will trade down in the first round of the 2020 draft.

It was hard to gauge what direction the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would go in at the 2020 NFL draft until free agency began and we saw which players were coming and which were going.

Right now, it looks like the Bucs are stacked next season on defense again after deciding to bring back both Shaq Barrett (franchise tag) and Jason Pierre-Paul (two-year deal). Oh, and they also signed some quarterback named Brady.

Now that the six-time Super Bowl champion will be under center for the Buccaneers in 2020, the task for Tampa Bay now is to find a way to protect the Golden Boy and keep him upright. The offensive line was a major issue last season for the Bucs, as Jameis Winston was sacked 47 times, fourth-most in the league. For comparison, Brady was sacked just 27 times.

So, it shouldn’t comes as a surprise that Will Brinson of CBS Sports has the Bucs taking an offensive lineman in the first round in his latest mock draft. What is surprising, however, is that Brinson believes the Bucs will trade down in the first round, swapping picks with the Las Vegas Raiders, dropping from 14 to 19, where they will take Josh Jones out of Houston.

Per Brinson:

“The Bucs have to improve the offensive line with Tom Brady in the fold. Another trade down could even make sense, but Jones is rising in this draft process.”

Jones is 6-foot-5 and close to 320 pounds, so would be a welcome addition to the right side of the offensive line. But, if an offensive lineman like Jedrick Wills of Alabama or Tristan Wirfs of Iowa is sitting there at 14, Tampa Bay may choose to stay where they are to take one of them.

The 2019 draft was all about rebuilding the defense for the Bucs. 2020’s draft will be about shoring up their offensive line to protect their franchise quarterback.

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