The 2020 NFL draft is almost upon us, and if mock drafts are to be believed, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be looking to take an offensive tackle in round one with the 14th pick.
It really isn’t all that surprising when you consider the Bucs have invested their short-term future in quarterback Tom Brady, who brings a wealth of championship experience with him to Tampa Bay. After the Bucs saw Jameis Winston have one of the most bizarrely entertaining seasons ever for a quarterback in 2019 — 5,109 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions — Tampa Bay decided a change was in order. And what better way to make a change than with a future Hall of Famer like Brady.
The Bucs’ O-line was a major issue last season, so finding a franchise offensive tackle that can help keep Brady upright is priority number one for the Bucs. But, in the their 2016 NFL draft redo over at NFL.com, the team of writers had the Bucs finding that franchise tackle with the 11th pick that year in Mississippi’s Laremy Tunsil.
Per Jim Trotter:
“When you have the chance to land an offensive tackle who would later be the centerpiece of a trade that commands two first-round picks and a second-round selection, you take him. Quickly.”
Trotter is of course referring to the trade between the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans prior to last season that brought Tunsil to Houston.
Back to the 2016 draft, though. The Bucs used their pick that year to take cornerback Vernon Hargreaves out of Florida, and we all know how that turned out. Hargreaves was cut following Tampa Bay’s Week 10 win over the Arizona Cardinals after being benched in that game for lack of hustle. He ended up landing in Houston of all places, so is now teammates with Tunsil.
Hopefully, the Bucs can find a Tunsil-like tackle in this year’s draft to help anchor their line for years to come.
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