The Tampa Bay Buccaneers know that the key to winning next year is keeping quarterback Tom Brady upright. The Bucs allowed 47 sacks last season on quarterback Jameis Winston, while the Patriots only allowed the six-time Super Bowl champ Brady to get sacked 27 times.
While Brady still appears to be in peak physical shape, he’s going to be 43 when the 2020 season starts. The Bucs can’t allow him to take a pounding like Winston did. And as we get closer to this month’s NFL draft, it seems clear to many analysts that offensive tackle is the Bucs’ top target in round one, where they hold the 14th pick.
Will Brinson’s new mock draft over at CBS Sports predicts the Bucs will select OT Andrew Thomas out of Georgia. “Big time score here for the Bucs, who land a top tier tackle prospect without having to trade up. They really want this to play out,” Brinson said of the selection.
Again, it seems to be more a question of which offensive lineman the Bucs take at 14 rather than if they’ll take one. Todd McShay’s post-free agency mock draft had the Buccaneers taking OT Mekhi Becton out of Louisville. Brinson’s mock, however, had Becton going all the way at No. 4 to the New York Giants. It’ll be interesting to see which scenario ultimately plays out for the Bucs.
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