The Bucs have officially brought back all 22 starters from their Super Bowl team.
That is impressive. Plus, if you think about it, they didn’t even really get a full season together (evidenced by the unit’s early struggles and late surge as it found its groove), so things are certainly looking all set for a repeat run.
All of that being said, the Bucs also have a draft coming up. And the draft is still the most important part of front office moves. Teams can be built or destroyed by draft choices, and while the Bucs’ track record in this department has been better than most, Tampa Bay needs to continue that trend in order to continue to build a winning roster around TB12. Most of these are not needs in the traditional fashion (you know, the way the Jaguars NEED a new quarterback)—these picks are mostly for the future, or for depth. The Bucs won the Super Bowl last year for a reason; the roster lacks the holes many other teams have at so many different positions.
So, here are the five positions the Bucs need to address in the draft.
Interior defensive line
This is a huge one. Vita Vea went down last year and the Bucs were able to acquire Steve McLendon to replace him for cheap (the 35-year-old was acquired from the Jets in exchange for a seventh-round pick), but don’t expect that same miracle to happen this year. Tampa Bay can solve this issue by drafting an interior lineman, not just in case Vea goes down again, but also as an eventual replacement for Ndamokung Suh, who is on a one-year deal for this season. If (and this is a big if) Alabama’s Christian Barmore falls to no. 32, the Bucs would be wise to jump all over him.
Edge rusher
Really, the D-line and edge positions could be considered 1A and 1B, because they could easily be flipped. The Bucs’ current lineup of pass rushers is Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett and… Anthony Nelson? Obviously JPP and Shaq are absolute monsters, but injuries happen, and Nelson simply isn’t going to cut it as a replacement. JPP is also a free agent after this season, and while a reunion would be ideal, the guy is going to be 33 by next January. Maybe he wants to take his Super Bowl rings and ride off into the sunset. The Bucs will likely have at least one solid pass rusher to choose with their no. 32 pick (my mock draft has Tampa Bay taking Azeez Ojulari), but in case they don’t, or if they’re not sold on the guy that falls, they can always trade back and continue to stockpile picks to give themselves more depth and flexibility when those voidable years start to hit.
Interior offensive line
Ryan Jensen, Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa submitted wonderful seasons. This pick is all about a worst-case-scenario. While it’s nice having Aaron Stinnie return after his stellar postseason performances in the place of the injured Cappa, he won’t be enough. Who’s going to line up at center if Jensen goes down? Who’s replacing Jensen after his contract expires? My favorite answer to this question is Alabama’s Landon Dickerson. The video of the big man doing cartwheels in the background of a pro day interview with former ‘Bama quarterback and likely first-round pick Mac Jones is now viral on Twitter, but that display of athleticism for a guy who is 6 feer 6 inches and 325 pounds is pretty remarkable. He will likely be there when the Bucs pick at no. 32 since most mock drafts have him going in the second round. The Bucs could even get away with maybe trading back for more picks and still gett Dickerson. Now, that type of thinking can lead to trouble, as general wisdom says draft the guy you want, don’t get greedy and hope he falls for an extra fifth-round pick, but the Bucs are smart. They’ll do their due diligence, and hopefully that involves drafting Dickerson.
Safety
Another position that is more about depth, with Antoine Winfield, Jr. and Jordan Whitehead both locked in as starters. Whitehead and Winfield, Jr. are emerging as one of the best safety duos in the NFC, but they might need help. Both battled injuries in the playoffs, and while Mike Edwards is one good replacement, it never hurts to have a couple. Now, this position might not be addressed until the later rounds, as the Bucs have more pressing needs with the previous three positions, but it still needs to be addressed. Horned Frog Ar’Darius Washington is my personal favorite, as he lacks the typical size of most prototypical safeties, but that’s perfect for the Bucs. He could easily fall to the third or fourth round, and that would pretty much work out perfectly for the Bucs.
Running back
Going running back again may seem a bit unnecessary—Ronald Jones III and Lombardi Lenny— are both back after all—but Tampa Bay still lacks a true dynamic pass-catching back, and TB12 has really excelled passing to guys that fit that mold (see: James White). The ideal target would be UCLA’s Demetric Felton. Another guy who lacks the size and reputation to go anywhere in the first couple rounds, Felton could be snagged in the third or fourth round, the general sweet spot for drafting running backs. He lined up at both running back and wide receiver at UCLA, but at 5 feet 6 inches he’s more effective coming out of the backfield and running routes. My hope is the Bucs stay patient and don’t pull a Kansas City by drafting a running back in the first round (I mean, don’t you think the Chiefs could have used some offensive line help instead of Clyde Edwards-Helaire after watching Mahomes run for his life for 60 minutes in SBLV?), because drafting a running back in the first round that isn’t Saquan Barkley or Christian McCaffery tends to not work out very well. But, despite all of that, some draft analysts have the Bucs taking either Clemson’s Travis Etienne or Alabama’s Najee Harris. Let’s hope not.
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This article appears in Apr 8-14, 2021.