The good times continued to roll in for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After winning Super Bowl LV in Tom Brady’s first season with the club, general manager Jason Licht and coach Bruce Arians were able to dive headfirst into free will and keep the 22 starters of this winning team. championship. It’s a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by a defending champion since 1977, so it’s safe to say confidence is sky-high for Tampa Bay heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. Due to their success in free agency, the Bucs don’t have many holes to fill as they prepare for their title defense, but could look to add depth in some key spots later this month.
Below you can see a look at how the Bucs 2021 project might go down (h / t The Draft Network’s simulated roughing machine).
1 (32) | IDL Christian Barmore | Alabama |
2 (64) | RB Michael Carter | North Carolina |
3 (95) | QB Kyle Trask | Florida |
4 (137) | EDGE Patrick Jones II | Pittsburgh |
5 (176) | WR Anthony Schwartz | Auburn |
6 (217) | OT Alaric Jackson | Iowa |
7 (251) | LB Tuf Borland | Ohio state |
7 (259) | TE Tony Poljan | Virginia |
Tampa Bay could very well be in the market to trade its first-round pick as the No. 32 selection is often a popular destination for teams to come back into the opening round. The allure for teams to do this is to win that all-important fifth-year option, so if a club goes out with a tantalizing offer, it would be wise for the Bucs to at least give it some thought.
If they hang on to pick, Alabama’s Christian Barmore provides the team with a big chunk to add to their defensive line. Although this part of the roster is a force as we approach 2021, Ndamukong Suh has only entered into a one-year contract and Vita Vea is in the squad’s control throughout the 2022 season before. eventually achieve unrestricted free agency in 2023. With Barmore, Tampa Bay is gaining ground. a player who can immediately be thrown into the rotation and can serve as long term depth to the position.
On day 2, the Bucs attack with their two choices. UNC’s Michael Carter can enter the mix with Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones II and 2020 scout Ke’Shawn Vaughn. The 5-foot-8, 199-pounder racked up 1,512 yards of scrimmage in his last season with the Tar Heels and, more importantly, hasn’t recorded any fumbles in the past two seasons. In the third, Florida’s Kyle Trask is picked up by the Bucs and it’s a selection the team can afford with strong free agency. Because they don’t have a lot of holes to fill, the Bucs can make a forward-thinking decision on Trask, who can grow behind Brady throughout the remaining years of his career.
Once we hit day 3, Tampa Bay throws darts at the wall and basically sees what sticks. Patrick Jones II of Pittsburgh gives the club another advantage, which can provide depth along the top seven. Meanwhile, Auburn wide receiver Anthony Schwartz brings world-class speed to a Buccaneers passer group and is a fascinating development piece in the second leg as well. In the final two rounds, Ohio State linebacker Tuf Borland brings a ton of intangibles to the defending champions and Buckeye’s three-time captain could be a solid rookie for this veteran team.
