The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had themselves an interesting offseason to say the least. On one hand, they re-signed two of their biggest free agents in cornerback Jamel Dean and linebacker Lavonte David. On the other hand, they also lost Tom Brady- and they weren’t exactly great with him in 2022. Barring an unforeseen big move, the Bucs’ window appears to have slammed shut.
Fortunately for Tampa Bay, there is still the 2023 NFL Draft to help aid the rebuild. The Buccaneers currently own a solid nine picks in the draft, including No. 19 overall. They don’t have a pick in the fourth round but have two in the fifth and three in the sixth to make up for it.
With the draft less than two weeks away, there are plenty of mocks already out there. While not impossible, it seems very unlikely that we’ll see the draft board get a major shakeup before next Thursday.
With the NFL Draft now just around the corner, here are three bold predictions for what the Bucs will do.
3. The Buccaneers do not draft a quarterback until Day 3
Many mock drafts feature Tampa Bay taking a quarterback, usually Kentucky’s Will Levis, in the first round.
It makes some sense, as the Buccaneers’ current QB room of Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask definitely leaves room for improvement. However, drafting a signal-caller in the first round isn’t the best idea for Tampa Bay.
To be frank, the Bucs have many needs that are far more pressing than a QB (more on those later). Mayfield and Trask aren’t amazing, but they’re serviceable for what will probably be a transition year.
If one of them turns out well, great, if not, then the Bucs can try for a top QB in next year’s draft.
There’s also a very good chance that Levis won’t be available by the time the Bucs are on the clock. If he’s off the board, then there likely isn’t a QB left worth taking in the first round.
That said, it wouldn’t hurt to draft a QB on Day 3 that can be a third stringer. So, the Bucs could address the position, but don’t expect a big splash.
2. The Buccaneers draft two offensive linemen and two secondary players
Tampa Bay has quite a few needs on its roster, and two of the biggest are offensive line and secondary. On the offensive line, an already-thin unit lost two starters in left tackle Donovan Smith and right guard Shaq Mason, as well as backup tackle Josh Wells.
Despite re-signing Dean, the Bucs also lost a lot of depth in the secondary with Keanu Neal, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Logan Ryan.
As such, the Bucs are very likely to target these two areas in the draft. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them take two players at each area, possibly even more.
1. Tampa Bay lands Myles Murphy in the first round
Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy might be one of the most enigmatic non-quarterback prospects in the draft. Mock drafts have him going all over the place, from in the top 10 to the end of the first round or even out of it entirely.
As it turns out, edge rusher just so happens to be one of the Bucs’ biggest needs. The pass rush fell apart after Shaq Barrett suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8, and it’s uncertain how well he will play upon his return.
The Bucs’ other edge rushers aren’t that special, with Anthony Nelson probably being the headliner behind Barrett.
With most mock drafts projecting Murphy to go later in the first round, he should be available when the Bucs are on the clock. Given their need at edge rusher, he would be an excellent selection to help round out the roster.
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