Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft needs: Offensive line and defensive back
The NFL offseason is in full swing. The franchise tag deadline came and went earlier this week, the combine just finished up and free agency and the draft are right around the corner. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not be able to retain the roster they had the past two seasons due to a few reasons. Many players are hitting the free agency market after being in win-now mode the past two years and others are retiring or could retire.
The highlights of these players that are evident at this moment are the retirement of 7-year veteran OG Ali Marpet, the interest from other teams for C Ryan Jensen, and with the franchise tag being placed on Chris Godwin earlier in the week, the almost certain pending loss of CB Carlton Davis in free agency. After these moves, it becomes obvious that the Bucs will need to sure up two areas on their roster during the 2022 NFL Draft: interior offensive line and defensive back.
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With the retirement of Ali Marpet and the possibility of Ryan Jensen leaving during free agency, the Bucs' IOL is due for a restructure come the 2022 season. The front office has done a tremendous job in the recent past of scouting and developing players on the offensive line. A few names that the Bucs can and should look at in the first round are Texas A&M OL Kenyon Green, Iowa OL/C Tyler Linderbaum, and Boston College's Zion Johnson. All 3 of these guys should be around when the Bucs are on the clock and they all possess great athleticism and versatility across the offensive line.
The Tampa Bay secondary was ravished with injuries last season, causing the team to look to other options like veterans Ross Cockrell and Richard Sherman. With the likelihood of starting CB Carlton Davis leaving in FA the Bucs do not have a very deep secondary, especially at the CB position. The team has had success in the past with selecting secondary players in the middle rounds of the draft. With so many secondary players in the draft each year it is hard to point out exactly who the Bucs should target, but I assume they will again attack the middle rounds of the draft to find a formidable player that can slot right into DC Todd Bowles' defensive scheme.
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